Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-09-19
DRAIN IS ELECTED
AS HEAD Of LEGION
ON FIRST BALLOT
D. c. Man Gets Early Ma
jority-Has Only Two
Opponents.
GREAT DEMONSTRATION
ACCORDED COMMANDER
Pershing Is Honored-Adequate
Defense Program Is
Backed.

| By the Associated Press.
ST. PAUL Mimi. September 10
Gen. James A. Drain of Washington.
D c., was elected national COM
mander of the American Legion at
the closing session of its sixth an
nua1 convention here today.
Drains election came on the FIRST
ballot and he had a majority of ali
accredited votes before the roll call
was two-thirds completed. AS the
poll ended his total had been swelledl
considerably.
Only two other names were pre-
sented. those OF John r. McQuigg Of
Cleveland and E. E. Spafford Of New
York.
Presented by Minnesota.
Alabama yielded as the roll call be
gan, and Minnesota presented the
| name of Mr.. Drain to the convention.
| its State adjutant, Stafford King,
| making the nominating address.
Peyton Hogue of Kentucky, national
executive committeeman, seconded
! the nomination.
When the roll call had been COM
| pleted the election of Drain was made
unanimous on motion of King. and
| amid a rousing demonstration. Drain
was escorted to the platform as the
! band played Hail. Hail, the Gangs
All Here"
Parade Is Staged.
The Texas delegation, headed BY
Miss May Peterson, atop the "old
gray mare" paraded to the platform.
its band fiaring THE Old Gray Mare
one of the songs made famous by the
convention.
Soon every department standard
was grouped on the platform around
the new commander. The cheers and
songs continued several minutes, un-
til retiring Commander John r Quinn
of California restored order.
The vote on national commander.
| before the convention made 1t unani-
nous, was: Drain. us; McQuigg, 142:
Spafford. Sc; absent, 81.
| The convention. on motion of the
| Missouri delegation, voted to make
| Gen. John ]. Pershing the "perma-
nent distinguished guest of this and
| every other American Legion conven-
ton
| Thanking the convention for his
election, Mr.. Drain accepted the post
| because he believes in the American
| Legion and the legionnaires, who al
ways are thinking of what they can
! give more than what they can get.
He pledged himself to do every
thing he could Ito the best OF his
! ability" to forward the work and
| ambitions of the American Legion.
With the election of the command
| er out of the way, the convention
proceeded to the nomination and
election of FIVE national vice com
! manders.
The following were unanimously
| elected vice commanders without op-
! position:
Eugene Armstrong OF Connect
| cut Frank Mcfarland of Kansas. A.
L. Perry of Panama William Stern
of North Dakota and Peyton H.
Hoge of kentucky.
| May Admit Germany.
| Admission of Germany to member
ship,in the Interallied Veterans As
sociation Ito promote world peace"
will likely be granted soon, accord
| ing to a statement made to the con-
| vention today by Col Ernest O,
| THOMPSON of Amarillo, Tex.
| Full support" for the legion's pro-
| gram of national defense and child
welfare was promised in the report
| of the National Chaplains Associa
| tion.
| 3. H. Conner of Paris, commander
| of the department of France, extend
ed to the Legion the invitation of his
| department and the government OF
| France to hold the 1928 convention in
| Paris.
Florida Gets Trophy.
| Florida annexed its third trophy
when it was awarded the f. W. Gal
f! braith. jr, trophy for the greatest
! man miles" any delegation covered
! in coming to the convention.
The Milton j. Foreman trophy was
awarded to the Minnesota team.
which won first place in the annual
rifle shooting competition.
On motion of Pennsylvania, the
! convention struck from the official
records all debate on the finance com
mittee report yesterday, which had
! brought out the first tinge of bitter
ness shown on the floor during the
| convention.
| Legion support of the memorial to
be erected at st. Nazaire, France. to
| commemorate the arrival of the first
American troops in France, June Is,
1917, was pleded in resolution
adopted.
Mayor A. f. Nelson. himset le-
gionnaire, told the convention mot d
cents worth of property had been de-
Stroyed during the convention and ab-
| solutely no rowdyism" was chargea-
Bile to the visiting legionnaires.
Claude A. Brown, editor of the Ar
| kansas Legionnaire, Little Rock, Ark.
| was elected national president of the
| American LIE gion Press Association
Establishment of welfare endow-
ment fund to receive assignments OF
| insurance benefits any veterans may
wish to make was ordered. The leg
| islative committee was instructed to
work for the necessary changes in
| the adjusted compensation law to
| make these assignments possible.
"Social DeleEntes- Leave.
Only the actual delegates and al
ternates. it seemed today, still were
in the city, for nearly all the social
delegates" had left for their homes
when the final session got under way.
/ The speed with which the conven
tion accepted preparedness. American
| ism and other resolutions yesterday
cleared the way for quick disposal
today of business other than the cleo
| ton of officers.
| The 40 and s convention ended last
night with the annual initiation, aft
er the election of officers. George
Dobson of Passaic. y. j., was elected
chef chemin de fer.
| Mr.. Dobson, who has been commits
| saire intendant national for the past
| two years, said that while he was the
| chef the 40 and SIS program would be
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