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.
MR. MCGRATH (New Jersey): "I served in the navy, and I simply want to
call attention to the fact that this resolution says that the money
shall be paid upon the honorable discharge of the soldiers and
sailors, but in the navy we are only released from active duty and I
will not be discharged for three years, neither will any of the other
three hundred thousand naval reserves. I therefore move that the
resolution be amended to say that so far as the navy is concerned that
the money shall be paid upon their release from active duty or their
honorable discharge."
The committee accepted the amendment.
THE CHAIRMAN: "Before I put this motion I want to make this suggestion
to you, that this is a pretty serious matter that you are considering.
It is for this caucus, of course, in its wisdom to determine that
which it wants to do, but up to this time, it has assumed continuously
a most splendidly high and patriotic and unselfish attitude toward
this whole question. It has dealt immediately and fairly and
positively with regard to employment problems, but I suggest to you
that we ought to consider very carefully whether we want to go on
record as a caucus, as provided in this resolution, and I would prefer
not to put the question until you have considered it further."
The action of the caucus was foreshadowed by the applause which it
gave to Colonel Lindsley's caution. Fully a half dozen men jumped to
their feet and waved their hands wildly demanding recognition.
Colonel Roosevelt arose from his seat with the New York delegation,
and Chairman Lindsley recognized him.
"Gentlemen, I want to draw your attention to one feature of this
question," he said. The Colonel spoke very deliberately and very
distinctly, reminding a great many of his auditors of his father
because of the way he snapped his words out. "I heartily agree with
what the chair has said so far. I want you to get this particular
reaction on the matter and I want to relate to you a little incident
that happened coming out on the train from New York. One of the
delegates on the same train with me said that the conductor stopped
and talked to him and among other things said, 'Young Teddy Roosevelt
is up ahead. He's going out to St. Louis to try to get some of the
soldiers together to sandbag something out of the Government!'
_Sandbag something out of the Government!_" The young Colonel's frame
shook with emotion as he repeated that sentence. "Do you men get the
idea of what he thought we were trying to do? We want everything that
is right for us to have, but we are not going to try to sandbag the
Government _out_ of anything; primarily we are going to try to put
something _into_ the Government. In thinking over this resolution
think of that."
[Illustration: Fred Humphrey of New Mexico
A Vice-Chairman.]
[Illustration: Private V.C. Calhoun, of Connecticut and the Marine
Corps.
He is a Vice-Chairman.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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