The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1927-09-29

greatest convention to glorious close
Thursday after. the legionnaires had
come again to Paris, seen it with eyes
nearly 10 years older than when they
saw it last, and completely conquered
the French capital
General Pershing and 1000 of the
men he commanded in the war, ar
rived Friday morning, September 16,
at Cherbourg, France, aboard the
Leviathan, greatest of wartime trans
ports. Other thousands landed at
French ports during the night and day
on other ships and still more thous
ands of their buddies had reached
Paris before them.
Through flag-draped streets and
lanes of cheering people the legion
naires went to the city hall where
French officials welcomed them back
to the soil they helped to defend.
There was no sign of the reported
Communist opposition as the legion
naires tramped to the railway station.
Arriving at Paris, General PERISH
ing was greeted in the name of the
government by Paul Painleve, min
lister of war, whose proud duty it was
10 years ago to perform the same
function when the American comman-
der first reached France. The war
minister in his speech of welcome re-
called this former meeting which took
place June 13, 1917. "You will find
everywhere" he said, "brothers in
arms with whom you fought side by
side as kind-hearted and loving now
as they were when chance made our
people your hosts"
Never before has Paris been so pro-
fusely decorated since the Armistice
celebration Of the Victory parade on
the 18th of July, 1919.
The House of the American Ma
tions has been turned over to Ma
tional Commander Savage and the
American flag has gone up ON the
Paris city hall to remain there for a
week.
General John J. Pershing and Ma
tional Commander Savage paid the
tribute of the American Legion to
their fallen buddies at Suresnes ceme-
terry.
There was drizzle of rain at
times during the short ceremonies at
which General Pershing, Commander
Savage and Marshal Foch made the
only addresses, the American Legion
commander speaking directly to the
dead rather than to the living audi
ence. A distinguished company OF
French military civil leaders was
present.
The inclement weather and the lack
of transportation facilities from Paris
kept many Legionnaires away, so the
attendance, which was rather small,
was about equally divided between
Americans and French.
The convention opened Monday
morning in the Palais Du Trocadero.
At it's session, which lasted more
than two hours, President Dou-
mergue of France, surrounded by
most of his cabinet, welcomed the
American soldiers back to France.
Wartime friendships and goodwill
were voiced again in the message OF
President Coolidge and in the adj
dresses of General John j. Pershing,
National Commander Howard 2.
Savage Of the legion, Julian M.
Thomas, legion department comman-
der of France, and Sheldon White
house, American charge d'affaires,
who took the place of Ambassador
Herrick, who is i'll in America.
The business portion of the opening
session was exceedingly brief. A few
committee reports were hastily adopt
ed and orders were given the COM
mittee chairmen for the afternoons
parade.
Fourteen thousand men of the
American Legion who fought for
France, and many of their women
folk, marched in the parade under
the Arc de Triomphe and in homage
to the Unknown Soldier placed red,