Chapter 3

PRE-CAUCUS DAYS IN AMERICA.

Once home again it didn't take a Solomon to tell Colonel Roosevelt that he had a man's size job on his hands in starting the American Legion on its way in the United States. Dispatches more or less accurate had told the service men on this side something about the Legion activities of the A.E.F. in France. As late as mid-April, however, a great many men in this country knew nothing whatever about the American Legion, while the majority of those who did were not at all sure it was to be _The Veteran's Organization_. What I have said previously about the "spontaneous opinion" of the men in France on the question of a veteran's organization proved to be equally true among service men on this side of the water. Consequently, it wasn't long after the armistice before several veteran's organizations and associations were in the process of formation. As it was a pertinent news topic, the newspapers gave a great deal of prominence in their columns to several of these organizations. They were of various types and characters. One was for enlisted men only. Another was for officers only. There was an organization for officers who had fought in France, Italy, or Russia and there was one or more organizations which had the breadth of vision to see that men of all ranks and all branches of the military and naval establishments must be eligible.

Such was the situation confronting Colonel Roosevelt when he arrived home to help start the American Legion in its own country. The fact of his arrival and his announced intention to aid in the organization of the Legion was duly heralded in the press of the United States.

At first the army and navy men were inclined to say, "Here is another of those mushroom Veteran's Associations bobbing up." In fact I heard one officer make just that remark, but another was quick to correct him by saying, "Its bound to be a straight and honest organization or a Roosevelt wouldn't stand for it." That was the crux of the initial success of the Legion, because just that was true. Every man who wore the uniform had known Theodore Roosevelt, Sr., and although he may not have agreed with him in all of his political opinions still he knew that neither he nor any member of his family would back any organization or proposition that was not morally sterling.

There were those who did not like the American Legion. There were those who were willing to let a past political prejudice deter them from aiding in the most important movement in American life to-day. There were those who stated that Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., was prominent in organizing the American Legion for his own political advancement. The answer to that misapprehension will develop later and will prove one of the most striking incidents in this story.

Colonel Roosevelt has a peculiarly happy faculty of keeping those who work with him cheerful and optimistic. He gathered around him, to launch the movement in America, a set of cheerful, competent optimists, prominent among whom were Colonel Richard Derby, Colonel Franklin D'Olier, who figured in the Paris Caucus, Major Cornelius W. Wickersham, Assistant Chief of Staff of the Twenty-seventh Division, Captain Henry Fairfield Osborne, Lieutenant Colonel Granville Clark, Lieutenant Colonel Leslie Kincaide, Lieutenant Colonel Eric Fisher Wood and Captain H.B. Beers. One of Colonel Roosevelt's first duties as temporary chairman of the Legion over here was to create the nation wide organization. He needed committeemen in every State to work the State organization up, and to start the machinery for the election of delegates to the St. Louis Caucus, for it had been decided that the representation in St. Louis must be by duly elected representatives from congressional districts in so far as that was possible. Each such district was awarded double its congressional representation, in addition to the delegates at large. It was no easy task to pick these committeemen. The decision of the Paris gathering that the organization must be non-partisan and non-political had to be adhered to in its fullest sense. There were soldiers and sailors enough in all the States who would have been willing to have started the organization in their respective localities, but how _not_ to get politicians of the lower order, men who would gladly prostitute the Legion, its aims and ambitions to their own selfish advantage--that was the problem which faced the temporary committee in America.

About three weeks before the St. Louis Caucus the following names were chosen from the various States as committeemen:

OFFICERS Lt. Col. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., New York, Chairman Lt. Col. Bennett Clark, Missouri, Vice-Chairman Lt. Col. Eric Fisher Wood, Pennsylvania, Secretary.

ALABAMA Lt. H.M. Badham, Jr., Birmingham Pvt. W.M. Cosby, Jr., Birmingham Sgt. Edwin Robertson, Birmingham

ARIZONA Pvt. Ned Bernard, Tucson Lt. Col. J.C. Greenway, Bisbee

ARKANSAS Pvt. P.R. Graybill, Democ. Pub. Co. Little Rock Major J.J. Harrison, Little Rock Pvt. Walter J. Wilkins, Pine Bluff

CALIFORNIA Sgt. L.P. Adams, San Francisco Corp. Chas. A. Beck, San Francisco Lt. Col. Benjamin H. Dibblee, San Francisco Chaplain Joseph D. McQuade, San Francisco Major Stewart Edward White, Santa Barbara

COLORADO Lt. G.W. Cutting, Florence Sgt. C.C. Neil, Greeley Major H.A. Saidy, Colorado Springs Sgt. Phil. G. Thompson, Denver

CONNECTICUT Maj. Morgan G. Bulkeley, Hartford Lt. Col. Jas. L. Howard, Hartford

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Pvt. L. Clarkson Hines, Washington Col. E. Lester Jones, Washington

DELAWARE Major Thomas W. Miller, Wilmington Capt. John P. Nields, Wilmington

FLORIDA Brig Gen A.H. Blanding, Bartow

GEORGIA Col. Alexander R. Lawton, Jr., Savannah Capt. Landon Thomas, Augusta

IDAHO Major C.M. Booth, Pocatello Pvt. John Green, Twin Falls Major Hawley, Jr., Boisé Pvt. D.H. Holt, Caldwell

ILLINOIS Chf. Petty Officer B.J. Goldberg, Chicago Maj. Owsley Brown, Springfield Rear Admiral Frederick B. Bassett, Great Lakes 1st Cl. Pvt. Edw. J. Czuj, Chicago Maj. Thomas Gowenlock, Chicago 1st Cl. Pvt. Hy. Hickman Harris, Champaign 1st Cl. Pvt. Geo. Kendall Hooton, Danville Ensign Allen M. Loeb, Chicago Capt. Clark Nixon, East St. Louis Maj. John Callan O'Laughlin, Chicago Capt. Joseph Medill Patterson, Chicago 1st Cl. Pvt. C.J. Schatz, Wheaton Brig. Gen. Robt. E. Wood, Chicago Sgt. David S. Wright, Oak Park

INDIANA Col. Solon J. Carter, Indianapolis Ensign Win. L. Hutcheson, Indianapolis Sgt. R.J. Leeds, Richmond

IOWA Sgt. Chas. A. Doxsee, Monticello Major H.H. Polk, Des Moines

KANSAS Gen. Chas. I. Martin, Topeka Gen. Wilder S. Metcalf, Lawrence Sgt. Fred C. Stanford, Independence Sgt. Mahlon S. Weed, Lawrence

KENTUCKY Pvt. Samuel J. Culbertson, Louisville Lt. W.C. Dabney, Louisville Capt. Shelby Harbison, Lexington Major James Wheeler, Paducah

LOUISIANA Capt. Allen Cook, New Orleans Lt. John M. Parker, Jr., New Orleans

MAINE Lt. Col. Arthur Ashworth, Bangor Col. Frank W. Hume, 103d Inf. Capt. A.L. Robinson, Portland Pvt. Daniel J. Smart, Sgt. Wm. H. Whalen, 103d Inf. Sgt. Freeman Wheaton, 107th Inf.

MARYLAND Lt. James A. Gary, Jr. Baltimore Sgt. Alexander Randall, Baltimore Major Redmond Stewart, Baltimore Brig. Gen. W.S. Thayer, Baltimore

MASSACHUSETTS Brig. Gen. Charles H. Cole, Boston Sgt. Edw. J. Creed, 101st Inf. Sgt. Ernest H. Eastman, 104th Inf. Major J.W. Farley, Boston Lt. Col. Louis Frothingham, Boston Sgt. Geo. Gilbody, 101st Inf. Sgt. Daniel J. Nolan,

MICHIGAN Lt. Col. Fredk. M. Alger, Detroit Sgt. Rand F. English, Detroit 1st Sgt. Wm. King, Detroit Lt. Commander Truman H. Newberry, Detroit

MINNESOTA Pvt. Gordon Clark, Duluth Major Paul B. Cook, St. Paul Pvt. Wm. D. Mitchell, St. Paul Pvt. W. Bissell Thomas, Minneapolis

MISSISSIPPI Lt. John N. Alexander, Jackson Sgt. Maj. C.J. Craggs, Greenville Major Alex. Fitzhugh, Vicksburg Corp. Isador A. Frank, Clarksdale Sgt. Elmer Price, McComb

MISSOURI Brig. Gen. H.C. Clarke, Jefferson City Pvt. David R. Francis, Jr., St. Louis Corp. Sestus J. Wade, Jr., St. Louis

MONTANA Col. J.J. McGuiness, Helena Corp. Chas. S. Pew, Helena

NEBRASKA Major P.F. Cosgrove, Lincoln Pvt. T.T. McGuire, Omaha Sgt. R. Scott, Imperial Lt. Allan A. Tukey, Omaha

NEVADA Sgt. E.L. Malsbary, Reno Lt. Col. Jas. G. Scrugham, Reno

NEW HAMPSHIRE Sgt. Herve L'Heureaux, Manchester Major Frank Knox, Manchester

NEW JERSEY Col. Hobart Brown, Newark Sgt. Allan Eggers, Summit 1st Lt. Geo. W.C. McCarter, Newark Corp. Roger Young, Newark

NEW MEXICO Capt. Bronson M. Cutting, Santa Fé Col. Debjemond, Roswell Pvt. Canuto Trujillo, Chimayo

NEW YORK Lt. Col. Robert Bacon, New York Lt. Col. Grenville Clark, New York Brig. Gen. Chas. I. Debevoise, Brooklyn Pvt. Meade C. Dobson, New York Col. Wm. J. Donovan, New York Lt. Samuel Gompers, Jr., New York Seaman Jos. F. Healey, New York Chaplain Francis A. Kelley, Albany Lt. Col. J. Leslie Kincaid, Syracuse Ensign Jerome H. Larger, Brooklyn Ensign W.G. McAdoo, Jr., New York Sgt. Major Howard H. McLellan, Yonkers Ensign R.H. Mitchell, New York Major General John F. O'Ryan, New York Lt. D. Lincoln Reed, New York Col. Henry L. Stimson, New York Lt. Col. Chas. W. Whittlesey, New York Major Cornelius W. Wickersham, New York Sgt. Clarence E. Williams, New York

NORTH CAROLINA Lt. R.W. Glenn, Greensboro Lt. Cyrus D. Hogue, Wilmington

NORTH DAKOTA Capt. Matthew Murphy, Fargo

OHIO Sgt. Jas. K. Campbell, Shreve Lt. Col. Jas. R. Cochran, Columbus Lt. Col. Ralph D. Cole, Columbus or Findlay Lt. Col. Isadore H. Duke, Cincinnati

OKLAHOMA Sgt. Eugene Atkins, Muskogee Brig. Gen. Roy Hoffman, Oklahoma City

OREGON Pvt. Harry Critchlow, Portland Sgt. Carl B. Fenton, Dallas Lt. Col. Geo. Kelley, Portland Col. F.W. Leadbetter, Portland Lt. Col. Geo. A. White, Portland

PENNSYLVANIA Major Chas. J. Biddle, Philadelphia Lt. Joseph F. Frayne, Scranton Lt. Col. Robt. E. Glendinning, Philadelphia Lt. Col. John Price Jackson, Harrisburg Pvt. George Jones, Scranton Maj. Alexander Laughlin, Jr., Pittsburg Col. Asher Miner, Wilkes-Barre Lt. John R. Sproul, Chester Lt. Bernard J. Voll, Philadelphia

RHODE ISLAND Major Geo. E. Buxton, Jr., Providence Col. Everitte St. J. Chaffee, Providence Sgt. W.C. Kendrick, Pawtucket

SOUTH CAROLINA Sgt. W.C. Coward, Cheraw Lt. Chas. C. Pinckney, Charleston C.T. Trenholm, Charleston Major W.D. Workman, Greenville

SOUTH DAKOTA Capt. Lawrence R. Bates, Sioux Falls Capt. Royal C. Johnson, Aberdeen Sgt. Ruble Lavery, Vermilion Sgt. Jos. F. Pfeiffer, Rapid City

TENNESSEE Col. James A. Gleason, Knoxville Sgt. Major Keith J. Harris, Chattanooga Sgt. John Hays, Memphis Col. Luke Lea, Nashville Major T.C. Thompson, Jr. Chattanooga Pvt. C.W. Tomlinson, Chattanooga

TEXAS Capt. Stanley E. Kempner, Galveston Col. H.D. Lindsley, Dallas Col. H.B. Moore, Texas City

UTAH Sgt. Maj. H.H. McCartney, Salt Lake City Gen. R.W. Young, Salt Lake City

VIRGINIA Pvt. Frank G. Christian, Richmond Lt. C. Francis Cocke, Roanoke Col. Stuart McGuire, Richmond

VERMONT Pvt. Donald J. Emery, Newport Sgt. Eugene V. Finn, St. Albans Major H. Nelson Jackson, Burlington Capt. Redfield Proctor, Burlington

WASHINGTON Lt. Col. R.W. Llewellen, Seattle Major P.P. Marion, Seattle Brig. Gen. Harvey J. Moss, Seattle Sgt. John J. Sullivan, N. Seattle Sgt. Major R.H. Winsor, Tacoma

WEST VIRGINIA Capt. Fleming W. Alderson, Charleston Sgt. Walter S. Moore, Huntington Sgt. Thomas Schofield, Wheeling Lt. Col. Jackson A. Weston, Charleston

WISCONSIN Edward F. Ackley, Milwaukee Pvt. David Bloodgood, Milwaukee Sgt. Elmer S. Owens, Milwaukee Col. Gilbert E. Seaman, Milwaukee Pvt. John P. Szulcek, Milwaukee

WYOMING Major A.S. Beach, Lusk Sgt. Morris A. Dinneen, Cheyenne Pvt. I.H. Larom, Valley Ranch

United American War Veterans, Warren S. Fischer, Commander-in-Chief Comrades in Service, Bishop Brent, President, National Legion of America, Major Elihu Church, American Army Association, Lt. Haywood Hillyer, General Secretary.

* * * * *

Just about this time it became most necessary to properly present the Legion to those men who had remained at home and who had gotten out of the Service, and to those who were incoming from France and rapidily being demobilized, as it was upon them that the success of the Legion depended. Furthermore, their opinions were the soil upon which the various State organizations had to work, and at that particular time it was vital that the Legion should be widely known and thoroughly understood; that its aims and ambitions should not be misconstrued either willfully or unintentionally, nor its precepts perverted. To this end the temporary Chairman proceeded to publicize it in the most thorough fashion. One-page bulletins briefly outlining the Legion's aims and ambitions were distributed in every center where soldiers and seamen gathered. Such places as Y.M.C.A. and K. of C. huts and War Camp Community recreation centers were thoroughly informed, and bulletins also were sent to every ship in the navy with the request that they be placed on the ship's bulletin board.

Literature about the Legion was placed on transports when they left empty for France so that the men might read it in their leisure hours returning home. In order to make sure that every soldier and sailor would have the opportunity to know about the Legion this literature was again placed on the transports as they arrived in New York harbor. Various demobilization camps throughout the country were widely placarded and in each instance the names of the Temporary State Secretaries were given, and service men were invited to write to the Secretaries in their particular States. Camp publications, newspapers, and periodicals published for service men throughout the country were bountifully supplied with Legion information and scores of them carried special stories in regard to it. Bulletins and pamphlets were distributed in hospitals, placed on bulletin boards, and given to the patients. Every mayor of a town or city with a population above nine hundred got a letter containing literature about the Legion with a request that it be given publicity in the local press and then turned over to the Chairman of the Welcome Home Committee. Certain national magazines devoted a great deal of space to special articles explaining the Legion.

Three or four times a week the Foreign Press Bureau of the United States Government sent stories about the Legion and its activities by wireless to the ships on sea and to the men of the A.E.F. in connection with its "Home News Service." In addition to the foregoing, articles appeared almost daily in the press throughout the entire country, and by the time the convention was ready to meet those who ran and cared to read were fully informed that the American Legion was an organization for veterans of the army, navy, and marine corp; that it was non-partisan and non-political; that it stood for law and order, decent living, decent thinking, and true Americanism.

The wide publicity given to the Legion and its aims brought into the Temporary Committee many amusing letters. Scores of them complained of the published statement that it was non-partisan and non-political. "Damn it all, we want it to be political and partisan," one angry Westerner wrote. Another correspondent insisted that in view of the fact that sons of Theodore Roosevelt, and Speaker Champ Clark were interested, the Legion must be bi-partisan and bi-political. But most of the letters were of a highly commendatory character, expressing the deepest and widest possible interest. I recall that one of them came from Junction City, Kansas, another from Old Town, Maine; one from Delray, Texas, and others from Wolf Creek, Montana, Orlando, Florida, and Ray's Crossing, Indiana, while a postal card making frantic inquiries was dated Nome, Alaska, and arrived a week after the caucus at St. Louis. I have mentioned these towns and localities because they indicate how widespread and deep is the interest in the Legion. No matter where a man came from to go into the army, the Legion will go to him in his home now. Its members will range from fishermen on the Florida Keys to the mail carriers on the Tanana in Alaska, from the mill hands of New England to the cotton planters of the Mississippi delta. All who wore the uniform may enroll just so long as the word _Americanism_ was inscribed in their hearts between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918.