Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-10-08
GEN. PERSHINC

CONTINUED from page one)
the only veterans organization that
faced the future instead OF back
upon the past.
Nine. Martha Atwood. opera
singer, dressed in red, white and
blue, sang THE Star Spangled Ban
her" and the flags were advanced to
the platform.
In his annual message Command
er Spafford urged Legionnaires TO
get IN contact with every candidate
for congress and the senate and 20
determine his attitude toward a uni
versal draft. lie recommended that
passage Of such a law be made the
next big major objective Of the Lee
Fion.
Brigadier General Frank r. Hines,
director -of the veterans bureau,
made a comprehensive report on che
activities Of that body and advocat-
ed a combination Of all Of govern
mental agencies now giving relief
10 veterans. He also asserted that
the matter Of the employment OF
veterans should be placed entirely N
the hands Of the veterans bureau,
rather than split up as it now is be-
tween the department OF labor and
the bureau.
The memorial 20 the war dead
was very brief and came at the end
of the morning session. The assem-
blage of 5000 ~legiornaires arose and
faced east for n moment Of silent
prayer which was terminated by taps.
At the same time all over the United
States members of the Legion solem-
rized the moment. AT Arlington,
Harlan Wood. department commander
az the District If Columbia placed n
wreath al the tomb of the unknown
soldier in tho name Of National
Commander Edward II. Spafford and
in other sections Of the country
other shrincs we're visited.
AT the conclusion If taps the flags
were retired and the session adj
journed.
'H~orseplay' Starts
The frolicsome spirit of the vet
irrans asserted itself mildly through
out Sunday. but with the arrival OF
fresh throngs Of visitors and dele
gates yesterday including General
John J.. P~ershinC. the horseplay
which has marked every Legion con-
vention 70 date suddenly came into
its own.
The famous pillow stunt. in which
p large number az Lcgionr3ires cut
holes in their pillows and shake the
feathers into the street. ushercd in
n night az carnival such as the
city has not known since the old
cowboy days. Owing "a the fact
that many ar the visitors were al
ready skylarkinE on the streets the
deluge Of feathers did NJ more than
fill the cutters around q of the
principal hotels. but he incident
touched off an Of the eNuberance Of
the veterans.
F~irecrackers and torpedoes ever
berRted frequently from all sections
Of the city. JOYOUS L-egionnaires
marched up and down the streets,
shouting and capering and state
delegations bantered each other.
San Antonio is traversed by a mean
dering river which twists through
the business districts under a NUM-
her 81 steel bridges and many Or
the L-erionnaires devoted their time
70 walking the high c%urvinr arches
on either side of the bridges.
Throngs Greet Black Jack
"Black Jack Pcrshing found
more than 10000 ar "his BOYS" pres
Ont when ne stepned off the IN IN
last night ard heavy police lines
were necessary II hold the crowd
AWAY from him as he walked from
the train 70 his automobile. He vas
vhisked away 20 his hotel before
the eager crowds could Get within 100
feet Of him.
The message Of National Com
rsnder Edward +. Stafford and the
race for commander in the ensuing
wear were the most absorbing topics
of the first days sessions. Spafford
was expected 10 recommend a drive
for legislation that would enforce
universal draft in the next war. The
political race was still too cmhrvon-
&c to warrant more than speculation.
General Roy Hoffman az Oklahoma
City continued to acquire prestige
as a candidate for national COM
mander with indications that the
Texas delcEat/n might swing to
him after his FIRST caucus. John n.
Ewing, ~ Shreveport. La. long a
leader in the Southern caucus" az
Legion conventions. gained strength
with his arrival TODAY and O. T..
Bodenhammer Of FL Dorado, Ark.
appeared to be in a position 70 swing
into the lead with a favorable break
in the state caucuses. Paul V. Nc
Mutt Of Indiana. General Apbert l..
Cox Of North Carolina. J. Monroe
johnson. OF South Carolina, and
Frank o'Neil Of Kansas. all among
the leading contenders for the Of
flee. were supported BY active cam
psirns.
Other Notables Arrive
The question Of the next conven-
tion city seem "a have settled down
to a fight between Louisville. Dc
troit and Miami.
General PershinE's arrival was
more dramatic thar most Of the
spectators who greeted him realized.
IL was from here that he e~ntrained
for Washington ten years ago TO.
receive command Of the A. +. F.
Former Sergeant Harry l.. Pollard
of Beaumont. Texas. who drove
Pershing's car in France was at the
wheel Of the automobile he will use
during the convention when the