OCR Text |
Show UTAH MR HEROES HOLD GDHVENTIDN DELEGATE: AND MEMBERS OF AMERICAN LEGION POSTS MEET AT SALT LAKE. Utah Honors Its Hero Dead at Memorial Memor-ial Services at the Tabernacle, Attended At-tended by Living Representatives of State in World War, Salt Lake Cily. Delegates and members of American Legion Posts in Utah met at the assembly hall Tuesday Tues-day night, October 7, for the opening of the first state convention of the former soldiers', sailors' and marines' organization. Willi the good wishes of the governor and his sincere congratulations con-gratulations on the progress made thus far, the state convention launched into in-to its business program. To Hamilton Gardner of Salt Lake, a member of the Ninety-first division, who has been one of the most active organizers of legion posts In Utah, was entrusted the duty of sounding the keynote of the convention, in an address ad-dress in which he evoked enthusiastic applause when he condemned radicalism radical-ism and demanded on behalf of the ex-service men genuine loyalty to the United States. Paymaster E. W. Brown of the navy spoke in behalf of the men who are still in service, and who also are eligible elig-ible to the American legion. Paymaster Paymas-ter Brown expressed the belief that the legion would render valuable aid to the men who remained in service, through a sympathetic understanding of their needs and their problems. ' Wesley E. King, state chairman, reported re-ported that seventy-four posts were quit organized in Utah, out of a possible pos-sible 140, as outlined in the membership member-ship drive. At the Wednesday sessions, many i amendments to the constitution as' adopted by the June caucus were sub-, milted by the constitution and by-laws: committee and passed after .stormy debate de-bate by the delegates. It was agreed that each post receiving a charter should be entitled to be represented at state conventions by one delegate nnd one alternate, with another 'delegate 'dele-gate and alternate for each additional 100 members. A resolution raising the tines of members from .$1 to .$L50 w.us wlso considered and passed. The convention approved a motion instructing the by-laws committee to incorporate a law providing that any officer in the state or national organization organ-ization or in a local post should be retired re-tired from that office automatically upon acceptance of any public office, whether appointive or elective; also that no member -Of the legion should be eligible for office while holding any public post. Utah's official celebration in honor of her soldiers, sailors ami marines who fought in the war with Germany began formally in the tabernacle at 8 o'clock Tuesday night, October S, with a memorial in honor of the men who died while in service. Seats if lienor were given to the surviving relatives of the dead heroes, and next in order came the returned veterans nnd their families. Perhaps the most Impressive part of the memorial service held in the tabernacle tab-ernacle was the presentation to the state of the colors of the i!G2nd infantry. infan-try. There were more -Utah lighting men in this regiment tnan in any other in the service, and naturally the interest inter-est in this unit is great There were two sets of colors belonging to the 3(i-'nd. The other set was presented recently to the slate of Montana. Sergeant Ser-geant Axel A. Madsen made the presentation pre-sentation speech on behalf of the reg-. iment and Governor Bamberger received re-ceived the colors for the state. Hamilton Gardner, a Salt Lake attorney, at-torney, was selected state chairman if the Legion at the closing session of the first state convention. Several resolutions were adopted at Ihe closing session on October !). One expressed approval of the Sweet bill, now before congress, which would authorize au-thorize payments of war risk insurance insur-ance in lump sums, or in thirty-six monthly installments. Another reso-'ution reso-'ution adopted instructed Utah's delegates dele-gates to the national convention to favor fa-vor further compensation from the government for the men who had been in service. Approval was given to the amendment amend-ment recently made by the special session ses-sion of the legislature to the Utah soldier settlement act, which provides that the state may proceed with the expenditure of the $l,02f,000 available without the cooperation of the federal government. - The convention went on record as favoring broad, constructive legislation legisla-tion looking to the reclamation of lands susceptible to production. Alien slackers and the extension of further clemency lo conscientious objectors ob-jectors were severely condemned. The convention also went on record as declaring that the actions or stand taken upon any question by local posts should not be regarded or announced as the views or action of the state or national organization. Another resolution proposed that local lo-cal posts be furnished with ammunition ammuni-tion and rifles sufficient to give proper military honors (o members who died. Delegates were instructed to urge this j at tlie national convention. i |