Evening star., 1939-08-11
Educators Hit
By Johnson for
Fight Greed
Legion Convention
Speaker Urges
Practical Action


who teach the youth of the land
they have a right to decide for
themselves whether they should
fight in the event this country gets
into war, were criticized last night
by Assistant Secretary of Commerce
James Monroe Johnson in an ad-
dress at the opening of the 21st
annual convention of the District
of Columbia Department of the
American Legion.
Mr.. johnson spoke before the
Legionnaires in the MayfloWer
Hotel, where Federal Security Ad-
ministrator Paul " McNutt, past
national commander of the Legion,
in a brief address urged practical
action" for peace on the part of
this country
Mr.. Johnson asserted you and I
belong to the Nation. When the
Nation is at war. one must ask no
questions. Is this Nation safe when
institutions of higher learning teach
young men they have right to
decide for themselves whether they
will fight?" he asked He also crit
icized others who advocate that this
Nation should fight only on its own
SOIL developing the thought that 1t
would be better for its soldiers to
fight in foreign land than it would
be to have an enemy in the United
States.
McNutt Is Guest.
Mr.. McNutt, who was one of the
honor guests, spoke briefly in his
previously unscheduled address.
Il know that the prayer in the
heart of every Legionnaire, as in
the heart of every sane man, is for
peace" he said. But we want prac-
tical action toward peace"
You don't want your country to
stand with hands shackled, but with
hands free and unafraid," he said
Mr.. McNutt praised the Legion as
"the greatest stabilizing influence in
the United States of America today"
and urged the Legionnaires to keep
1t So
A memorial service for Depart
ment Commander James T, Brady,
solicitor of the Veterans Admin
istration, who died June 9, pre-
ceded the formal opening of the
convention. The memorial service
included eulogies of Mr.. Brady by
Watson B. Miller, past department
commander. who spoke as a repre-
sentative of the Legion; by Repre-
sentative Jarman of Alabama and by
Brig. Gen. Frank T. Hines, admins
traitor of veterans affairs. Vocal solos
were sung at the service by Maj.
Charles Trowbridge Tittmann, &C
companied by DR.. Kurt Hetzei, con-
ductor of the Washington Civic Or
chestra. The service included the
reading of a Memorial Day address,
delivered by Mr. Brady last May, by
Jesse R. Watt, captain of the Ma
tional Cathedral Squadron, Sons OF
the American Legion
Business Session Tonight.
The principal business of the con-
vention included reports by the
the departments Rules Committee,
Thomas S. Mason, jr., chairman,
and by it's Credentials Committee,
Howard S. Fisk, chairman, and the
seating of delegates, in preparation
for business to be conducted at to-
nights session, scheduled to get
under way at pm.
A roll call showed the voting
strength of the convention to be
1877, including 1913 voting delegates
and votes by the department OH
GERS. With the alternates the regu-
lar attendance during the meetings
will be nearly 400.
Two Commander Candidates.
The race for department COM
mander was narrowed to two last
night-William T. Slattery, the In
cumbent, and Daniel M. Goodacre,
the department adjutant-when one
candidate withdrew. and Gail T.
Judd, Department of Labor Post,
another earlier candidate, decided
to run for the office of first vice
commander on the Goodacre ticket.
The nominations will be made to-
night, with, the election tomorrow
night.
Awards and citations for distin-
guished citizenship were presented
to Mrs. Henry Grattan Doyle, presi-
dent of the Board of Education;
James E. Collifower, member of the
Board of Trade; John Garland and
John Doyle, members of the George
town Citizens Association.
The Sergeant Jasper Post, win
ners of the championship among
the Legion's boys teams, received
the DR.. Royal trophy, the Agri-
cultural Post Plaque, the Herbert
Tweed trophy and the Willis Watts
trophy by virtue of winning.
Other trophies, consisting mostly
Of silver cups, were awarded for
membership totals. increase in
membership and several activities.
The Fort Stevens Post won the
Kate K. Briggs trophy for commu-
nifty service and the Kate A. M.
Clagett trophy for Americanism &C
tivity. Guy Nadeau, captain of the
Legion Guard of Honor, was
awarded the Watson B. Miller tro-
ply for rendering the most distin-
guished service in the cause of the
American Legion during the last
year.
The Frank L. Peckham trophy,
awarded the post with the largest
membership, went to the Sergeant
Jasper Post, which has 686 men,
bers. Increase in membership
awards were made as follows: Tro-
phies given by Mrs. Dorothy B. Har-
per. Jane A. Delano Post and the
Cooley Mccullough Post, the latter
to be presented at the convention
of the Legion Auxiliary; Depart
ment of Washington trophy, won
by the Potomac Electric Power Co.
Post; John Lewis Smith trophy,
National Cathedral Post; Peyser
trophy, Potomac Electric Power Co.
Post; Delaware trophy, National
Cathedral Post; McGahan trophy,
Washington Police and Fire Post: