CONTENTS

Page

2

Statements of -

Mrs. Margaret N. McCluer, Kansas City, Mo..

Mrs. George Gordon Seibold, president of the District of Columbia

COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION

GEORGE S. GRAHAM, Pennsylvania, Chairman LEONIDAS C. DYER, Missouri.

ROBERT Y. THOMAS, JR., Kentucky
W. D. BOIES, Iowa.

HATTON W. SUMNERS, Texas.
C. A. CHRISTOPHERSON, South Dakota. ANDREW J. MONTAGUE, Virginia
RICHARD YATES, Illinois.

JAMES W. WISE, Georgia.
IRA G. HERSEY, Maine.

JOHN N. TILLMAN, Arkansas. ISRAEL M. FOSTER, Ohio.

FRED H. DOMINICK, South Carolina. EARL C. MICHENER, Michigan.

SAMUEL C. MAJOR, Missouri. ANDREW J. HICKEY, Indiana.

ROYAL H. WELLER, New York. NATHAN D. PERLMAN, New York.

PATRICK B. O'SULLIVAN, Connecticut.
OSCAR J. LARSON, Minnesota.
J. BANKS KURTZ, Pennsylvania,

GUILFORD S. JAMESON, Clerk
M. D, TURTON, Assistant Clerk

COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY

UNITED STATES SENATE

FRANK B. BRANDEGEE, Connecticut, Chairman WILLIAM E. BORAH, Idaho.

LEE S. OVERMAN, North Carolina. ALBERT B. CUMMINS, Iowa.

JAMES A. REED, Missouri. LEBARON B. COLT, Rhode Island.

HENRY F. ASHURST, Arizona. THOMAS STERLING, South Dakota.

JOHN K. SHIELDS, Tennessee. GEORGE W. NORRIS, Nebraska.

THOMAS J. WALSH, Montana. RICHARD P. ERNST, Kentucky.

AUGUSTUS 0. STANLEY, Kentucky.
SAMUEL M. SHORTRIDGE, California. THADDEUS H. CARAWAY, Arkansas.
SELDEN P. SPENCER, Missouri.

W. DON LUNDY, Clerk
GEORGE GORDON PAYNE, Assistant Clerk

TO INCORPORATE THE AMERICAN WAR MOTHERS

COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

Washington, May 6, 1924. The committee met at 10 o'clock a. m., Hon. George S. Graham (chairman) presiding:

Senator Selden P. Spencer, of Missouri, also presided as chairman of the Senate subcommittee in charge of this legislation.

Senator SPENCER. Have those interested in House bill 8980, to incorporate the National American War Mothers, arranged among themselves as to who will present the matter?

1

Mrs. MARGARET N. McCLUER. The legislative chairman, if permissible, would briefly outline the organization, what it means, and how it is composed, but we want to know what your views are and how many you wish to hear from briefly, and in what way.

Senator SPENCER. We do not want to duplicate matters. Mrs. McCLUER. I appreciate that. Senator SPENCER. If you could present it, very good. Mrs. McCLUER. Whatever is your pleasure. I would like to say that we have representatives here from several other States, who are here merely as representatives of the organization in their respective States.

Senator SPENCER. Perhaps you might give to the reporter the names of those who are present, your own name, Mrs. H. H. McCluer, of Kansas City, and then have the others give their names, so we may have a record of it.

Mrs. McCLUER. Those present are merely those who are near by Washington and could come in, but if you wish that as a matter of record we can give it.

Mrs. George Gordon Seibold, of the District of Columbia; Mrs. Mary E. Spence, of Milwaukee, Wis., legislative chairman and national second vice president; Mrs. Blanche A. Bellak, Philadelphia, Pa., second vice American mother and representative of the Gold Star Mothers; Mrs. Catherine H. Connelly of Newark N. J., Gold Star Mother, also representing a chapter; Mrs. Carrie White Avery, who speaks for the State of Louisiana.

Senator SPENCER. We are to assume that all of you are in favor of this bill? Mrs. McCLUER. Yes.

Senator SPENCER. Is there anyone present who is opposed to the bill?

Mrs. McCLUER. All in favor.

Senator SPENCER. Will whoever is to speak first, proceed? STATEMENT OF MRS. MARGARET N. MCCLUER, OF KANSAS

CITY, MO. Mrs. McCLUER. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of this honorable body, I am not used to this, and I assure you to start out with that I can make better biscuits than I can speeches, and with that record I hope you will just balance off any mistakes I may make against my good biscuits.

The American War Mothers had their annual convention in Kansas City last October and adopted a resolution asking this honorable body to pay homage to the motherhood of the World War in the form of recognition through your great body, and as its national officer I am trying to carry out the instructions of the convention, and we have before you to-day that request to grant us a charter which makes recognition to the general public that this great body realizes and understands what the World War meant to the motherhood of our America and what that motherhood gave in its behalf.

The personnel of our organization consists of those mothers who gave sons and daughters to the World War. We have among the members of that organization a mother from North Carolina who gave nine sons to the service, and other State records show mothers