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Show Franklin cTOlier First Commander American Legion. I (From the Philadelphia Ledger.) ONE of the biggest men in Philadelphia Phila-delphia today" is the description descrip-tion I have heard applied to Franklin . d'Oller. to whom goes the honor of being the first commander of the American Legion. Those who sav such things of him are the readier to " say them because none ever would get him to blow his own horn. Usually when a man appreciates himself others feel that their laudatory comment Is superfluous. D'Olier' s modesty is t'ifty-fiftv t'ifty-fiftv with his manliness. When he left Princeton his fatner said to hi-ir "I want vou to '.earn this cotton-yarn cotton-yarn business of " ours from the bottom up." The younger D'Olier went from mill to mill as an operative till he had acquainted acquaint-ed himself with every detail in the manufacture manu-facture of yarns. Here and in the south he set h.s hand to everv process, till there was nothing left for any superintendent o.- manufacturer manufac-turer to tell him. After he had been in business with his father's firm for several years he became be-came manager. The business grew under his hand until it became the largest cotton-yarn concern in the country. His abilities were manifest in other directions. di-rections. He had big offers to tempt him ;n:o other fields of industry. He made a name for himself as an organizer and re-organizer re-organizer in larg affairs. When elected a director of the First National bank he was the youngest member of the board a distinction he retained for several veare. After that August, pregnant -with the world's fate In 1614. he went to England and the continent to study conditions. He came back with the informed conviction convic-tion that the United States, to save its national soul, must play its part. He began be-gan to prepare himself. The day we entered en-tered the war he quit the big business he headed and enlisted, turning his affairs over to the junior partners. From service in our own Frankford arsenal he went to the arsenal in Boston Bos-ton and there organized forces to buy, to keep accounts, to inspect and to snip. It was a first-rate piece of work. AU the time he was yearning for active service ser-vice overseas. When his chance came at last, and he landed in France, he encountered an officer of-ficer of the regular army who had his own opinion of the value of the new civilian Increment. The examination was abrupt. "Ever been a sergeant's clerk?" "No. air." "Ever been a quartermaster?" No. sir." "Then go out there in the yard and shove those cars around." D'Olier, with h;s weiaTTT exceptional training, made u"" I and began to push the cars J" hand, with the rest of the borers. Coa When the second Liberty along. D'Oller put to his suWfi" " the question : "Don't you "K In France should have a M-iY! He was made chairman ol ' aX,'lT" to solicit subscriptions. Ev--?"51911 his regiment bought one bon 0,1 His work attracted such a!i..W . he was relieved of bj6 duty " 1 freight cars. uty U4 He went to work with the fu! energy to organize a salvsr?!. " ment. Hitherto the wreckae'e S " shoes and clothing had b1a nJS more "waste product" He -"' that, and In three places at r stalled salvage operations of nitude that i.e. was turnim- il - worth $4,000,000 a month when tain descended on the Interna,," orama. He was saving not it3l materia! on the spot, but the xZ? quired to transport fresa 6JH France. "-ffitt They gave him deeorations-.-him Chevalier of the Legion o' ' " bestowed the Dtetlnguls!-,ed ler-ii a!: "but glory is the least of follow this man home " While abroad he waE thrtnrn q, , Tneodore Roosevelt, Jr.- Han-i-rav president of the Ltbertv National New York, and Grayson Muny-, president of the Guaranty Tra JU of New York. They moiled alii 53 gather over the project of thi i2 Legion. " When D'Olier returned to Aatrii. spring he told his firm: Tm not back to work till January L l'SM T want ail the Intervening" time for cJ ganlzatlon of the American Ltrtoit" He was made chairman of the co. tee to arrange the Minneapolis n2 In this work he has evinced the ci tive genius he has shown in , other ways. '" Those who have worked wits hi i praised his knowledge of his 0wa i (the last knowledge so many n-tt quire") and his valid Judgment' of h best to do and not to do in tae & given conditions. - But Mr. D'Olier is always vert any praise away from pirn! others. He has a high opinion lT3 ular of the scion of the house e( ft velt. He points out that In nCitirr vice young Roosevelt never ntsltsi second when the call came to h!i onerous or dangerous duty; but s was a question of the eacrif of of his own men he defended en their rights and Interests: ant tWI I he was idolized by his commaai |
