Las Vegas age. [volume] (Las Vegas, Nev.) 1905-1947, 1927-07-30
VEGAS HONORED AT
LEGION CONVENTION
Local Post Wins Cup For
Largest Growth During
Past Year. - Senator Cd
die Delivers Address.

The State Convention OF the
American Legion opened in Reno
Monday, the Las Vegas Post De-
ing represented by Levi Tracht,
Robert Griffith and Andy RafaaeI,
The feature OF the convention,
so far as Las Vegas is concerned,
was the award to Las Vegas Post
of the department membership
trophy for the largest gain in
membership during the past year.
The cup was presented by
Duane Bush of Winnemucca, past
department commander of the or
ganiaztion. The Las Vegas post
increased from a membership OF
79 to 154 during the year, an in
crease of Sc per cent.
The second day of the conven-
tion was opened with street
parade.
With a host of brilliant flags,
both the national colors and the
standards OF the legion posts rep
resented at the convention, the
parade moved down Virginia
street to the state building to
music from two bands and a drum
corps. Both the exposition band
of Reno and the Carson valley
band of Gardnerville and Minden
were in the line of march while
the Reno posts drum corps added
a martial air to the procession.
Several hundred men and women
were in the parade, the white
dresses Of the women, members
OF the auxiliary of the legion, vie
ing with the olive drab uniforms
worn by a part of the men march
ers, says the Reno Gazette.
While the parade was disband
ing at Powning Park, the bands
rendered several selections after
which the convention was opened
and the business of the day taken
up.
Asserting that the propaganda
which accused the United States
of an imperialistic attitude toward
Haiti was fostered in Moscow and
declaring that withdrawal of
American forces from that island
would result in anarchy and revO-
luton, Senator Tasker l.. -Oddie
told the war veterans of his re-
cent visit to that country in
which he investigated conditions
there. This propaganda, he said,
used Haiti as the starting place
for an attack on Americanism and
he warned of the inroads of Com
munistic ideas in. this country.
He told of the work being done
in Haiti by the occupation forces
which, he said, would eventually
bring that country to self-sus-
tanning basis.
Senator Oddie was followed by
George Hatfield, United States dis
trict attorney for Northern Cali
fornia who represented the CAR
fornia department of the legion at
the Nevada convention. Mr.. Hat
field spoke feelingly of the strong
frie ndship which existed between
the two organizations of veterans
and said that California always
felt assured of the hearty support
by Nevada in all it's undertakings.
He pointed out the presentation
of the California building at the
exposition to the Nevada legion
as one instance of the fine feeling
which exists.
He also stressed the principles
upon which the organization was
founded and asserted that history
would prove the worth of the
legion to the nation.
Cheered for several minutes
when he stood up to address the
gathering, A. E. Lasher of the
Grand Army of the Republic
spoke on the problems which con-
Aont every soldiers organization
as he told of the conditions found
by G. A. R. when it was first Or
ganized. Mr.. Lasher stressed
Americansim as one of the mat
ters which the legion could profit
ably continue to forward and said,
in this connection, that cam
paign for Il more direct interest in
government on tIe part of the
people at large would prove of
benefit IN this work.
DR.. d. A. Turner of the United
States bureau spoke in connection
with the work the bureau is doing
for the veteran and cited figures
to show the amount of business
done by the Reno regional office.
Tuesday night the grand voiture
OF Nevada, La Societe des 40
Hommes ct Chevaux was. con-
Quoted with a street parade pro-
ceeding the evenings festivities.
A large class of candidates was
initiated following the election of
officers.
Officers elected at the final ses-
sion of the American Legion Con-
vention at Reno are as follows:
DIR. d. A. Turner, Reno, State
Commander.
Robert Griffith, Las Vegas, first
vice-commander.
C. r. Townsend, Ely, second
vice-commander.
Verne Hursh of Sparks, finance
officer.
]. G. Ballard, Reno, representa-
tive to National Convention.
Rev Geddes, of Ely, chaplain.