The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-16
WILSON TRIBUTE PAID BY LEGION
 AT FIRST MEET
Hines Assures Veterans That Bureau Is Now
 Clean
lRx Associated Press ).

ST. PAUL, Minn., Sept. 15.-Marked by a simple, stirring tribute to the late Woodrow Wilson and pledging anew of the union of the north and the south, the sixth annual convention of the American Legion opened its five-day convention today.
 It was a solemn memorial service to the late wartime president, that con- cluded the initial session, hushing the thousands of legionnaires who had been thrilled into prolonged cheering as rep resentatives of the Blue and the Gray of Civil war days renewed allegiance to the union.
 Before them had appeared in uncon- scious tableau two nationally known vet erans of the Civil war, once enemy combatants, now clasped in the friend ly arms of big John R. Quinn of Cali fornia, national commander of the legion. S
 Through the convention hall rang the strains of Dixie, the rebel yen sounded, and cheers alike for those two men re- echoed through the building. Present Wilson Portrait.
 Then came a sudden hush. On the
  ginia bore a large framed portrait of the man whose procurement had sent them to foreign battle fieIds--the war time commander in chief of all Ameri- can forces.
 He was Virginia's finest contribu- tion to the welfare of all mankind" :" said John Wicker, past commander of the department of Virginia, in present. .y,n kkn kn kHa laMinnSg mn finS ol headquarters. Reverently the former soldiers stood, silent in their tribute, as band struck up, slowly, the strains of Garry Me Back to Old Virginia" |"
 A garland of roses then was draped over the portrait by two members of the Virginia auxiliary, a woman sang, There Is No Neath," and after a minute of silent prayer. bugler sOund- ed ''taps."
 Judge Ell Torrance of Minneapolis. past commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, had praised the courage and fighting qualities" of the Confed- crate soldiers. All bitterness of the Civil war now was gone, he said. Then, as Gen. w. B. Haldeman of Louisville. was presented as commander-in-c chief of the United Confederate Veterans bands took up the stirring strains of Dixie" and the legiOnnaires turned loose an ovation.
 COnfedcracy HOnOrod.
 When General Haldeman had con- cluded, pointing to the complete union of the north and the south, former Gov. $. R. Vansant of Minnesota, past com mander of the Grand Army of the Re public evoked further cheers by trib- ute to the Confederate soldiers.
 It was a demonstration that afforded the legiOnnaires an opportunity to un- load some of the pent-up enthusiasm that had been held closely in check throughout the session by the frequent use of Commander Quinn's gavel.
 The commander, in his address, pointed to achievements of the past year as a fitting climax of five years of endeavOr and said the accomplish ments had doubled the prestige of the iegicn.
 Gen. Frank T. Hines, director of the veterans bureau. told the legionnaires the bureau 'had been cleaned. up" and asked their cooperation in making it complete success.
 Hardly more than half hour after the convention adjourned at 1 80 pm. until 9 am. tomorrow, the annual con vention of the American Legion aux Hilary and the 40 and 80 society got under way in separate convention halls.
 It was indicated at the auxiliary gathering that the care and treatment of the disabled war veterans will con- tinue to be the chief function of that organization.
 In the keynote address. Mrs. Frank lin Lee Bishop of Leicester, Mass. na tional auxiliary president, said: We all know the care of those who are still paying the price of war is not all that it might be and we feel that our s..a.Aa.A ..sr.....nsLsl:A.. l.. Ao thn.,, v