you that the Convention adjourn and reconvene here on Monday morning at 9.30." [Cries of "No! No!"]

Chairman: "The motion of the gentleman is out of order because we are trying to vote. Will all those in favor of the immediate consideration of the Stover resolution please rise? [Much confusion here. Several delegates rise to their feet, demanding recognition.]

"We have spent almost two and one-half hours here on the question of this consideration. We will never get anywhere until we get to the point of orderly Convention. If we cannot come to a decision here and do it as soon as possible, it would be better for the motion to be left to some future time or the next Convention. If it were left to some future date, the committees could get together and work in unison and harmony, and together they ought to be able to draft a suitable Constitution to present to the Convention."

Delegate: "Why not take our State Constitution, such as it is, and make it conform to the National Constitution and call it settled. If, as I understand it, there are only a few changes, why would this not be the best way out of the troublesome affair?"

Chairman: "In order to get at a satisfactory conclusion, the best thing to do is to vote on the immediate consideration of the Stover Constitution. The districts will please convene and will then announce the vote by districts."

The motion for immediate consideration is lost.

Chairman: "There is only one other thing which I can remember that was to come up now, and that is the report of the Americanism

Committee. However, the chairman, Mr. Judson Hannigan, due to the lateness of the hour, has decided to let that go. hear from him at some later date.

He says we will

"Before we proceed further, I wish to say that one of the finest things I have seen in The American Legion is the desire to bring up in open discussion every question of momentous importance for the purpose of giving it careful consideration and deliberation. The sentiment of the Convention has been this all through, and it is one of the surest signs that the Convention wishes to come to a sane and wise conclusion. In addition to this, the Executive Committee of the Massachusetts State Department is desirous of your wholehearted co-operation, and its entire purpose is to put through motions which will be for the good of the entire Massachusetts Department. To do this it is essential that the committee be given all the possible support from the members of the Massachusetts State Department. This organization is one such as has never before been conceived. Its possibilities are so great that they actually amaze the thinking person. The harm it might do is tremendous; the good is immeasurable. Therefore the Executive Committee desires to ask the hearty and whole-souled co-operation of the members of the Massachusetts Department of The American Legion in its effort to make the Massachusetts Department of The American Legion the finest, noblest, grandest organization of its kind in the country." [Applause.]

Delegate: "I do not know whether I am correctly informed, and if not, I wish the Chair would undertake to give me the desired information. I understood that at the formation of The American Legion, half the initiation fee, or 50 cents, was to be deducted and sent to State Headquarters. This was to be all that the member was Now I understand that an additional

to be assessed at that time. 75 cents is to be attached to each member. Now will the Chair please inform me as to the necessity of the extra 75 cents?"

Chairman: "When The American Legion was first formed it was decided that with the immense number of members, 50 cents would be sufficient to meet the expenses of the State Headquarters and the national body. The other 50 cents was to be part of the property of the Post, and could be done with as they wished. When we went to Minneapolis we found out that by reason of money being needed in order to cover a deficit it would have to be raised. There were two ways in which to do this. The first was by the compulsory sub

scription to the magazine, and the other was by levying an extra assessment upon the individual members. The matter was thoroughly discussed and then it was finally decided that the magazine plan was the best. Therefore it was decided that the members should pay another dollar, 25 cents of which should go to State Headquarters, and the remainder should go to the National Headquarters for the subscription to the magazine.

The Massachusetts delegation went to Minneapolis, and when they found out the true state of affairs, true to the men they represented they voted strongly against this additional tax. I am sure that we are all good enough members of The American Legion to pay this additional tax without any petty selfishness, and to put the good of the organization above the selfish desires of the individual. We went to Minneapolis with the strong conviction that the tax should not be levied, and we fought the point very hard. We may have been right and we may have been wrong, but whether right or wrong, the question is beyond discussion now. The national body has told us that the magazine must be subscribed to. We must obey their edict, and I am sure that we will all assist and do our part to keep the Massachusetts Department of The American Legion in the foremost, as she is to-day."

Delegate Roland H. Choate, Beverly Post: "I move, Mr. Commander, that this Convention adjourn and that we meet here two weeks from to-day for consideration of the Constitution and By-Laws, and that a copy of the proposed By-Laws be sent to each Post for their fair consideration."

The motion is seconded.

Chairman: "It is moved and seconded that"

Delegate Choate: "I would like to ask you if you think your office could get out the copies in two weeks."

Chairman: "We could get them out in less time than that, but it does not seem to me time enough to determine what action to take by each Post."

Delegate Choate: "Then I amend the former motion and make it four weeks."

Chairman: "You have heard the motion. What is your pleasure?" It is a vote.

Meeting adjourned at 7.30 P.M. to reconvene at Faneuil Hall Saturday, Jan. 31, 1920.

SECOND SESSION, SATURDAY, JAN. 31, 1920.

The Convention reconvened at 12.40 P.M., with Department Commander Edward L. Logan as Chairman, and Department Adjutant Leo A. Spillane as secretary.

Chairman: "The hour having arrived at which we will reconvene, this Convention will now be in order. If there are any of the Department officers in the gathering I would like to have them come to the platform. As it is customary at the beginning of our conventions to read the Preamble to the Constitution I shall now do so.

For God and Country we associate ourselves together for the following purposes:To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America; to maintain law and order; to foster and perpetuate a one hundred per cent Americanism; to preserve the memories and incidents of our association in the Great War; to inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, State and Nation; to combat the autocracy of both the classes and the masses; to make Right the master of Might; to promote peace and good will on earth; to safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy; to consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness.

"The National Commander of The American Legion, Franklin D'Olier, is in attendance, and I am sure we will be pleased to receive him now before I introduce our Chaplain. If there is no objection, I will name a committee to escort our National Commander to the platform. I will appoint Mr. Keville and Mr. Keith to escort the National Commander to the platform. [Prolonged applause while the National Commander is being escorted to the platform.]

"I will now ask the Department Chaplain if he will say the prayer." Chaplain Michael J. O'Connor: "As a nation our thoughts live in those who govern; the blood of a nation courses through the veins of the soldiers and seamen; the heart of a nation beats in the breasts of the people; the imagination of a nation is expressed in its literature, but the soul of a nation which would make its alliance with God presides in the prayerful supplication of the people who realize that all strength, all light, all liberty and all virtues are gifts from above. With this inspiring thought let us turn to the Almighty Father for guidance in the renewal of our deliberations in this Convention. Chaos seemed to hold sway for a time in our country, but we had hope that the God who gave victory to our arms in the recent world conflict would heed the prayerful aspirations of a trusting and a faith

ful people. May His blessings be upon us so that whatever we may do will be for His greater honor and glory and the welfare of our State and our country. Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil! Amen."

Chairman: "By reason of the interruption and the delay in the train service, many of the delegates will not be able to reach here until later in the afternoon, and so, with his approval, I have asked the National Commander if he will postpone his address until after the recess at half past 2, at which time I am sure that it will be our very great pleasure to listen to his remarks. In the meantime, I think the Department is very anxious to know what is going on in the organization, and so I will ask the chairmen of the different committees if they will not tell what they have been doing, what they have accomplished, and what their plans are for the future. Let us first see what the financial condition of the organization is, and in this respect I would call upon the finance officer of the Department, Frank Perkins, to submit to us his report.

Finance Officer Perkins: "I have the following report to make:

"I also have the following report to make on the activity of the Employment Bureau for Returned Soldiers and Sailors: