Evening star., 1926-10-16
HOWARD P. SAVAGE
ELECTED BY LEGION
StiffeSt Fight in Orders His.
tory Ends in Withdrawal
~
OF Opponent.

By the Associated Press.
PHILADELPHIA, October 10
Vending their way homeward today
after the eighth annual convention of
the American Legion, veterans and
their wives and daughters appeared
as of one mind that next years con
vention in Paris must be as success
full as the one just ended.
See you in Paris next year" was
the parting greeting OF the Legion
naireS. Enthusiasm was unlimited as
the former soldiers visioned a second
trip to France-and Paris. To a
number who will make the trip, how
ever, it will be their first visit to the
French capital, for not every member
of the A. T.. F., as many can we'll
testify, was abe to participate in the
Battle of Paris
johnson Withdrawal Elects.
The convention will be remembered
for the stiffest fight for national com.
mander in the history of the organi-
zation.
The Legionnaires balloted 20 times.
unable to give any one candidate the
necessary number of votes, and 1t
was not until in the midst of the
twenty-first ballot that Howard p.
Savage of Chicago. who had been
leading throughout most of the ballot
ing, was elected 4 few minutes
later he was declared the new ma
tional commander by acclamation.
The previous record for the number
of ballots taken was made at the San
Francisco convention, when the roll
was called II times.
J. Monroe Johnson of Marion. s. G.
=
his withdrawal on the tWenty-firSt bal
lot gave the latter the election.
Thomas A. Lee of Kansas and Jay
Williams of South Dakota were the
two other candidates nominated for
the highest Office in the Legion.
Served as Lieutenant
Rev Joseph J. ~ Wolfe, a Catholic
priest of Philadelphia, was elected ma
tional chaplain.
The new national commander is AZ
years old, and served during the wal
as first lieutenant of Engineers, con
structing and repairing railroads. He
IS superintendent of maintenance OF
way on the Chicago Elevated. He
was once a pitcher in professional
base ball.
Mrs. Adalin Wright McAuley OF
Menominee, Wis, was elected preSi
dent of the women's auxiliary.
Prior to the balloting the conven
ton completed consideration of com
mittee reports. One of the last to be
adopted was that of the naval com
mittee. which urged that there be no
reduction of the enlisted personnel OF
the Navy at this time
Urge Big Naval Base.
Other recommendations We're:
The construction of a naval base or
the West Coast that will be able tC
repair and outfit the largest battle
ships and cruisers.
The further development and con
struction Of submarines as one of the
best and least expensive types of ship
for general defensive and offensive op
eratiOnS.
That all graduates of the Naval
Academy be compelled to give two
years service before being permitted
to resign.
That the Naval Reserve be main
tained at the highest possible stand
ard Of efficiency and sufficient in mum
bers to provide the necessary supple
mentary personnel to mobilize the
fleet and all it's auxiliarieS.
That the Naval Reserve officers
when found competent should be
given technical education on subjects
pertaining to their official duties in
the Reserve.
Protection Abroad Sought.
That American interests should re-
ceive the same protection in foreign
countries as is given by other first
class powers, and believe that suffi
cient number of the Navy's ships
should be used in foreign service to
safeguard all American interests
abroad.
The convention also went on record
10 use its efforts for the increase of
the citizens military training camps
and the Reserve Officers Training
Corps in high schools, colleges and
universities. 1t condemned las unwise
and un-American propaganda spread
against this training"
A resolution was also adopted urg.
ing the Legion to bring to the atten
ton Of citizens the importance of vot
ing at primary elections, where candi
dates Of all parties are selected.