Evening star., 1926-10-14
D. c. LEC|ONNA|RES
SPEED UP SESSIONS
Delegation Hastens to Get All
Business Out of Way Be-
fore Elections.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

special Dispatch to The Star.
PHILADELPHIA, October 14.-ln
compliance with request OF Ma
tional Commander John r. McQuigg,
that in view of the large volume OF
business to be acted on by the con
vention in session here. the District
of Columbia delegation took its place
in the convention early and is doing
everything possible to facilitate tne
work of the organization.
The eighth annual convention OF the
American Legion has been one OF
the busiest In it's history and all
business must be cleared away when
the nomination and election OF ofn-
GERS for the ensuing year take place
tomorrow morning. The annual pa
rade and the election of officers con-
stitute the events of greatest inter
est of the convention. Maj. Gen.
Amos A. Fries. chairman Of the Dis
trict of Columbia delegation. today
resumed attendance at committee
meetings, to which he was assigned
as representative from the District
department..
A feature Of the session yesterday
was the report of the France travel
committee, which resulted In the
convention going on record as faVor-
ing the pilgrimage to france next
year. The Legionnaires i'll the Ma
tional Capital will be interested In
some of the high lights of the report
as adopted. In the first place the
question of the legality Of holding
a convention in a foreign country
was raised, but this was overcome
by one of the recommendations in
the report.
Final Action October 18.
The ninth annual convention will
be held in Paris, Monday, September
10 to %, inclusive, 1927. In order to
legalize it, q convention will be held
in New York City on october ~,
where final action will be taken.
The committee has been renamed
the France Convention Committee.
National Commander McQuigg ex-
pressed the sentiment Of the conven-
ton when he referred to 1t as "a
pilgrimage to Paris to visit the
graves of our fallen comrades he
spoke of the magnitude Of the an
dertaking and urged every Legionnatre
TO do everything possible to make 1t
one of the most gigantic successes
the world has ever known. AS soon
as the report of the chairman or the
committee had been read a motion
was presented that voting be delayed
for "a hours A roll call was de-
manded and in the final analysis the
vote showed 923 for voting without
DELAY. while 66 urged putting the
,ote off a day. The final vote for
, the selection of Paris went over
with the same result.
Members of the delegation who par
ticipated in the siX-mile march. after
standing in line five hours waiting Tor
their turn to fall in,S are rapidly
recovering from the effects OF the
DELAY and the march. The parade
started at o'clock. but it was 6
O'Clock when the District representa-
ton was given the word to start.
After being reviewed in the stadium
hv electric light, the delegates were
still six miles from their hotels. 1t
was 10 o'clock before they reached
their hotels.
Col. Mitchell Urged.
The next problem before the delega-
ton is the choice of the various can
didates for national commander, to
be voted on tomorrow. Members of
the delegation have been attending
the nightly caucuses and tonight the
last Of these will be held. While the
name of Col. BILLY" Mitchell has
been mentioned in this connection,
the majority of the members Of the
District delegation do not feel too
much should be asked from other
Legionnaires. The delegation is de-
sirous of having Father Francis j.
Iurney, a past department chaplain,
elected national chaplain, and If this
is done it will mean that the District
is asking for two national officers.