seconding the motion that has just been made, which I do heartily and sincerely."

Colbert gives three cheers for Duane. Convention joins in. Then three cheers for Logan.

Election made unanimous.

Commander Logan: "I now take pleasure in presenting to you one whom I am sure you have elected with pleasure and confidence. I have known Commander Duane for a long time. We served together for a long time, and I am sure you have made an excellent selection. I know what the possibilities.of this office are. It is not a bed of roses upon which he will lay his head. He needs and will have the careful co-operation of every service man during the year he will remain as Commander of the Massachusetts Department. I urge upon you, therefore, that you do everything you can to support him during the year he is working for you, and I am sure that if you do, you will not only advance the best interests of the Department of Massachusetts, but the best interests of every man who is in the organization. I therefore have very great pleasure in turning over the authority of the organization in presenting to you your Department Commander, James T. Duane."

Commander Duane: "We have had two busy days and nights, cooped up here in the heat, and I am not going to keep you very long by inflicting a speech upon you. I am just going to say a few words which I hope you will accept, as they are given right from the heart. I want to thank our past Department Commander for his very kind words, and to assure him and you that the work which he has carried on, the strong foundation which he has laid, I will try to build up and improve, if possible. If possible I state. I know it is possible. There is much for The American Legion to accomplish. We have dark and trying days before us. If we are to accomplish what the service and ex-service men, and especially our real buddies. now lying in the hospitals and convalescent camps all over the United States, over 300,000 of them, if we do for them what they deserve, and what you desire, we must do a whole lot of work. So I am just going to request that you will bear with me, and, in accordance with my request, lend me your co-operation. If the members of the Post will back the Post commander, he will, in turn, support the State Executive Committee, who will be the ruling power of our Department; and there is no question but what we will do that which we set out to do.

"There are great things to hope for our American Legion. The American Legion, if it accomplishes what is predicted for it, will be the most powerful organization in the country.

"With apologies to General Edwards, I am going to use one of his expressions which struck me as being one of the most forceful. There are men and women who are eligible to The American Legion who have not yet joined our ranks. They stand by, and rather than assist, they criticize. Fine! That is perfectly all right, but while they are criticizing, why not have them join our ranks? If you do not like The American Legion, like the way it is run, get inside The American Legion and reorganize it. That is what I hope to accomplish. Get these men inside of the ranks and educate them. Work harmoniously, and I know we are going to accomplish big things.

"From now until Jan. 1, 1921, I promise you that everything I do in The American Legion will be done with a wholehearted desire to do something for The American Legion. I probably will make mistakes. We all do. Instead of criticizing, should I make mistakes, and you know that I am doing it with the proper purpose, call my attention to it. Do not get on the outside with your criticisms. Keep them inside. If we have difficulties, let us settle them within The American Legion, and let the different Posts settle them within the Posts. If this cannot be done, bring the matter to the State Department. Keep all trouble inside of The American Legion, and do not let our troubles be thrown to the winds. We will then show these eligible men and women who have joined our ranks that The American Legion is the organization that is working for their interests, and we will soon have them with us. I thank you. I will ask Colonel Logan to continue with the election of officers, now that he has started."

Delegate John F. J. Herbert: "Before proceeding to the election of the other officers of the Department, I would like to bring to the attention of the Convention a matter which would save work later on. This is an opportunity to correct a mistake that was made last year, or rather to guard against the same mistake this year. Last year, in the choice of delegates at large to the National Convention, through an oversight, we wholly neglected to place among the number the Department Commander and Department Adjutant. You had adopted a resolution yesterday which does not give them standing, because the resolution as adopted yesterday merely stated that they were ex-officio delegates to the National Convention. We owe it to

the Department Commander and the Department Adjutant that they should be permitted to represent us at the National Convention. Therefore I move now, sir, that at the time of the election of the delegates at large, Past Commander Logan be instructed to cast one ballot automatically electing the present Commander and Adjutant as delegates at large."

Motion passed.

Delegate Frank J. Murphy, Lynn: "I have the honor to represent old Essex County, and we have the honor to have a candidate that we will now put forth for the position of First Vice-Commander. This man has a fine record, both military and civil. He is one of the type of two-fisted men that we breed in our country, and it is with the greatest of pleasure that I advance the name of Roland H. Choate of Beverly for First Vice-Commander."

Delegate Wm. C. G. Simkins of Malden: "I have the honor and privilege to second the motion."

Choate elected by acclamation. [Cheers.]

Delegates Murphy and Simkins escort Choate to the platform while Convention rises and cheers.

Vice-Commander Choate: "I will merely say that this is an honor that you have placed upon me to-day, and I promise to go through for any one of you after what you have done for me to-day."

Delegate John J. Walsh, Lowell: "I am going to nominate for the position of Second Vice-Commander of the Department of Massachusetts a man who was the first and unanimous choice for the office of Commander of the Malden Post, as its first permanent commander. I wish to call attention, first, to the personal traits of this gentleman. He is aggressive and a go-through man, and, gentlemen, I wish to place in nomination the name of William H. Doyle, better known as Doyle of Malden." [Applause.]

Delegate Wm. J. Keville, Belmont: "In seconding the nomination of Doyle, I desire, as chairman of the delegation from Middlesex, to endorse the words of Mr. Walsh which admirably sum up the characteristics of our choice for Second Vice-Commander. I believe that if Mr. Doyle is elected, as we hope he will be, he will serve the whole of Massachusetts as fearlessly and aggressively and fairly as he has served his part of Massachusetts in Middlesex County in Malden." [Applause.]

Delegate Lawrence J. Quigley, Chelsea: "I wish to put in nomi