Evening star., 1933-09-25
FIVE CANDIDATES
SEEK LEGION POST
Illinois, Iowa, Nevada, Ne.
braska and Wisconsin Men
in Commandership Race.

BY the Associated Press.
! CHICAGO, September 25.-Legion
drums are rolling battle cry for the
struggle for election of the national
commander at the annual convention
of the ex-service men opening in Chi
cago week from today.
Five candidates have entered the lists
so far to win the highest honor the
! American Legion can bestow upon a
member. Louis A. johnson, Clarksburg,
| w. Va, Is the present national COM
| mander.
Two of the five served bitches during
the war in the Navy and the other
| the Middle West. although one now
resides in Nevada
Illinois, host State to the 1888 meet
| ing, has advanced Ed Hayes, Decatur
attorney and author of "four-point
plan" of compensation and hoSpitaliza-
/ ton for disabled veterans.
Fight Has Only Begun.
But sentiment expressed by Illinois
men at the national convention head
quarters here that Hayes plan has re-
ceived such favorable support that his
election seems certain met with instant
and stormy denial from supporters of
the other candidates. They said the
| fight has only begun for the coveted
honor.
Hayes served in the Navy and at
tanned the rank of ensign. He was
Illinois State commander in 1929 and
| is now a member of the National Ex-
ecutive Committee. He was graduated
from ST. Louis University in 1915 and
was at one time assistant attorney gen.
eral of Illinois.
Iowa's favorite son is Ray Murphy of
Ida Grove. He is also a former State
commander and was joint author Of the
State law which provided a $22, 900, 900
bonus for Iowa veterans and a 81 ,800,-
900 disability fund. He is now chair
man of the National Legislative Commit
tee and national committeeman from
Iowa. Murphy served in the Army as
captain of Infantry, commanding ma
chine gun company of the 34th Divi-
sion. He is also a lawyer, graduate
of the University Of Iowa in 1910, where
| he was q fullback and captain of the
foot ball eleven his final year. Murphy
was the runner-up in the election for
national commander at Detroit two
years ago.
| Nebraskan Seeks Office.
Nebraska's drums are beating for
Sam w. Reynolds of Omaha, a 43-
year-old fiery, outspoken legionnaire,
who plans to resume the fight for the
Office that he started last year in Port
land. Reynolds fought immediate pay
ment of the bonus a year ago and with
! drew after the first ballot when it be-
! came apparent that his stand on that
| controversial question put him out OF
the running. Legion work is the first
| love of the Omaha coal dealer, having
replaced golf at which he was Nebraska
State champion seven times.
Reynolds said last year when he
withdrew from the contest that he
was getting out" because he could not
concede an inch in his stand against
| cash payment of the bonus and against
'extravagant' payments to veterans
| not disabled in the war. He says now
, that this stand has been vindicated
| by developments. He is member of
the National Executive Committee.
Wisconsin brings another "gob" to
| the fore in Villas H. Whaley. Racine
attorney who served as Wisconsin
State commander in 1923. Whaley
was a member of the National Execu-
| tive Committee in 1924-26 and has
| been director Of the Legion Publish
| ing Committee since 1927. He was
graduated by the University of Wis
| consin Law School in 1912 and at one
time was district attorney of Racine
| County.
Has Picturesque Career.
The remaining candidate is George
w. Malone of Nevada. A native of
LaFontaine, Kans., Malone has had a
picturesque career. He says that ne
has been an itinerant farm hand,
mucker in a mine, surveyor, university
student. graduate engineer, buck private
and lieutenant overseas in the 40th
Division. He has been the Nevada
State engineer. He organized and was
| the first commander of the Nevada
department Of legion. Malone is active
IN Republican politics and is mentioned
as candidate for governor in 1884.
| At one time he was amateur middle
| weight boxing champion of the Pacific
Coast. He took part IN the early
negotiations for the Boulder Dam
project.
The election will be held the last
| day of the convention. Thursday, Oc-
| tober S, in the auditorium Of the Civic
Opera building.
There are 1,121 delegates with voting
| power and the commander is elected by
| the first to obtain 562 votes. The
State delegations are not bound by the
unit rule and each delegate may vote
according to his own dictates.