The Story of the American Legion: The Birth of the Legion — John Shaqi
The Story of the American Legion: The Birth of the LegionWheat, George Seay
History
The Story of the American Legion: The Birth of the Legion
Wheat, George Seay
American Legion; World War, 1914-1918 -- Societies, etc.
"As the spokesman for my delegation on this question of next meeting
place I want to say that if no other body and if no other party of
this caucus wants or believes it is its duty to rebuke any city or the
representative of any city for Un-Americanism during the time when the
soldiers of that city were offering their lives in defense of the
world, then Massachusetts stands ready to offer that rebuke.
Massachusetts will not agree willingly to having a convention of
soldiers and sailors in the Great War, go to a city that has as its
first citizen, by vote, one who can not measure up in any small part
when the test is one hundred per cent. Americanism."
When Colonel Herbert reached this point one delegate with a big voice
from a big State (Texas) let out a loud yell of approval. This was the
signal for blast after blast of vocal vociferousness which fairly
raised the roof. Men stood on their seats, and cheered. "You're dead
right" and "Get a new mayor, Chicago," while others began to point at
placards advertising Chicago which had been placed on the walls of the
theater by members of the Illinois delegation. Colonel Herbert stood
for fully five minutes before order was sufficiently restored for him
to proceed.
"The hall has been placarded with invitations, reading, 'The American
Legion, Chicago wants you in November,'" he said. "I believe that this
convention, this convention of soldiers and sailors should say,
'Chicago, you cannot have American soldiers in Chicago when there is a
possibility that the chief representative of that city may not believe
it is his duty to come before the Convention and welcome it.' If these
placards read, 'American Legion, Chicago _soldiers_ want you in
November,' our answer might be different. The answer of Massachusetts
would be different but when your placard reads, 'Chicago wants you in
November' the answer of Massachusetts is, 'Chicago cannot have us in
November'--or any other time until Chicago has an American for Mayor
in an American city.
"The literature circulated through the caucus reads, 'Chicago pledges
itself to go any other city one better on anything this convention
requires.' This convention first requires that Chicago shall reach a
standard different from the standard of being the most despised city
in America, and when it has reached that standard, it is then in a
position to say whether it can go one better. It has not yet reached
par. Until Chicago reaches par, Massachusetts votes no!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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