Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-15
Officers OF Be Nominated and
Resolutions Voted on
by Veterans.
ATKINS AND LANDREAU'S
SUPPORTERS SEE VICTORY
Addresses and Debates Over Con.
vention Rules Fill Open.
ing Session.


lumbia Department. American Legion,
anticipate q lively meeting tonight,
when the adoption of resolutions and
nomination of officers will be the prin-
cipal issues before the convention.
Supporters of Maj. L. e. Atkins of
Costello Post, Assistant Engineer Com
missioner OF the District, and Norman
Landreau of the Cooley Mccullough
Post, department judge advocate, pre-
dict victory for their favorite for the
position of department commander, the
highest ONCE in the local department.
The meeting will convene tonight at
7:30 O'Clock, with the final session and
election Of officers to be held in the
school tomorrow night.
Addresses, debates over convention
rules and "undercover politics" featured
the session last night.
Urge Law Observance.
Assistant United States Attorney Gem
eral Seth Richardson, the principal
speaker last night. urged that the
legion lead the Nation In law observ-
ance," and declared, in effect. that the
question Of personal privilege cannot
justly enter where in exercising that
privilege 1t would mean breaking the
law, particularly when the President
has asked for the support Of every real
American In the cause of law enforce
ment"
Prior to Mr. Richardson's address E.
L. White OF Connecticut, national vice
commander, an unexpected speaker at
the convention, made an inlpassioned
plea for adequate facilities for the hos
pitallzation Of the veterans and re-
minded the legionnaires that 1t is their
job to stand for that rather than the
many issues the Legion has stood for
which lis not the Legion's Job"
Declaring that the Legion has two
main objects, first, TO help those men
who cannot help themselves" second,
to stand for adequate national de-
tense" Mr.. White indicated that any
other issues should come after those
and launched into a discourse on the
urgent need OF adequate hospital facil-
tiles.
McNutt Stresses Hospitals.
"A communication from the national
commander OF the American Legion.
Paul v. McNutt. read at the meeting
by Department Comdr Harlan Wood
also stressed the need of more hospitals.
Other features of the opening session
were debates over rules. seating Of dele.
gates and other matters. which have
characterized the convention sessions of
other years.
The wrangle reached a climax shortly
before midnight when w. E. Spicer of
Costello Post introduced a resolution
urging that the nomination and cleo
ton Of officers precede all other con-
vention business.
While general debate on Spicer's
motion was in progress motion to adj
Journ was made and carried, 81 to 81,
q RtYH xzytaA
would have been forced to adjourn any
way because of not being. able to use
the Wilson School for meeting pur-
poses after that hour.
Honor Memory Of Founder.
Soon after the session opened, the
delegates, upon motion Of William F..
Franklin, stood In silence out of respect
to the memory of the late Col. E. Lester
Jones, founder of. the Legion. Invoca-
ton was delivered by Department
Chaplain Col. Thomas j. Dickson.
A general address of welcome was de-
livered by Frank J. Sobotka, represent
ing the Columbia Heights Business
Mems Association. Department Comdr.
Wood responded.
Greetings were delivered by the fol-
lowing:
Commissioner Sidney, F. Taliaferro,
Samuel HawSon, department command
er of the Grand Army of the Republic;
Harvey L. Miller, district commander
of the Veterans of Foreign Wars; E. e..
Babcock, department commander of
the Disabled American Veterans of the
District of Columbia; Loren C. Nelson,
department commander of the Spanish
War Veterans: Maj. George Thenault,
military attache of the French en-
bassy; Capt. j. T. Godfrey, assistant
military attache of the British embassy:
Emile G. VrisakiS, first secretary of the
Greek legation: Dorothy B. Harper, LIE
Chapeau Departmental, Salon Depart
mental No. IA; Mrs. Amos A. Fries of
the Ladies Auxiliary, American Legion;
Mrs. N. M. Mock of the American War
Mothers; j. O'C. Roberts, grande chef
de care of Grande Voiture No. l74, La
Societe des 40 HommeS ct 8 Che
vaux; Maj. Gen. Peter G. Harris. and
Howard Smith, department. commander
of the American Legion Of Maryland.
Two large trophies won by District OF
Columbia Department and the Auxiliary
Jointly for their combined membership
percentage gains in national COMPETE
ton were awarded at the meeting. The
Auxiliary trophy was accepted by Mrs.
Fries. Other trophy awards were made.
Kohen Is Awarded Plaque.
Charles Kohen of Costello Post was
awarded plaque as the legionnaire
rendering the most unselfish service.
AS a token Of his victory, the Costello
Post received a large silver cup.
Among other awards were two cups,
presented by Dept. Comdr. Wood for
membership increases, one to James E.
Walker Post and the other to the
Quentin Roosevelt Post; cups posted by
Past Dept. Comdr. Julius I. Peyser,
awarded to the Walker and Victory
Posts, respectively cup posted by Past
National Comdr. Edward e. Spafford, to
the James E. Walker Post; trophy Of
fered by Paul j. McGahan, awarded to
Victory Post; two trophies posted by
the Roosevelt Post, awarded to the
Walker and Victory Posts, respectively;
trophy posted by Past Dept. Comdr.
John Lewis Smith, for AmericaniSm
work, awarded to y. s. S. Jacob Jones
Post; trophy by Past Dept. Comdr. j.
Miller Kenyon, for athletic endeavors,
awarded to Lincoln Post for work dur
ing past year, to be loaned for two
months to the George Washington Post,
declared the winner for the previous
year, In activities in sponsoring Junior
base ball teams, etc, and the Watson
B. Miller trophy, for service, awarded
to the Vincent B. Costello Post.
The parade, prior to the opening OF
the convention proper, presented COLI
orful spectacle as 1t proceeded down
Fourteenth street from Ogden street,
past the reviewing stand, Themes TO