Evening star., 1944-07-29
Lee R. Pennington
Unopposed for Chief
OF District Legion

Ice n. TcllAlllA8 VII, hi0iuoci VI tno
Justice Department Post, American
Legion, is expected to be elected de-
partment commander Of the Le-
gion's District Department at the
election session tonight.
Z Mr.. Pennington was the only can
didaA for the of1ice after the with
drawal of Gail T. Judd, Labor De-
partment Post, during the nomina-
ton OF department officers last
night. The 26th annual department
convention will close at the May
flower with tonight's session.
For the ONCE of first department
vice commander, Herbert j. jacob,
commander of National Cathedral
Post, will have the field to himself.
His opponent, Harold Hampshire OF
Government Printing once Post.
withdrew. John H. Houston, Stephen
P. McGroarty Post, is unopposed for
second vice commander while Henry
7, Hodges OF Gen. u. O. McAlexan-
der Post and Howard A. Walker,
James Reese Europe Post, will con-
test for the ONCE of third vice COM
mander.
Koehl Opposes MalIoy.
Joseph j. Malloy, national execu-
tive committeeman from Sergt. Jas
per Post, is opposed by Joseph L.
koehl Of the Agriculture Depart
ment Post. Alternate National Com
mitteeman William H. Hargraye is
unopposed.
Candidates nominated for the
Board of Governors of the American
Legion Club include J. Fred Nelson,
Hampton d. Percy. Thomas v. Slo-
minski and John J. A. Ager.
In a strongly worded statement,
former Judge j. Fred Johnson of
Alabama, now Federal Commune
cations Commission attorney and
candidate for national commander
OF the Legion, told the session last
night that 1T was a damnable de-
ception to say that American troops
would not be sent abroad"
That oft-repeated announcement.
ne said, served only to encourage
the aggressors. who finally came to
believe what they were told over
and over again"
Mr.. johnson warned that if an
other world war should come, Amer
lea would be the chief target of
enemy attack and he urged the ad-
mlnlstration to give a lesson to the
Nations enemies that would teach
these international brigands never
again to challenge the productive
power of America"
Edward A. Mulrooney. national
vice commander, told the conven-
tlcn delegates that, while America
should join with other nations to
enforce the peace, I'VE must not lose
our Identity as q Nation"
Mr.. Mulrooney blamed the loss OF
American lives on the failure of the
American people to adopt an ade-
quate defense program and asserted
tnat present-day casualty lists are
a challenge to all Americans to pro-
vide an adequate preparedness pro-
gram as insurance against attack
by an nation or combination of ma
| tions."
! The report OF the department
postwar commission was presented
by Haywood N. Saunders, past de-
partment commander,
Julius I, Peyser, a past department
commander, presented gold wrist
watches to Department Comdr. c.
FRANCIS Mccarthy and Howard S.
FISK. department adjutant. AS A
result OF unanimous passage of A
resolution bestowing on Mr.. Fisk
the title OF past department COM
manoer, Mr.. Mccarthy presented
MIN with a past commanders level
IN recognition of 26 years attendance
at department conventions and serv-
ice to the Legion. 1t is the first
citation OF its kind in the history
OF the local department.
Trophies Awarded to Posts.
Hampton D. Percy, chairman of
the trophies and Awards Commit
tee, awarded membership trophies
to the following posts: Dorothy B
Harper Trophy to Capital Transit
Post, Washington Trophy to Poto-
mac Electric Power Co. Post. John
Lewis Smith Trophy to Department
OF Agriculture Post, julius I. Peyser
trophies to Potomac Electric Power
GO. and Washington Gas Light Co
POSTS, quentin Roosevelt Trophies to
Department Of Agriculture and Poto-
mac Electric Power Co. Posts. Paul
j. McGahan Trophy to Department
OF Agriculture Post, Frank l.. Peck
ham Trophy to Vincent B. Costello
Post, Ernest Dwyer Trophy to
Costello Post, James F. Fahey Me-
mortal Trophy to Kenneth H. Nash
Post, Kate A. M. Claggett Ameri-
canlsm Trophy to James Reese ELL
rope Post, Kate K. Briggs Trophv to
Department of Agriculture. Watson
b. Miller Trophy to John s. Nav
hood. Columbia Post.
Among the resolutions presented
oy James F. Kehoe chairman, and
adopted last night were the fol-
lowing: Memorial to 1t. Gen. Lesley
J. McNair, praising the local press
Tor outstanding courtesy and CO.
operation manifested toward the
American Legion; urging prefer
ential treatment of veterans in the
acquisition of surplus material and
operation of additional air routes
and feeder services: that all in.
cumbents in Government service
who are not entitled to veterans,
preference but hold war service sp-
pointments have their appointments
converted to permanent status.
adjusting National Service Life In
surance Act in order that veterans
OF this war may receive the same
benefits as World War veterans.
Addresses were delivered by Harry
w. Collmery, past national COM
mander;; Thomas M. Owen. national
historian: Ebert H. Burns. newly
appointed assistant national adiu-
tant, and Neville Thompson, depart
ment commander Of the Veterans of
Foreign Wars.