The Washington times., 1935-09-24
LEGAL HOLIDAY
ORDERED BY
GOVERNOR
Murphy Given Slight
Edge in Race for
Commander

ST. LOUIS, Sept. "a G.N.SJ.
Donning its best bib and tucker,
the American Legion today staged
its annual "big show"-the gigau'
tic parade of maSSed Legion units
as st. Louis and the surround
ing territory took a holiday to
enjoy this most colorful OF all the
events of the Legion's seventeenth
annual convention.
It was a legal holiday for Gov
ernor Guy B. Park. by formal proc
lamation, set aside the day for
Missouri to enjoy the spectacle.
Business houses closed or operated
on skeleton staffS to permit en-
ployes to view the parade. Long
before parade time, however, every
vantage point along the route was
occupied and the streets were
packed to the suffocating point.
Meantime, the serious behind
the-scenes business of the conven-
ton got under way.
Election Holds Interest
While the tramp of marching
feet, still keeping perfect step
after II years, and the blare Of
band music filled the air, the Le-
gion's committees set about win
moving through the mass of Off
cial business that must be finished
by Thursday, and the partisans
Of candidates for national COM
mander to succeed Frank Bel
grano. jr., of San Francisco, went
into huddles in an effort to solve
the election problem.
Nine avoWed candidates were
in the field when the convention
opened. BY this forenoon, how
ever. the prospects had narrowed
down to two. Ray Murphy, of
Iowa, and Harry w. Colmery,
of Kansas, with the former given
q slight edge.
None of the others had Off
cially withdrawn, but privately
those on "the inside" said the
real contest will lie between
these two. Both have been prom
1nent and active in legion activi-
ties since the foundation of the
organization here 16 years ago.
The resolutions committee was
faced with a back-breaking prob
lem. BY tomorrow night it must
formulate and define the Legion'S
attitude on such matters as
immediate bonus payment, ma
,tional defense, rehabilitation of
veterans, communism and radical
ism and the educational program
Of the Legion.
Resolutions Studied
The committee was working be-
hind closed doors. studying care
fully the 736 proposed resolutions
submitted by various posts and de-
partments.
That immediate cash payment
Of the bonus will be demanded is
a foregone conclusion. The Le-
gion, however. will not recommend
any method for payment. In his
annual report Commander Bel
grano laid the blame for failure
Of the Legion's bonus program in
the last Congress directly to the
fact that the Patman bill passed
by Congress and vetoed by Presi-
dent Roosevelt contained a cur
rency initiation proviso. The Le-
gion, in seeking immediate bonus
payment. will fight shy Of any
such recommendation.
The committee is also expected
to bring in resolutions calling for
bolstering the nations defense
forces; reiteration of its de-
mand for more adequate hospitali-
Zation and treatment of injured
war veterans, and a determined
request for cancellation of Soviet
recognition and stamping out Of
subversive, radical movements in
the United States. Virtually every
speaker at the initial session Of
the convention took occasion to
point to the spread Of radical
propaganda and movements to
call on the legion to stem their
growth.
Cleveland in Lead
Bidding for the next conven-
tion continued spirited. with CleVe-
land apparently having the inside
track, although Denver, Los
Angeles and Atlantic City were
Gtrenuously pushing their efforts.
The ranks Of the legion were
stirred by a report that President
Roosevelt would appear here be-
fore the convention closed. Thus
far the Chief Executive has given
no indication whether he would
include the convention in his
itinerary on his western trip.