Evening star., 1937-09-19

a will represent the local de-
partment of the American Legion at
the national convention at New York
City left yesterday from the Union
Station aboard special convention
train.
Headquarters of the local depart
ment were set up at the Hotel Nc
Alpln. More than five hundred men,
bers OF the local department of the
Legion composed this first group and
approximately 1900 more members
and their families are expected to
leave today aboard two special trains
at 8:55 am. and 1:55 pm. Included
IN the group are the members of the
Districts champion Fort Stevens Post
Drum and Bugle Corps, who will en-
ter the national competition for drum
corps. Other drum and bugle corps
from this city attending the convention
are the Costello Post, Columbia Post
and the James Reese Europe Corps as
well as the Government Printing Office
Band and the Sons of the Legion
Junior Drum and Bugle Corps, whose
attendance at the convention was
made possible by popular subscrip-
ton.
One of the first official acts of De-
partment Commander Mason after ar
irving in New York yesterday was to
assign the delegates to the various i'm
portant National Committees. Today
will be consumed with many more pre-
convention committee meetings. I'm
portant among these will be the pres
entation of the many resolutions
passed at the local departments con-
vention recently held in the Mayflower
Hotel to the National Resolutions Com
mittee. Local Legionnaires are look
ing forward to favorable action to be
taken on the veterans preference sit
uation both in this city and through
out the country, a cause for which the
local department has been fighting for
number of years.
Tomorrow morning the convention
will officially open, when joint ses-
sion of all attending bodies will be
held at the Madison Square Garden.
At $50 am. there will be a period
of silent tribute when in this city
at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
In Arlington National Cemetery, un-
der the direction of the National Pill
grimage Committee, wreath will be
placed in the name of the Legion.
The District of Columbia Unit has
been awarded a position of honor in
the parade Tuesday and will lead the
9th Division with the Champion
Fort Stevens Post Drum and Bugle
Corps at the head of the group. Next
in line will be the department colors,
followed by Department Comdr.
Mason and his staff. These will be
followed by the guard of honor and
the marching units of all local posts.
The District unit will assemble at
IL am. on East Thirty-first street,
facing west, at Broadway.
During the last year the Legion
throughout the country rolled up a
record membership, while the local
department reached an all-time high
In this endeavor when it signed up
nearly 1000 members to finish in sec
.ond place, being topped only by the
Department OF Idaho.
Due to the many members Of the
local Legion attending the convention
IN New York, the regular Department
Executive Committee meeting for this
month will not be held and nearly
IN posts have dispensed with their
regularly scheduled meetings for the
coming week.
Department Comdr Mason and his
staff performed unique installation
Of officers at the Carlton Hotel
Wednesday night, when Mason had
the privilege of installing as post COM
mander the same man who Installed
him as post commander few years
ago. At that time Col. Julius Peyser
held the Office of department COM
mander and installed Mason, and
this year Mason is department COM
mander and installed Peyser.
Three hundred members Of Sgt.
Jasper Post and their families are at
tending the national convention. Be-
fore leaving, the post presented to De-
partment Commander Mason so paid
up 1898 membership cards.
The post will meet next October 6
at which time Department Command
ct MdSOl anu Ills Stdl Will lllSIdl!
the newly elected officers.
The post again this year has been
honored with several important de-
partment appointments and numbers
among its members the local National
Executive Committeeman Joseph j.
Malloy, the present Department First
Vice Commander Fred Money, as well
as Ferdinand Frazier, who will run for
the national head of the Forty and
Eight at the New York convention
this week.
At the Kenneth H. Nash Post meet
ing Department Commander Mason
and his staff installed new officers as
follows: Robert H Allen, commander,
Robert E. Lee, senior vice commander
Joseph S. Dodd, junior vice command
er; Everett Totten. qquaqrtermaster
George Seiders. ergeant-at-armS; Guy
M. Cogswell, judge advocate; Wilbur
w. May, chaplain; Thomas Halsey
finance officer, and George Grommett
adjutant. National Executive Com
J, mitteeman Joseph H. Malloy spoke OF
Veterans Preference" The post vii
meet at the old Naval Hospital, 81
Pennsylvania avenue southeast, Octo
Der l3.
Columbia Post presented an hmeri
can flag TO the Christ Child farm a
Rockville, Md, Sunday. Mrs. Hele
Opitz, past department vice com
mander, officiated and music was b
the Barber-Briggs Junior Drum Corp
OF Gaithersburg, Md. Supt. of tn
> Farm Mrs. Kennedy, who served dur
ing the war as nurse. and Past Pos
Comdr. Joe Workman spoke. TIL
post drum corps is in New York Cit,
Stephen P. McGroarty Post report
10 per cent of last years member
have already signed up for 1888. TIL
new commander urges that all mem
bers sign up as soon as possible.
The final drill of the Guard {