Evening star., 1923-10-20
QUINN NEW HEAD
Of LEGION FORCES
Commander Dedicates Ad-
ministration to Passage
of Bonus Law.
By the Associated Press.

mapped out and a new leader chosen.
American legionnaires ended their
1928 convention with a mammoth ball
last night, and today thousands OF
delegates are returning home to all
sections of the United States, saying
farewell with the same characteristic
and noisy demonstrations with which
they greeted each other five days ago.
John r. Quinn of California was
elevated to the post of national COM
mander to succeed Alvin Owsiey of
Texas.
He Is a former California cowboy
and now a prosperous rancher and
| land owner. He was elected en- the
eleventh ballot with 502 votes, COM
pared with 342 for James A. Drain of
Washington, D. c., so for Clarence Il.
Edwards of Boston and 54 for Wilder
s Metcalf of Kansas, with Id absent
! q, not voting.
Five vice commanders were elected,
as follows:
Ryan Duffy. Fond du Lac. Wis.
Thurman Mann. High Point, N. e:
C. NJ. Stoddard, Arizona, and Lester
Albert Idaho.
Ezra c. Clemans of Minnesota Is the
new national chaplain.
AS the legionnaires turned their
backs on San Francisco one phrase
was on every tongue:
see you in st. Paul next year,
buddy"
Tired Hand Yields.
A tired hand yielded the executive
management Of the American Legion
to a newly elected national COM
Iaty ttrr
Quinn, the responsibility of guiding
the destinies of the legion for 1928
"a, at the close of the convention.
Owsley, weary from his year
strife, his $1,000 miles of travelling
during his administration on be-
half of the legion, and showing a
loss of twenty-five pounds, smiled a
wan smile as he took Commander
Quinn by the hand and said: 81
turn you over to the mercies of the
lnewspapermen. the photographers
and the public"
A far different type of man took
UP Owsley's burden. Quinn, cowboy
and typical westerner of the open
plains, Immediately announced he
would dedicate his administration to
conducting a vigorous campaign to
obtain immediate passage of the ex-
service mems adjusted compensation
| act and a close and human contact
between the disabled veterans and
the government agencies in charge
of rehabilitation and disqualification.
Five Vice Commanders.
The following national vice COM
manders were elected:
Ryan Duffy. Fond du Lac, Wis.
Thurman Mann, High Point. \. c.;
c. NJ. Stoddard, Arizona. and Lester
Albert, Idaho.
The only other elective office in the
legion. that of national chaplain. was
I ~
sofa, who was elected by acclama-
tion.
While the convention was officially
closed until next October. when it
will convene at st. Paul, a grand ball
was held here last night as part of
the official program. Four bands fur
nished music for the dancers and 1000
San Francisco girls participated.
The first communication received
bX the newly elected commander was
a letter signed by NJ L. Saville, for
merly colonel in the 9lst Division. in
which Commander Quinn was urged
to drop his plan to fight for the bonus.
! Saville said, in part:
The hope OF the legion in demand
ing a bonus from the federal Treas
ury Is forlorn and hopeless one. be-
cause it is not sound. Drop the fed
eral bonus idea. 1t is a state propo-
sition. As I understand 1t. the legion
could once show couple million
, names on lts roll, ana no" IL mas
dropped to something like 100000
i paid up.
RapS Committees.
Drop all committee meetings and
let everything be in open public meet
ings, so that the world will see the
cards on the table and come to know
| just what you and know. namely,
that the defenders of the country are
its best asset. Then your member
ship will not wane and many who are
holding aloof will join the legion.
Otherwise the spirit of Americanism
in the country is bound to crush the
legion"
Quinn made this statement after his
election: =
| "As national commander of the
/ American Legion 1 shall endeavor
always to interpret the ideals and
service. 1 shall carry on the fight
the legion has always waged for the
disabled men and women who gave
so much for their country. / shall
seek to secure a close and human con-
/ tact between them and the govern
mental agencies dealing with their
! welfare.
! Il shall conduct an active and Wig
orous campaign TO secure the i'm
mediate passage of the adjusted COM
pensation act, urged by the fifth
national convention of the legion
men who have dedicated thel- lives
to the principles set forth in the pre-
amble of the American Legion consti-
| tuition, and who now constitute the
membership of the American Legion.
/ expect to see the accomplishment
of greater deeds to the benefit of our
glorious republic"
Cousin of Mark Twain.
OWATONNA, Mimi, October 90
Maj, Ezra c. Clemons, elected ma
! tional chaplain of the American
Legion in San Francisco, was one of
the, few Army chaplains with the
rank of major. He is sixty-two years
old. Maj. Clemons is a cousin of the
! late Mark Twain.
The major has been chaplain of
| the I'd Infantry, Minnesota National
Guard, since 1892, and had much to
do in organizing the state militia.
He is a veteran of the Spanish
American war, saw border service
| and the world war. During the re-
cent conflict he was chaplain of the
136th Infantry, 34th division.
Mrs. Bishop Heads Auxiliary.
SAN FRANCISCO, October 2o.-Mrs.
] Franklin Bishop of Leicester, Mass,
was elected national president of the
American Legion Auxiliary, composed
! of mothers, wives. sisters and daugh-
! ters and women who performed mill
| tary service during the war, at the
! final session of the organization yes
| terday.