Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-09-07
PARIS BECOMES
WORLD CENTER
OF AM. LEGION

PARIS, Sept. @9--For 10000
American men and women who Of.
fered their utmost to their country
in the World war, Paris has again
become the capital of the world.
A band of pilgrims larger than was
ever mustered before in a crusade
of peace has turned toward France
under the banner Of the American
legion to commemorate, amid scenes
craven indelibly into American history
On the battlefields Of 1917 and 1918,
the part played by the United States
in the World war.
For some the peacetime invasion
of Paris will be d revisitation of
scenes made intimate by the expe-
rienceS of a decade ago. But Paris
will unfurl her flags, for the first
time to others of the contingent
infantrynen who got no nearer the
western front than American can.
tonments, sailors whom duty kept
on the high seas, nurses and war
workers who served in hospitals and
camps on home soil and to whom
Paris was dream left unfulfilled
by the ending of the war.
The movement Of the legion to
its Paris Homecoming is already
under way. 1t began August 10,
when the vanguard sailed from New
York It will reach it's peak when
16 steamships will said from New
York New Orleans, Hoboken and
Quebec laden with most of the tnous-
ands who will attend the gathering.
President CASTOR Doumergue was
welcome the legionnaires TO France
at the opening session of the six
day convention on September 10, at
the Trocadero Palace and Howard r.
Savage, of Chicago, national COM
mander, will respond to Doumergue's
greeting.
On the same Gay the legion will
parade from the Place oes Invalides
through the historic streets of Paris,
while French military and civil forces
stage an aviation show overhead.
The major activities Of the legion,
and of auxiliaries and governmental
branches operating to aid former
service men, will be brought before
the convention September 20 in ad-
dresses by Mrs. Adalin w. McCauley.
national president of the auxiliary;
Frank T. Hines, head of. the United
States veterans bureau: M. Marcel
Heraud, international president of the
lnterallied Veterans federation; James
A. Drain, Of Seattle, past national
commander, who will tell of the
$5,000,000 legion endowment fund for
orphans and disabled soldiers; Marsh
al Foch, interallied World war conf
mander; General John j. Persfing,
commander of the American troops,
and Senator L. D. Tyson.
| The legion will tender a "feast Of
| friendship in the evening to Presi-
| dent Doumergue, who will return the
| courtesy on the following night.
Officers will be elected on Thurs
! day, and on Friday and Saturday
the legion will make official visits to
battlefields and cemeteries and will
| dedicate memorials at Verdun. The
homeward journey will be spread over.
a period from September "a to No
vember 8.
On the day preceding the opening
| of the convention, number of men,
orial services will be held, among
them one at the grave of quentin
Roosevelt att Chamery.
i Virtually every living French leader
of the World war-almost two score of
generals and as many more figures of
,Oate--will be presented to the vet
Grams during the convention.
The pilgrimage of the legion is view
ed by Commander Savage as an event
of deep international significance in
the cause of peace and friendliness.
"Great writer's and historians he
points out, "have said that peace is
based on mutual understanding be-
tween nations, sympathy for each
others problems and closer COM
munion between peoples. Think of the
possibilities which attach to move
ment of close to 10000 men and
women of America to France-a multi
itude drawn from every state. feel
that the foreign relations of the Unit
ed States will be influenced for good
for SO years to come ss direct result
of the American legions pilgrimage
to France"