Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-22
PUBLIC OFFICIALS
SCORED BY LEGION
District Convention Adopts
Report Criticizing Al
legged Indifference"


the Indifferent" attitude of officia
Washington toward veterans featured
the opening session OF the convention
OF the District Department of the
American Legion, in the auditorium
of the Interior Department, last night.
The session contrasted strongly
with former conventions here. The
bitter fights for preference in the cleo
tons of former years, when whole
states Of candidates were presented
during nominations, gave way this
year to a single harmonious slate OF
candidates, with every office save one
uncontested. The contest is between
Col. j. Miller Kenyon Of Augustus P
Gardner Post and Capt. Harvey L.
Miller Of Vincent B. Costello Post for
the office of department commander
When the nominations closed last
night Just exactly the right number
of nominees 10 fill each office without
a contest had been presented to the
convention.
Fries Action Commended.
Past Department Comdr. Paul ]
McGahan, national executive commit
teeman, presented the report criticiz
ing "official Washington" in general
and mentioning the District Commits
sioners in particular. The report was
adopted with round of applause.
THE prompt and aggressive man
ner in which your department com
mander, Gen. Fries" said the report
brought about recognition of the vet
Grams by the District Commissioners
4 hi 20 no 1od
Then he delivered the slap at "offi.
cial Indifference" by stating:
There is considerable Indifference
TO the veteran by official Washington
and every effort should be made to i'm
press upon these officials that the
veterans are for and of Washington
and must be considered and their serv-
ices awaited Of"
He then pointed out that the Dis
trict Commissioners had declined dur
ing the current year to issue a procla-
nation calling attention of the resi-
dents here to the poppy campaign.
giving instead letter of Endorsement
and insisting upon an accounting of
the moneys raised.
1.-The Department of the District of
Columbia of the American Legion" he
declared, has always raised and ex-
your chairman regarded the lack of a
proclamation as unfortunate. In the
next campaign the wholehearted in
dorsement Of the Commissioners
should be had. President Coolidge and
the governors and mayors throughout
the country Endorsed the Legion's
poppy campaign and the heads of the
Government in the Capital should do
no less. The officials of the
City of Washington, it must be as
sumed, want the cooperation and help
of every agency that will aid them in
their work for the progress of the
city. It should be impressed upon
them by our activities that we are
ready and willing to serve and to ad-
wise and that our counsel is well worth
having"
Annual Report Read.
In his annual report, Gen. Amos A.
Fries, department commander, stated
that the year just concluded was re-
garded by him as a period Of distinct
achievement"
THE achievements have not been all
that have wished or all that your
department has wished" he said. 'The
bringing up OF the finances from a
serious deficit to more than $4,000 sur.
plus has been no small achievement in
itself. Particularly gratifying
is the fact that the present year Of
only 1O% months ends with a paid-up
membership of more than 200 over
that at the beginning of the year.
Every effort has been made to
keep the larger outlook before the
American Legion and to avoid taking
part in things not proper for the
Legion to take part in and in every
way to build up that respect for the
good judgment, common sense and
high ideals of the American Legion
that is essential to it's future growth
and prosperity"
Nine resolutions were reported by
Chairman Harlan Wood of the reso-
lutlons committee as approved by the
committee. Of these, a resolution
urging abolition of the Bureau Of
Emciency and criticizing that bureau
for negligence and indifference" to
veterans in the Federal service, was
tabled until tonight upon motion of
Delegate Daniel J. Donovan of Co.'S
tello Post.
A resolution was adopted by the
convention calling for general sur.
vey Of the department for re.
organization of the Legion in Wash
tngton. Resolutions indorsing the Fitz-
gerald-Tyson bill for relief of dis
abled emergency Army officers and
advocating furloush cut rates for per-
sons in the active military service of
the country going from stations to
their homes on visits were adopted.
A resolution was adopted seeking to
have the national commander use his
good offices to prevent arrest during
the Paris convention OF French
veterans technically delinquent from
military duty in France because of
their enlistment in the forces Of this
country.
Reports Of various officers and COM
mittee chairmen were made through
out the session, Charles Kohen re.
porting for the committee on hospi-
tails, c. c. Brown reporting on the
convention plans for the National
Legion in this city in 1882 and Harlan
Wood reporting on membership
activities.
When the nominations We're opened
Assistant Engineer Commissioner L.
T.. Atkins of Costello Post presented
the name Of Capt. Miller Of the same
Post for department commander, re-
citing the 22-year service record of the
candidate and announcing his connec-
ton with the Navy from 1905, when
ne enlisted as an apprentice seaman
until the present, when he is a COM
missioned officer on the Marine re-
serve list.
List of Nominees.
J. o. c. Roberts of Stuart-Walcott
Post nominated the other candidate,
pointing to his high standing in the
legal profession in Washington and to
his activities in American Legion
work in the past.
Other nominees were: j. Thad Baker
of Sergeant Jasper Post. for senior
vice commander; William MorrelI of
Lincoln Post, for second vice com
mander; Miss ]. Beatric Bowman OF
Jane Delano Post, for third vice com
mander; Gen. Fries and the incoming
department commander for delegates
by reclamation to the Paris conven-