So this morning the American Legion, in the midst of all this festivity, in the midst of these glorious surroundings and settings, sets aside these few moments for a serious remembrance of our dead. We pause this morning to pay them a tribute of homage and prayerful remembrance. In doing so, gentlemen of the Legion, we will ask you not to applaud any part of the ceremony. It is a serious work that we now do. You are commemorating your comrades, and I would have you go back in spirit just a few years, when you walked out from your home town, city, or village, answering the call of our beloved country. By your side was a comrade, and somewhere, amidst the trials of camp life, on the ocean's perilous expanse, or upon the battlefield, that buddy, that comrade that you knew, walked out with you.. And the comrade who walked out with you, whom you loved, has gone to his eternal reward.

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They are not dead, gentlemen; they sleep. To-day I would like to impress upon you that this comrade that you loved, the one that you called "Buddy," is by your shoulder in this great convention hall. That comrade whispers to you to-day a simple message, and the united whispers of 75,000 comrades swell into a mighty anthem. The anthem is to you and me a clarion call to service, a challenge to duty. He says, Buddy, to you I give my work; to you I hand the torch of service that fell from my failing hands. Oh, be sure to carry on. If you break faith with me, my friend, I shall not sleep, though poppies blow in Flanders Field." To-day we of the Legion, thinking of that spiritual presence, thinking of that heroic sacrifice that laid the foundations of a great, glorious Republic, we are going to rededicate ourselves, renew our pledge and promise to those comrades that we love, and we shall go forth from this assemblage into the highways of life, into our various vocations, and pledge anew to carry on to a high and noble type of citizenship that is summed up in the preamble to our constitution, climaxed by the most glorious of principles, for God and country.

So live, gentlemen of the Legion, as your Legion constitution asks of you; so be citizens as that Legion demands, to teach the coming generation that they may carry on the same type of citizenship. Then you will bring a smile to the face of your comrade, you will make it possible for him to rest in peace. When the last legionnaire, receiving your heritage and mine, will stand upon the ramparts of time as they crumple at the abyss of eternity, he can look back with confidence and faith, and with honesty say, Sleep brave soldier, sleep. From your failing hands we took the torch of service, and with the blistered hands of sacrifice we have held it high. We have kept faith with you who died. Sleep, brave soldier, sleep."

There is No Death was sung by William Gustafson, jr., a legionnaire, and the audience then stood 30 seconds in silent prayer, President Hoover remaining for this service. Taps closed the ceremony.

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS PRESENTED

Commander Bodenhamer presented Col. Fred Abbot, retiring president of Fidac; H. W. Dunning, secretary of Fidac; Col. John Brown, representing the Veterans of Great Britain; Major Hayes, of England, in company with Colonel Brown; Lieut. Col. Pestaria de Vasconcellos, representing Portugal; Doctor Mihailovitch, representing Yugoslavia; Dr. Vergil Serdaru, representing Rumania. The representative of Poland, Casimir Smogorzewski; Signor Baccarini, representing Italy; Comrade Grenade, representing Belgium; General Gouraud, already presented to this audience, representing the Government of France; Admiral William Benson, Chief of Naval Operations during the period of the war; Maj. Gen. Sir William Hickie, of the Irish Free State; Legionnaire Patrick J. Hurley, Secretary of War; Legionnaire Trubee Davidson, Assistant Secretary of War; Legionnaire Clarence M. Young, Assistant Secretary of Commerce; the Hon. Charles F. Adams, Secretary of the Navy; Legionnaire Frank T. Hines, Administrator of Veterans' Affairs; Colonel LaFleche, commander of the Canadian Legion; Commander in Chief

of the Grand Army of the Republic, Col. James E. Jewell; the retiring Commander in Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, Comrade Edwin J. Foster; every governor from each of the New England States; Charles W. Tobey, Governor of New Hampshire; John E. Weeks, Governor of Vermont; Legionnaire William Tudor Gardiner, Governor of Maine; Legionnaire Norman S. Case, Governor of Rhode Island; John H. Trumbull, Governor of Connecticut.

MR. COOLIDGE SPEAKS

Former President of the United States, Mr. Calvin Coolidge, was presented. The audience arose, applauded, and cheered. Mr. Coolidge said:

Mr. President, Your Excellency the Governor, Mr. National Commander, members, and guests of the American Legion: To save time of this convention I am going to give you a sentence. You have paid your debt to Lafayette, but you still owe a debt to yourselves and to the United States of America.

Mrs. Coolidge was presented. The audience arose, applauded, and cheered.

EIGHT PAST NATIONAL COMMANDERS

Commander Bodenhamer presented the largest delegation of past national commanders who have ever attended the national convention at one time: Gen. Milton J. Foreman, John G. Emery, Hanford MacNider, Alvin Owsley, John Quinn, James A. Drain, Edward E. Spafford, and Paul V. McNutt.

The President and Mrs. Hoover retired from the arena, and were followed by Mr. and Mrs. Coolidge and Generals Pershing and Gouraud.

E. SNAPPER INGRAM'S ADDRESS

E. Snapper Ingram, Chef de Chemin de Fer of the "40 and 8": My comrade, the National Commander of the American Legion, distinguished guests, the members of the American Legion Auxiliary, my comrades of the American Legion, ladies, and gentlemen, it is indeed an honor and a privilege for me to appear here this morning to bring the greetings from La Société des 40 Hommes et 8 Chevaux and the Chef de Chemin de Fer of that organization. I bring their most sincere wish for a most successful convention, the climax of the most successful year in the history of the American Legion, and I want at this time to pledge anew the support and the loyal service of the members of my organization, our organization, La Société des 40 Hommes et 8 Chevaux. I thank you.

COMMANDER BODEN HAMER'S REPORT

National Vice Commander Milt Campbell took the gavel, and National Commander Bodenhamer made his annual report. Commander Bodenhamer said:

I am happy to submit my report as national commander of the American Legion and to express to every legionnaire in America my gratitude for the privilege of having been permitted to serve as the national leader of our organization for the year now closing. In deference to the time of this convention, the report of the national commander has been put in printed form, and

is available to those delegates and officers of the Legion who may desire copies thereof. This report has been handed to the national adjutant who, in turn, is authorized to make distribution in such manner as is deemed wise.

My report is not submitted for its literary value. It is submitted rather for the purpose of recounting, in a simple and straightforward manner, some of the accomplishments of the Legion during this administration, and of making certain recommendations, based upon the experience and observation which have been mine during the course of the year.

The American Legion has continued its growth in membership, in spirit, and in the solidity of its purpose. In my opinion, the American Legion has, during this year lived true to its ideals and to the principles upon which it was founded. It has been a year of constructive and unselfish service for our disabled, and for the country for which they fought.

This outstanding service has been made possible through the fine spirit of cooperation which has come from every department and from the rank and file of the Legion. This cooperation has netted for the American Legion a membership which is the largest in the history of the organization, which is a gain of some 100,000 over the same day last year, and which to-day, even in spite of the so-called industrial depression, stands at more than 880,000 paid in to national headquarters. With their efforts unified, and with their ideals dedicated to the spirit of unselfish service, these men and women of the American Legion constitute the greatest agency in America for the accomplishment of constructive and worthwhile programs. They hold within their power the leadership of America in all things having to do with our disabled, and with the defense policy of America and with the promotion of those principles which make for good and patriotic citizenship. And it is most important to the growth and power of the Legion for the entire Legion family to coordinate its efforts, and to work in unity toward the realization of a certain definite program agreed upon prior to its initiation.

An organization divided against itself, or working at cross purposes as between its members, can never hope to realize its greatest possible power for good. May I, therefore, at the opening session of this great convention, urge upon every delegate the importance of agreeing upon a definite, constructive, and worth-while program for the year 1931, and of lending every Legion effort thereafter to the accomplishment of that undertaking. No reasonable program is impossible for the Legion, when the entire organization works for the same thing, at the same time, under the same leadership.

May I express again my undying gratitude to the members of the American Legion, the American Legion Auxiliary, the Forty and Eight and the Eight and Forty for the spirit of cooperation which has permeated their service this year in the development of our program in behalf of rehabilitation, child welfare, legislation, Americanism, and those other activities to which the Legion has lent its time and thought and effort, during the year 1930.

To attempt to designate, by name, each of those to whom I, personally, and the Legion, nationally, are indebted would be an insurmountable task. May I, therefore, very frankly and most sincerely, express to the national adjutant and to every member of his headquarters' staff; to every post, county, district, department, and national officer; to every member of every committee of whatever character; to the personnel of the Boston Convention Corporation; and to the rank and file of the Legion, my deep and profound gratitude for their loyalty, their enthusiasm, and their devotion to the advancement of the cause of the American Legion during my year of service. Upon my election at the Louisville convention I pledged to you that I would give the best that I had in mind and body and soul, to hold high and to keep clean the banner of the American Legion. I have done that to the best of my ability.

COMMANDER'S PRINTED REPORT

The report was adopted, and the printed copy follows:

I am happy to submit my report as national commander of the American Legion and to express to every legionnaire in America my gratitude for the privilege of having been permitted to serve as the national leader of our organization for the year now closing. This report is not submitted for its literary value. It is submitted rather for the purpose of recounting, in a simple and straightforward manner, some of the accomplishments of the Legion during

this administration, and of making certain recommendations, based upon the experience and observation which have been mine during the course of this year.

The American Legion has continued its growth in membership, in spirit, and in the solidity of its purpose. In my opinion, the American Legion has, during this year, lived true to its ideals and to the principles upon which it was founded. It has been a year of constructive and unselfish service for our disabled and for the country for which they fought.

At the very outset, may I call attention to the fact that this report is not intended to cover in detail all of the activities of the American Legion for the year. The detailed reports of the national officers and of the national committees are available. These paint the real picture of Legion service for 1930. I shall, therefore, limit my report to a discussion of some of our general activities and the problems relating thereto. These activities and problems are presented to you under the subdivisions to which they belong.

REHABILITATION

The national rehabilitation committee obtained cash recoveries for World War veterans during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1930, in the total amount of $5,013,761.43. These recoveries included disabled compensation, insurance, retirement pay, adjusted compensation, and other claims of like character pending before the Veterans' Bureau and its agencies at the beginning of the fiscal year above mentioned or arising subsequent thereto.

In addition to this concrete type of service, the national rehabilitation committee and the American Legion have given much of their time and thought and energy to supporting those pieces of legislation, and of presenting those interpretations of existing legislation, which were destined to make more liberal the benefits of the Federal Government to which our disabled are justly entitled. The sincerity of Legion purpose in this regard can not be questioned. Many pieces of legislation intended to create new benefits and to make more liberal the benefits of existing legislation received the support of the American Legion during this year. The Rogers hospital bill, providing for some 4,500 additional beds at a cost of some $16,000,000; the consolidation of the Veterans' Bureau, the Pension Bureau, and the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers; the 40 amendments to the World War veterans' act, 39 of which directly or indirectly have had the support of the Legion over a period of years; the restricting of the authority of the Comptroller General within the Veterans' Bureau; the extension of the time in which suits may be brought on insurance claims; the repealing of the limiting date within which disabled men were obliged to file application for compensation, and to submit evidence essential thereto; the making of Government insurance policies incontestablethese, together with a score of other bills having to do with our disabled and their dependents, are evidence of the fact that the Legion has been, and still is, giving its thought and its support to that character of legislation which will prove beneficial to World War veterans. A detailed discussion of the beneficial provisions of legislation enacted by the last Congress will be found in the report of the national legislation committee of the American Legion.

But the Legion is not resting upon the record of service thus far rendered in behalf of our disabled. The national rehabilitation committee is charged with the function of leading the way and of executing the wishes of the American Legion in regard to our rehabilitation program. As a means of keeping the membership informed as to the work of the national rehabilitation committee, there has been appointed a so-called liaison committee, which investigates annually the work of the national rehabilitation committee. In the May report of this liaison committee attention was called to the progress of the national rehabilitation committee from the year 1925 up to the year 1930. For example, the employees increased from 10 to 40; the budget from $34,000 to $161,000; the incoming mail from 13,000 pieces to 38,000; the outgoing mail from 15,000 pieces to 40,000; the office interviews from 4,000 to 6,000; the cash recoveries for veterans from $1,250,000 to more than $5,000,000. A careful study of the record shows that the personnel and budget have not been increased in proportion to the increase of the duties and responsibilities placed upon the national rehabilitation committee. Even now it is estimated that there are 70,000 cases in the files of the Washington office. New cases are being received at the rate of 35 per day. The national rehabilitation committee,

through its Washington office, reviewed some 15,000 folders during the year 1930, but the claims are being filed at a rate far beyond the reviewing ability of our present personnel.

Our liaison committee, therefore, reported to the national executive committee that "either our service to the disabled and to the veterans generally must be curtailed or the work must be adequately financed."

In keeping with the spirit of this recommendation, there was authorized by the national executive committee the appointment of a survey committee for the purpose of making a careful investigation of the rehabilitation program of the Legion, of estimating the extent to which it should be expanded, and then of making recommendations as to how the program can be properly financed, provided additional finances are deemed necessary. This survey committee has been appointed, has held a 2-day meeting in Washington, and will make a report of its findings through proper channels to this convention. In view of the time and thought which have been given by the survey committee to this program, it is my recommendation that the most careful consideration be given to the findings and recommendations made.

If the Legion is to continue to grow in service and in its power for good, then it is most important that we plan our program of rehabilitation to cover a period of years; that proper finances be made available for the execution of said program; and that we outline and support such constructive and conservative legislation as will be in keeping with the real needs of our disabled and their dependents, and at the same time in keeping with the best interests of the American people.

CHILD WELFARE

During the past few years, Legion leaders have been endeavoring to determine the scope of Legion service in the child-welfare problems which developed as a result of the World War, and to find the agency or the medium through which this service could be most effectively and most appropriately performed by the American Legion. It has long been recognized that the American Legion can not hope to furnish the direct financial relief which is demanded. The child-welfare program, as defined by the national child-welfare committee of the American Legion, has been developed toward a definite objective-that of securing legislation by which direct relief can be secured from governmental agencies, under the fostering and supervising hand of a well trained and sympathetic human agency.

The American Legion aspires to an ideal child-welfare program which would keep dependent children in their own homes or in foster homes, with a sustaining assistance from governmental agencies, thus making it possible for these dependent boys and girls of to-day to be trained under home influence in the duties and responsibilities of American citizenship, which were so patriotically and heroically exemplified by their fathers, who gave their service to America.

The billet program, adopted in the early days of the American Legion's childwelfare activities, is, in the opinion of child-welfare leaders, not compatible with the ideal above referred to. Under such circumstances, it was deemed advisable to make proper transfers of Legion controlled billet properties to other agencies, and to make it possible for the entire resources of the American Legion to be used in the advancement of the program most recently adopted. Efforts have been made this year to bring about a proper disposition of Legion-controlled billets, and I am privileged to report that the Otter Lake billet has been transferred to the Department of Michigan, with the assurance that same will receive the generous financial support of the State of Michigan. Conferences have been held, and proposals have been made by which the Kansas department has expressed its willingness to assume the obligations of existing contracts in connection with the Legion billet in Kansas. If this proposed agreement is sanctioned by the proper authorities in session in Boston then the national organization of the American Legion will have been relieved of further obligation to maintain or operate billets or kindred institutions.

It is to be hoped that the entire thought and effort of the national childwelfare committee can be given to the promotion of those activities which look to the ideal program, to which reference has been made. And progress has already been made this year in the direction of this program. Laws looking to the relief of dependent children have been passed in many States, and the Legion has had a part in their passage. Special surveys have been, or are