FOR AUXILIARY F.IL£I 44th ANNUAL CONVENTION
OF THE
NATIONAL AUXILIARY
UNITED SPANISH WAR VETERANS 6tld Cd^4 SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS Kansas City, Missouri August 24 - 28, 1947 / 4i : . 1 \l FOREWORD The purpose of this book is to give to the members of the National Auxiliary, United Spanish War Veterans, a comprehensive summary of what officially took place at the 44th Annual National Convention, held in Kansas City, Missouri, August 24 to 28, 1947, inclusive. It contains the proceedings of the Con vention, the report of the National President, National Officers, and Chairmen of the Na tional Committees. Auxiliaries are requested to keep this book as a reference. It should be placed in the Auxiliary file, and be a part of the perma nent records of the Auxiliary. Louise W. Williams, National Secretary Compiled at National Headquarters Washington, D. C. x3&*»« -*- mmm JULIA A. KULL National President 1946-1947 III JOHN WHITE Commander - - Chief United Spanish War Veterans VI 1 3 o 3 CO i^ CM ON CM ^ ON ^ ON ON £ 3 O a -' ?• o c 2 <£ (fl .£j HH P> C__ - C /-N _T W« ~-o § W - a> ?J rt a> (v i> hH co OX) +J ^^ C £ J3 PH - S? bfl^ C1"1 y ^ON i—i 3 rt ,—i & - .-S3.. a, CM ^ +•» K,-~ CM •"_ •*- CM t-T JC _J f/) HQ\ CTJ- (^ W'H ptN M o <_ O t,CM,2 § <>ON I .„ -M ^ be i H-5 CD If; £ <« ^| 1.1 o^ o»r VI1 5 I ^ W co .^ SON ON 0.22 < Cti CO HH W J* CO h W <2 o > S > 2 rt bo'£~ < ^ rt ^ c/a Q W QcfiJ H w < O '"J tflrX _S_ ° < ON _* - H rt ^ £ bo c . W g W __ __ * >» < O _. W co « U O H > rn s co H .^H ON -5 5 E _• < bO Vc ' Q.2_K ro£i«. HO'C03 VIII 1 MAUDE COLES WHITLOCK LOU ELLA ALLEN Past National President Past National President 1938-1939 1939-1940 BETTY BASSETT ELSIE H. NEWELL Past National President Past National President 1940-1941 1941-1942 IX HATTIE B. TRAZENFELD ETHEL CUMMINGS Past National President Past National President 1943-1944 1942-1943 _.... BERTHA M. FINKE i Past National President NORA V. EVELETH 1944-1945 Past National President 1945-1946 X PANSY DENUNZIO MARY ROSS McKAY National Senior Vice President National Junior Vice President GRACE M. ALEXANDER LILLIAN E. PAUMAN National Chaplain National Patriotic Instructor XI RUBY H. LYONS ANNA NUGENT National Historian LOUISE W. WILLIAMS HENRIETTA LYNOTT National Secretary National Treasurer XII WALTER E. DOWNEY Quarter Master General United Spanish War Veterans XIII PANSY DENUNZIO National President-Elect XV MEMORIAL SERVICE SUNDAY EVENING, August 24, 1947 The Memorial Service of the Forty-ninth National Encampment, United Spanish War Veterans convened in the Municipal Auditorium Arena, Kansas City, Miss ouri, at eight o'clock, Reverend Edward W. Potts, presiding. (Prelude—"Largo" by Handel, Pearl Roemer Kelly, Accompanist.) REVEREND POTTS: More than nine thousand comrades and friends have gathered here in this great municipal auditorium to honor those thousands of your comrades who have passed on during the year. I now call on Comrade Reverend Orva W. Stanbrough for the invocation. Let us stand. (The audience arose.) REVEREND ORVA W. STANBROUGH: We bow before Thee, O God, our Creator, Protector, Redeemer and Provider, and we offer Thee thanks for the national history and security of our great nation. We give Thee thanks for this occasion, the 49th National Encampment of the men who laid the foundations of our national security. We ask Thy blessing upon our great nation both now and in the future. May she continue to merit the blessings of our God. We ask Thee to help and care for our Comrades who are living and strengthen us for the battles that remain today. We ask Thee to help us to care for those who cannot help themselves. We ask Thy blessings upon those who are bereaved by the rapid thinning of our ranks, to be with those loved ones who are left behind and help us to be a blessing unto them. We ask thy blessing upon this encampment and upon the good people of Kansas City who have given us such a hearty welcome here, and now we commend ourselves to Thee for this entire program, and look to Thee to carry it out in the way that will glorify God and will strengthen us and cause us to be better men and women that we may stand for a better and greater nation. We offer these things in the name of Jesus, Thy Holy Son, Amen. (The audience was seated.) (Solo—"Holy City" —Edith Gustafson Clisbee, National Soloist, Accompanied by Mrs Merle Hunter of Indianapolis.) REVEREND POTTS: We come now to a most significant part of this ser vice, the placing of floral tributes. They died that you and I might live. They suffered untold pain. Have we united to keep the faith, or have they died in vain? I call upon Comrade Reverend Stanbrough who will place the first floral tribute. REVEREND STANBROUGH: I rise and speak to the honor of 3,284 of our Comrades who answered the last roll call within the past year. REVEREND POTTS: And for the Sisters, Grace M. Alexander, National Chaplain. NATIONAL CHAPLAIN GRACE M. ALEXANDER: Dear Comrades, Sis-, ters and Friends: We are gathered here tonight in the first official act of this En campment to pay honor and tribute to our dear Comrades and Sisters who, since we met a year ago, have passed beyond the veil that separates our earthly existence from the Heavenly life. May we say fervently: "There is no death, there is no night The loved ones passed beyond our sight Are living in Eternal Light. "There is no death; the stars go down To rise upon some other shore, And bright in Heaven's jeweled crown They -shine forever more." So, those who have left us awhile, have passed into the larger life. We are thank ful for the inspiration their devotion to our great organization has given us to re new our pledge of Fraternity, Patriotism, and Humanity. (Placing of floral wreath.) These flowers are placed in loving memory of eight hundred eighty-eight Sisters who have departed from our midst, among them Elizabeth Beagle, Department President of Kentucky who was taken before her year of service was concluded. (Placing of floral wreath.) These flowers I place in loving memory of Cora A. Thompson, National Presi dent in 1921 and '22, whose tireless efforts were expended in the last few years in behalf of the establishment of the Battleship Oregon Museum, and who this year was heading the Auxiliary Post War Planning Committee to organize Women oi of the World for peace. (Placing of floral wreath.) These flowers are placed in loving memory of Anna Nagle National President in 1934 and '35, who was the originator of the Hiker Plaque, the Auxiliary's gift to the convention city each year and who, as a Past National President continued her interest in, and loyal support and help, to the organization to the very last. "Dear is the spot where our loved ones sleep And sweet are the strains that Angels pour. O, Why should we in anguish weep ? They are not lost, but only gone before. "To live in hearts we leave behind Is not to die." REVEREND POTTS: And now for the Sons of Spanish American War Vet erans I call upon Past National President William J. Cullinan, Jr., who will place the floral tribute for the Sons. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT WILLIAM J. CULLINAN: On behalf oi the Sons of Spanish American War Veterans, in convention assembled, we place this wreath in memory of all the men who gave their lives in the Spanish American War of 1898 to 1902, and in memory of all the Comrades who passed on since then, also in memory of the Sons who belong to our organization who made the supreme sacrifice in World War II. .REVEREND POTTS: For the Daughters of '98, Ruth Mayer. 2 NATIONAL CHAPLAIN RUTH MAYER: I place this wreath in the name of the National Fort of the Daughters of '98. O God whose mercies cannot be numbered Accept our prayers on behalf of the souls of Thy servants departed, And grant them an entrance into the land of light and joy In the fellowship of the saints through Jesus Christ, our Lord. (Solo—"Going Home" by Dvorak, Edith Gustafson Clisbee, National Soloist.) REVEREND POTTS: The doctor has advised my friend in the ministry, the Reverend Fred R. Hamilton, that he shouldn't make an address this evening, so he has been prevailed on at least to introduce our memorial address speaker for this evening, and I will call upon him at this time to introduce our speaker of the evening. CHAPLAIN IN CHIEF FRED R. HAMILTON: Unfortunately, flowers that are for our Comrades arrived a little late and this basket of flowers here at my left is the floral tribute for our Comrades honored earlier by Chaplain Stanbrough. I rather regret that it is necessary to change the program tonight. I personally don't believe it was really necessary on my part. I have always believed I could equal anything that came along, but wiser men, perhaps, than I have adivsed that just for a little while I must give myself a chance to recuperate from a little trouble I have had, and that it would be better for me not to attempt to speak to this great audience tonight. It's a challenging group I see before me. I have a message in my heart for you, but this physical heart of mine is just a little out of kilter, and I think if we will protect it, I will be equal to it a little later. Judge White is not only my Commander in Chief, but he is just a great big bro ther to me, and those of you who know him like I know him, know he is a great spirit, and he was arranging to try to protect me tonight. You know, we have had a rather sad year in the official staff. We have lost our Surgeon General, Comrade Luke B. Stephens, we lost our Chaplain in Chief Com rade James M. Todd and one of the members of the National Committee on Legis lation and its Administration in February, Comrade Walter Laurence of Alabama. So it seems that we need to be careful, and Comrade in Chief White is just the kind that will fight the battle for and protect his Comrades. That's just his spirit exactly. Now, there is another important fact, that I have in mind and that's this. When our Commander in Chief had travelled all over the nation visiting the Departments in the nation, he sensed the feeling, the thinking, of a great nation like this. He is prepared to deliver a message so much better than any of us who have been provincial in our circulation during the past year, and so your Commander in Chief, our Comrade and more, our Brother, is going to bring, what I think a very timely message for the American people tonight, and so Comrade White, our Com mander in Chief, will address us. COMMANDER IN CHIEF JOHN WHITE: Thank you, Comrades and my good ladies, Sisters of this grand organization. My comrades of the United Spanish War Veterans, honored guests and friends: As Commander in Chief, I want to officially express the thanks of this organization for the fine hospitality which has been shown us during our stay in Kansas City. Rarely has any visiting group been so warmly received and so graciously enter tained as have the United Spanish War Veterans by the citizens of this hospitable city. We have been literally overwhelmed by the many honors and courtesies -shown us during our too-short stay. For all of us Kansas City will always be sy nonymous with good friendship and the finest kind of hospitality encountered any- where. For your many, many kindnesses I can only offer a sincere and truly grateful "Thank You" from all my Comrades and especially from, myself. I choose to think that your numerous courtesies are a tribute not only to the men who have journeyed to Kansas City to attend this Convention, but also to our many Comrades who cannot be with us today either because of circumstances or because they have passed on to the Valhalla reserved for all true fighting men. From the warrior's heaven I am certain that they are looking down on us assembled here and perhaps a few are shaking their heads at the unsettled conditions of the world today. Yes, the world is indeed in a troubled and unsettled state as we are gathered here to honor the memory of those brave Comrades who gave their lives so gallant ly in Cuba, in the dense jungles of the Philippines, in Puerto Rico and and in far-away China. Many of those brave Americans lie where they fell on foreign soil and their ashes will never mingle with the good rich earth of the country for which they gave their lives. But though their bones rest in foreign graves, many of them unmarked, the memory of their sacrifices will never be forgotten by a grateful people. I do not refer only to the people of this great nation of ours, but to the millions whom they liberated from oppression and tyranny in Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philip pines. The finest memorials to our honored dead are not the inspiring war monu ments which are raised throughout the land but rather the gratitude in the hearts of those liberated millions who have been given the opportunity to live in freedom. Birth makes us mortal but death makes us immortal. And surely there must be a special corner of heaven reserved for those who gave their lives that others might enjoy the sweet fruits of liberty. In all the centuries of their immortality I like to think that they will be especially honored for their sacrifices. When God's finger touched them on the battlefield and they slept, their passing left much sorrow and grief in its wake. Though nearly half a century has slipped by since the War with Spain and the fighting in China, the memory of our departed comrades has never been allowed to grow cold. And it never will grow cold as long as freedom- loving people everywhere thrill to the deeds of those brave souls. A half century ! Looking at the calendar it is difficult to realize that it lacks but one year of being a half-century since the beginning of the war with Spain. Time is fleeting. Our ranks grow thinner with the passing of the years. That is why we, who are best qualified to honor our departed Comrades, should feel a warm glow of satisfaction in gatherings such as this. Through such gatherings we not only show reverence for the memory of our former Comrades in arms but we renew our determination to carry on the fight for the principles for which they sacrificed their lives. They believed in the freedom of the common man and woman, in their right to live without fear of dictatorship, worship as they choose, govern themselves through their own elected officials and and raise their children in the love of God and personal liberty. What a tragic thing it is that so many Americans who have never known oppress ion and tyranny, calmly accept all the golden blessings of our American way of living with never a thought to the sacrifices which others made to acquire and safeguard these blessings. What an infinitely more tragic thing it is to find other Americans, ignorant and misguided, urging the overthrow of the American system and the substitution of foreign ideologies. It was not to support a Fascist or com munist type of dictatorship that our comrades gave their lives. And as we gather here today to remember the sacrifices they made, let us renew our determination to carry on the fight for the principles they held more precious than life itself. Today there are evil and sinister forces at work both within and without the country. Nearly a half century ago thousands of our able-bodied young men went overseas to Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines and China to combat the forces of tyranny. Many of you here today were among those eager volunteers who took up arms and sailed for foreign shores. Today we must bow to the passing of the years and leave to other and younger Americans the duty of defending American honor and lives overseas. But let us not forget that we have a solemn duty—a duty to carry on the fight against un-American forces wherever and whenever we can. And we can carry on that fight right here at home. Not only can we, we must. For the sake of our dead comrades who gave their lives we cannot shirk this chal lenge to the American way of living. The battle is joined. Let no real American turn aside and say, "Let the other fellow do the job. I have done my share already". This is one job that is never done, so long as life itself exists. The United Spanish Wrar Veterans have always been strong defenders of the American way of living. We have loved this American way of life and we propose to fight for it against any communistic or Fascistic infiltrations. Lately we have heard charges that communists have penetrated into high places in our government, even into our State Department. The recent dismissal of a number of employees by the State Department on the ground that the security of the country was en dangered is to be applauded. There is a need for more action of this type. Let's clean house from within. Let's remove from public office all those whose loyalty to the American system is not 100 %. There is no place for such individuals in any position of authority and trust in these United States. We do not mean that freedom of thought and speech should be denied any citizen of this nation. We have fought for those very freedoms. But not by any stretch of the imagination can we condone the appointing to positions in our government of individuals who give lip service to the American constitution and ac tive service to communist ideologies. I have made a point of referring to the ap pointment of communists to governmental positions. I am not so worried about the American people electing communistic sympathizers to public office. With a democratic press and freedom of speech it is possible to expose such individuals for what they are. The American voters will give the answer at the polls as to whether this country wants that type of leadership. The answer will be an overwhelming "No"! We have a duty—a serious, an important, a vital duty, to do everything in our power to support Americanism and fight communism and other foreign ideologies Lend your influence and your active aid to all movements in your community aimed at fighting such isms. Don't sit back and let the other fellow do it ! As a veteran you have demonstrated once that you are willing to fight for the American way of life. Keep faith with your departed comrades and carry on the fight for the ideals and principles that were theirs. Their sacrifices will have been in vain if we relax our vigilance now and communists, native Fascists and other un-American forces infiltrate our American system of government. And those forces are trying to do just that. When incidents similiar to the dismissal of the State Department employees come to light, when Mr. J. Edgar Hoover, the head of the Federal Bur eau of Investigation solemnly warns the nation that the danger from communism is greater than we suspect, and when senators and congressmen echo his words, then it's time to jump into this fight with both feet. It's time for we veterans of the Spanish-American War to lend our voices to the movement to rouse the American people from their complacency. Yes, let us lend more than our voices. Let's get in there and really fight this monstrous, poisonous thing that is trying, to infiltrate not only our American system but is attempting to dominate so many weaker nations throughout the world. You have but to pick up your daily paper to see how communism is trying to spread its evil gospels everywhere. Support your government's stand when it speaks out for the rights of weaker nations who oppose communism. Support your elected4officials who crack down on foreign isms in this country and thereby subject themselves to smear campaigns, lies and vilification from so-called liberals or left wingers. Those left wingers are well versed in the sly tricks of communistic tactics and propaganda. They hide behind a number of high sounding organizations and snipe at our American way of doing things. Be alert ! Keep yourself up to date by reading and listening to the men who have pledged themselves to fight the spread of communism and foreign isms. Support them in every way you can. Get out and vote for them and let them know that the United Veterans of the Spanish War are keeping faith with their departed comrades by working to preserve the princi ples for which they gave their lives. We cannot fail in this most sacred obligation. Let us here and now dedicate ourselves to the fight against all foreign isms. As veterans of the Spanish-American War, we can perhaps appreciate more clear ly than most the necessity for keeping our country strong and well armed. Today there is much talk about economy and as a result our Army, Navy and Marine Corps have been cut drastically. General Dwight D. Eisenhower recently told a Senate committee that reductions in army appropriations had "taken us well into the danger zone" and made our army a "poor second" to Russia. The lesson of unpreparedness was graphically illustrated for us during the Span ish-American War, when despite our quick and overwhelmingly victory, so many men died because of improper equipment ,lack of training and other causes. The fate of Spain as a grim reminder that a nation which allows its armed forces to deteriorate lays itself open to quick defeat. During the period of the Spanish-American War, and continuing through the Philippine Insurrection and the Boxer Rebellion, our casualty rate was over seven per cent, greater than all wars before or since. Too many men died who might have been saved if we had been properly prepared. Let us hope that we shall not let our national defences so run down again that we shall repeat this tragic mistake and pay for the blunder in the blood of young men and women. The voices of our departed comrades call to us across a span of nearly half a century, exhorting us to keep our nation strong. In the troubled world of today that certainly is good sound advice. Let us remember that history repeats itself. The world moves on . . . the fight against the dictator and tyrant continues. Twice since we returned from the cam paigns and battles of the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection and the Boxer Rebellion has the United States engaged in major conflicts. Twice has our nation championed the cause of the oppressed for personal liberty and human rights. Twice has it fought for personal liberty and human rights. Twice has it emerged victorious. Pray God that this nation will always be victorious over the forces of dictatorship and tyranny. It was in the Spanish-American War that this nation first engaged in a major con flict with a foreign power over the exploitation of a weaker nation. In a sense our declaration of war in 1898 was a forerunner of declarations of 1917 and 1941, for it served notice to the world that this nation stood firmly on the side of those who fought oppression and tyranny. You who served in the campaigns of the Spanish-American War can well remem ber the burden of oppression under which the people of Cuba groaned in 1898. The sympathies of all freedom-loving Americans were with those struggling neighbors of ours. When the battleship Maine was sunk in Havana Harbor on Feb. 15, 1898, bringing death to 266 brave Americans, national indignation was aroused. Presi dent McKinley asked for patience and reserved judgement while a board of inquiry examined the wreck. When it was disclosed that the initial explosion came from outside the hull, and no satisfactory explanations were made by the Spanish author ities, war was inevitable and the official declaration by Congress followed on April 25th. Then followed one of the most convincing demonstrations of the power of the American people when aroused. Quickly our troops, under General Shafter, moved on Cuba and fought their way to within sight of Santiago, leaving American dead in the heavy fighting at El Caney and at the heroic charge up San Juan Hill. At- tempting to escape the onrushing Americans, the Spanish Fleet, under Admiral Cervera, sailed out to meet the American Fleet under Commodore Schley who was in charge during Admiral Sampson's absence. The outcome is one of the great naval battles in history and resulted in the total destruction of the enemy fleet. Santiago fell and next General Nelson A. Miles invaded Puerto Rico and swept all before him. Meanwhile Commodore Dewey had added another glorious page to American history with his spectacular defeat of the Spanish Fleet in the famous battle of Manila Bay. Our land forces under Generals MacArthur, Merrit, Greene and Anderson, laid siege to Manila and it soon fell, marking the end of Spanish resist ance in the Philippines. The war with Spain had run its course. In four brief months we had broken the power of the Spanish and liberated millions who had groaned under Spanish oppres- ion and tyranny. Modern history has no comparable example of the power of a democratic people when aroused. We were left with Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines on our hands, unsought and unwanted responsibilities of the war. Misguided Filipinos smarting under Span ish misrule and led by unscrupulous leaders, shifted their hatred from their former rulers to the Americans who had liberated them. Rebellion followed and it was not until 1902 that the fighting ceased and we could really begin in earnest the job of improving public health, opening schools, and organizing the government as rapidly as possible so that it could be placed in the hands of the Filipinos themselves. Unrest was brewing in other parts of the globe and in 1900 American troops once again were fighting on foreign soil in the cause of freedom. This time it was in china. The occasion was the Boxer Rebellion, and the roll of our noble dead grew longer before that campaign ended. As we look back over the events of the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection the Boxer Rebellion, and the nearly fifty years that have intervened one thing stands out prominently. The struggle for the ideals which our departed comrades held so dear has been going on continually. These comrades would want us to fight on to preserve the American way of living against the attacks of foreign isms. How better can we keep faith with our honored, dead than to continue this fight? They would have wanted us to do just that. In closing let me urge that you all join in this battle. Our comrades have gone before us, they are counting on us to carry on. Let us be able to tell them that we have kept faith when we meet them, face to face, after we too have, in the im mortal words of Tennyson, "crossed the bar." "Sunset and the Evening Star, and one clear cajl for me! And may there be no moaning of the bar, when I put out to sea, "But such a tide as moving seems asleep too full for sound and foam, When that which drew from out the boundless deep, turns again home. "Twilight and evening bell, And after that the dark ! And may there be no sadness of farewell, when I embark. "For though from out our bourne of time and place, the flood may bear me far I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crossed the Bar." Now, may the peace and blessing of God, our Father, be upon you forever and forever. Amen. REVEREND POTTS: The Choir Directors Association of Kansas City has provided for us a mixed quartet under the direction of Hugh Sanders. • (Mixed Quartet, "Recessional", by DeKoven.) 7 REVEREND POTTS: I am going to call upon Mrs. Clisbee, our Nationa Soloist, to lead us in a verse of "Lead Kindly Light". Let us stand for the sing ing of this stanza. (The audience arose and sang '"Lead Kindly Light" lead by Mrs. Clisbee.) CHAPLAIN IN CHIEF HAMILTON: We appreciate the contribution that these singers have made to us tonight, and we heartily appreciate all that is being done by all those who are helping to preserve the memories of our beloved. Com rades. We don't want to be forgotten. So many pass each year. As my eyes sweep over this audience, I just wonder how many of us will go. That's the nature of things, and it comes and there is no use being worried about it. The thing to do, my Com rades, is to so live and labor that we will be well prepared to depart from this life into the next, and we shall not be forgotten as long as we have the Auxiliary and the Sons and Daughters to carry on. They will keep our graves decorated. We shall not be forgotten. On this platform tonight we honor three Comrades. Two you may see and the spirit of the other is here, and we are here to memoralize tonight the one that we do not see with our eyes, but we still feel his presence. All of us loved him, and here is the plaque, and Lieutenant Governor Hanley of New York, Past Com mander in Chief—all of us know him well, is going to make the address. PAST COMMANDER IN CHIEF JOE R. HANLEY: My Comrades and Sisters, laides and gentlemen, and fellow Americans: This is a memorial occasion, an occasion that as the years grow on becomes more precious to those of us who are members of this organization. History is but the record of personalities. If you call the roll of any great na tion, some man's name immediately stands out in your memory. That is also true of organizations. They are but the achievement of individuals who have toiled for them. The crying need in our country tonight is for leadership; outstanding heroic courageous, far-seeing, God-fearing leadership. That is the need of every organi zation, and we, in this organization, both in the Auxilary and in our camps have been fortunate in those who have been our leaders. No organization in history has had a more superior type of leadership which has met here tonight, and among those leaders to whom we are paying honor and tri bute, in our memory is one in whose name we unveil a plaque in a moment or two. Last year by resolution unanimously adopted, this organization was instructed to prepare this memorial and to hang it in our National Headquarters as a tribute to a great leader. It is easy to obtain power. It is difficult to use it rightly. Power means respon sibility. William L. Mattocks, whom we honor tonight, had great power in this organization. For years he was Editor, Publisher of the National Tribune that enters practically all of our homes. On its printed page his ideas and purposes were expressed and under its leader ship our achievements were made possible. He was a recognized leadei in our councils. We consulted him for his wisdom for his judgement, and for his advice, but I would like to say one thing about Bill Mattocks. He did not know the meaning of tyranny. His power was used for the benefit of all the Comrades and all the Sisters. To him the organization was great. This organization is bigger and greater than any one man, and no individual is indispensable to its purpose. In this organization we have room for the finest brains, the best intellectual equipment, the most courageous consecration that any individual may possess. But we have no room nor place for dictatorship, for covet- ousness nor for egotism. We are all Comrades together, and so tonight I am happy to have the privilege of dedicating this plaque to the man we called "Bill" Mattocks—your Comrade and mine, who fought our battles, in season and out of season, who loved this organi zation, who carried its burdens on his heart. God put his finger upon our Comrade and he now sleeps with him. We miss him. I am sorry to say that my convictions are that we will miss many more in the months to come. We can ill afford to lose them. We need every leader we have. Let's give them our support when they are here, and our heart-felt thanks when they are gone, and so I say to those of you tonight, we unveil this plaque in the memory of a leader of the United Spanish War Veterans, of a Comrade, of a soldier, of a fine husband, of a splendid father, a God-fearing American citizen. May his soul rest in peace while his spirit goes marching on. CHAPLAIN IN CHIEF HAMILTON: Thank you Governor. Comrade Mattocks, though dead, yet speaketh. We appreciate the help we have had tonight, and Reverend Potts has been very fine and we certainly appreciate it. Now, we shall have the benediction by the National Chaplain of our Auxiliary. It gives us such marvelous support, can't live without them. Have to live with them. NATIONAL CHAPLAIN GRACE ALEXANDER: You will all please stand. (The audience arose.) Our dear Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for the privilege of having had this hour of communion with our dear departed Comrades and Sisters. May the ex ample of their worthy lives spur us on to nobler deeds. And grant to us, Lord, we beseech Thee the spirit to think and do always such things as are right; that we, who cannot do anything that is good without Thee, may we by Thee be enabled to live according to Thy will; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all ever more. Amen. ("Taps", Arthur Marullo.) ("Echo", Harry T. Chapin) (Postlude—"Recessional" by DeKoven, Pearl Roemer Kelly, Accompanist.) (The Memorial Service recessed at nine-thirty o'clock.) JOINT SESSION Monday Morning, August 25, 1947 The second session convened at nine-thirty o'clock, Commander in Chief John White, presiding. COMMANDER IN CHIEF WHITE: The convention will please come to order. PRESIDENT DAVE GRANT: Provost Marshal, advance the Colors. Com rades and Sisters, when we advance the Colors, we will stand. Immediately following, we will have the invocation by the Chaplain in Chief and all will repeat Americanism, so please stand until we are through Americanism. It's in unison and won't take long. (The colors were advanced.) We will now have the invocation by the Chaplin in Chief, Rev. Fred R. Hamilton. CHAPLIN IN CHIEF FRED R. HAMILTON: Almighty God, we make our earnest prayer that Thou will keep the Ignited States in Thy holy protection; that Thou will incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to Government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large; and finally that Thou will most graciously be pleased to dispose to us to do justice, to have mercy, and to demean ourselves with charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Authority of our blessed religion, and without a humble initiation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Bless, we pray Thee, this organization. Make it a great good to this nation of ours and in these latter years of our lives may we yet be able to serve effectively with the needs of our great nation. Bless this convention. Bless our officers, that they shall lead. Bless every individual in this great nation of ours that we may make this nation one that can contribute to the great needs of all other peoples throughout the world. Forgive us wherein we have failed. Make us what we ought to be, and may the fellowship of this convention strengthen each of us as we approach the borderline. We pray. Amen. Now, let's repeat together, Americaism. AUDIENCE: Americanism is an unfailing love of country; loyalty to its institutions and ideals; eagerness to defend it against all enemies; undivided allegi- ace to the flag; and a desire to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and posterity. (The audience was seated..) PRESIDENT DAVE GRANT: Comrades and Sisters, as Kansas City is your host state for this 49th National Encampment, it would be amiss if we didn't have a representative of the city here to explain how Kansas City got to be so beautiful. 10 We have a nonpartisan form of government here that the following speaker will be able to explain to you better than I. He draws a salary to do that and Idon't. (Laughter.) So, I won't waste your time on that. We surely and heartily welcome you to Kansas City and the next two or three members who will talk to you are representatives of Kansas City, and they will explain to you what it's all about. I take great pleasure in introducing to you our City Manager, L. P. Cookingham, a member of the veterans of World War I. He might be able to tell you about that war in his talk, too. He can. He had some good experiences. But he is a prince of a good fellow, a very fine city manager. We are proud of him in Kansas City. Therefore, I take great pleasure in introducing to you our City Manager, L. P. Cookingham. (Applause) MR. L. P. COOKINGHAM: Mr. Chairman, Mr. Commander, Madam Presi dent, ladies and gentlemen: I am not going to take you time to tell you about the city government of Kansas City which I think is the best in the country, and I say that with a due sense of modesty. The Mayor has been out of the city for a few weeks and did not think he would be back in time to extend this welcome to you. Therefore, it is my responsibility to do that for the Mayor. On behalf of the city government of Kansas City, it is my privilege to extend the official welcome to the officers and delegates of the United Spanish War Veterans and affiliated organizations attending the 49th annual National Encampment. This city is proud that you have selected it for this encampment. We hope the facilities provided in this great municipal auditorium will serve your every need, and that you will be perfectly comfortable in this building so that your business affairs and your deliberations can be carried on without the thought of or irritation from the outside temperature. Now, those of you who were here yesterday and Saturday and earlier last week will remember that we did not have the temperatures adjusted outside to [ suit your convenience. But through our efforts and the efforts of others, we have arranged a little bit more satisfactory weather from here on out. (Laughter) And nobody wishes that that statement were true any more than I do. It is almost half a century since the war in which you served took place. Since that time our country has engaged in two other wars, each of which has been more devastating than the last. Following each war we say we will never have another. Now we are engaged in a diplomatic war in an effort to assure the people world peace which civilization has so long sought. At present the outlook is none too good. No veteran of any war wants another because veterans know the horrors of war. There is no larger organized group of people in the country than the veteran's orgganizations, and this group can be and should be effective in guiding public opinion for the prevention of future war. Our coutry must maintain a strong national defense. We cannoot let ourselves get into the situation we were in prior to World War II. We must, have a strong navy, a strong land force, and a powerful, fast, modern air force, if we are to se cure ourselves against war. We must keep ahead of the rest of the world in our atomic research. This will require an adequate federal budget for these services and.such a budget will mean federal taxes much greater than we have ever paid in any peace-time period, but taxes used to prevent war are always less than taxes required to wage war, especially the type of war we have today. Let it be the program of all the veterans' organizations to see that we maintain a national defense worthy of respect of all nations, but let us also see that our strong defense forces are used for defense and not for aggression. 11 Power vested in a democratic nation such as ours under the rule of a free people should guarantee peace for many years to come, but let that power degen erate as it did before World War II and other dictators will rise in the world to do as in the historical past. Veterans, you have a responsibility to future generations and to the world as a whole, a world which is now only one-fiftieth the size it was fifty years ago, a world which could be destroyed from the air in a relatively short period if the thinking people not only of this nation, but of every nation, do not remain ever alert to the dangers which confront us. We hope while you are here you will visit the points of interest in this great mid- western city. Many of these points of interest are mentioned in the program. Our city is a friendly city, noted for its hospitality and good American citizens, We also hope your encampment will be as profitable as you have ever had in the past and that when you return to your homes, you will retain many pleasant memories of your visit to our city. The city is yours for your stay here, and we hope you will enjoy the beauty, its hospitality and its many cultural and recreational advantages. Thank you. (Applause) PRESIDENT GRANT: Comrades, that was our City Manager. Please keep your hands off. We want to keep him here. Now, don't offer to advance his salary to get him sonYe place else. He is doing a very good job here. Now, Comrades, our next speaker is another representative of Kansas City. I know, he is my boss; that is, he was my boss. In order to work on this Encamp ment and tend to my affairs in the Department of Missouri for the coming year, I asked for fifteen months vacation, or leave, and I got it, so that I could tend to my duties in the Department. This Comrade is well liked in Kansas City. He has a very enviable record in World War II. He is a prince of a good fellow and don't try to pull any funny things on him, he is the Chief of Police here and you want to be careful. I accused him this morning of having half of our delegation in the hoosegow, and that's the reason we couldn't start at nine o'clock. I think he had them all locked up because they didn't get in here until nine-thirty. We had planned on nine, but he assures me that he didn't, so I think he will have to investigate and find where those Comrades were. It was either that or they were out too late last night and couldn"t get up this morning. Comrades, I take great pleasure in introducing to you our Chief of Police, Henry W. Johnson of World War II, a veteran and a very famous chief of police, He hasn't been in there too long but he is making an enviable reputation and if you give him half a break, I don't think he will lock you up. He is a very jovial fellow, and I think that he will turn the keys of the city over to you.as far as he is concerned, but not the jail keys. I think he will keep those. Without further remarks I take great pleasure introducing to you our Chief of Police, Henry W. Johnson, my boss. (Applause) MR. HENRY W. JOHNSON: Thank you very much, Mr. Grant. Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, while we are passing out bouquets, let mle tell you who are in attendance here this morning that this fellow here is a prettj good guy himself, and I thought you would like to know that. (Applause) It's a pleasure for me to welcome you ladies and gentlemen here to our heart of America, and I know that you are going to enjoy the hospitality of our people 12 free The Police Department with the facilities of the Police Department are yours for ren. the asking. If you have some tours planned to see the city and will call on us [ j0 we will see that you have a motor cycle escort and we will do it up good for you. I know there are many in the audience who are interested in law enforcement s a and in that event I sincerely hope you will come over and visit our police building and talk with some of our veteran officers who are in the department. , a the I know you are going to enjoy yourselves and have a good time while you are ver here. If we can help you, give us a call. Thank you very much. PRESIDENT GRANT: Comrades and Sisters, I built him up, so he built me id- up. It worked all right, didn't it? (Laughter) He is my boss. I am a traffic cop here in Kansas City, but you don't need to be afraid I am on a year and three ns. months leave, so if you get pinched for violating traffic regulations, don't blame :he me because I am not on duty at the present time. Please don't reflect on this En- mt| campment Committee. Now, Comrades, the next is a very important individual connected with our **s National Encampment. Kansas City has cooperated with us in a good many ways to help us put on this Encampment, and make it a success, and there is no one in Kansas City that has done more for us than the Convention Bureau of the Chamber of Commerce in Kansas City. Without their help we would have been lost because this is only ig my first National Encampment. After I put on four or five more I will be used to it, and get along fine, but this is the first and we could not have made progress without the Chamber of Commerce. This man with the Charriber of Commerce y* has given us help and his time. He has come down and met u]s after hours H when he should have been home sleeping like other children. He met with us on r» Sundays to make a success of our Committee and this Encampment. to We are very grateful to him for the service that he has rendered to us. I take great pleasure in introducing to you the Manager of the Convention Bureau of the "d Chamber of Commerce, H. E. Boning, Jr. (Applause) y MR. H. E. BONING: Mr. Chairman, Commander in Chief, Madam President, J honored guests, ladies and gentlemen of this joint assembly: It is a distinct pleas- 7> ure to welcome you here. As David has told you, I have lived w*ith this thing " fron\ the day that your Commander in Chief came here to start planning it. It was a great gratification in seeing it work out. '1 On behalf of the business and industrial interests who are represented in The r Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, I take great pride in welcoming you to Kan sas City. !» As the fellow who worked with the local corrtmittee which is responsible for a i lot of things that you have received, possibly in the name of Mitchell Fox or 1 David Grant and some of these others, I want to apologize if we have hit the wrong chord at times. We faced a problem here in staging this Encampment. We had to take some arbitrary measures. They were essential to the success of it, and I think they have paid dividends. . I wish to bid each of you welcome because I feel that as part of the housing setup, I know you individually. I wish you a long life, health happiness, and during the.next few days a pleasant visit to Kansas City. Thank you. (Applause) PRESIDENT GRANT: Earlier this morning I announced that all the national officers should come to the platform. That included the affiliated organizations. If there are any of the National Officers of the following organizations in the audience, please come to the platform: Any representatives of the The Naval Mili- 13 tary Order; the Spanish-American Nurses; Navy and Marine Veterans; Sons of Spanish-American War Veterans; Daughters of '98; Military Order of the Serpenl and Military Order of the Lizard. They were invited earlier. Some of these Officers may be in the hall now, but were not here at the time the invitation was extended. If they were not on the plat form, it isn't that they are being slighted. They were invited earlier. Is there a representative of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in the hall? Is there a representative af the Commander in Chief of the Foreign Wars in the hall? He was sent an invitation to this Encampment. Is there a representative of the Na tional Commander of the American Legion in the hall? He was also invited. Comrades, we are sorry those two organizations are not represented. I know they were invited. I received a copy of the invitation sent to them. I have a carbon copy of it. We are sorry that they are not here. A short time ago I talked to the Adjutant General Handy of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, who have their National Headquarters in Kansas City. I mentioned the fact and he asked me if I wanted him to see that it Was fulfilled, and I told him I did. So, evidently something went wrong somewhere, and we do not have a representative here. Now, Comrades, the next speaker I want to introduce to you, you know him, He has made an enviable record in the short time that he has been a Senator from Missouri, in Washington. He has been in the limelight towards the closing days o; the last Congress. Therefore, I take great pleasure in introducing to you Honor able James P. Kem, junior Senator from Missouri. United States Senator Kern (There was applause and the audience arose.) THE HONORABLE JAMES P. KEM: Departent Commander Grant, Com mander in Chief White, Madam President, members of the United Spanish Wat Veterans, ladies and gentlemen: The United Spanish War Veterans are welcomf to Kansas City. It is an honor to our city that you have selected it as a placf to hold your convention. It is an honor to the State of Missouri that you are t( be our guests. Your.organization, always interested in the welfare of the Spanish War Veteran is recognized in Congress as the spokesman for these veterans. Congress in layins down the program for the Veterans Administration must be, of course, guided b the wishes of the people. How well the cause of the Spanish War Veterans wa presented to the 80th Congress is shown by the result. A Congress whose avowet objective was economy passed a bill increasing by 20 per cent the pensions foi Spanish War Veterans. This was no small accomplishment for your organizations (Applause.) Your organization has performed for the 80th Congress an important legislativ function and performed it well. However, its work is not complete. There much yet to be done. As conditions change, adjustments become necessary and new legislation needec Studies should continually be made to equalize the benefits of the veterans o various wars. Special studies should be made to determine the best and mos feasible way for caring for our disabled veterans. Your organization should, and I hope it will continue to assist Congress ii developing a sound, well considered, constructive legislative program. Under our form of government America has grown great and strong. At th time you men served in the Spanish American War, the United States was just a the beginning of a great economic and industrial development. It has made he the greatest and most powerful country in all the world, and yet, there are thos 14 among us who would trade our institutions for communism or some other alien form of government. After a trial of over thirty years, we have seen Russia with the greatest poten tial resources in Europe become the poor house of Europe. We have seen every country that has experimented with a totalitarian or socialistic form of govern ment fall into a period of suffering and distress—all her people. The greatest enemy of communism is information as to how communism works and as to what are its effects on the welfare of the people. TV\_ be_t _.tvs,wers to the alien theories are the logic of the facts. Our people who know the conditions which exist in countries behind the Iron Curtain such as Russia have a final and ready answer to communism. They will have none of it. (Applause.) It is to the credit of our veterans' organizations like your own that they have stood squarely and firmly in the insistence that subsersive elements in our country get what they deserve. The demand has been made constantly that radicals and others who do not believe in the American system of democracy be removed from positions in our government. (Applause) While others slept, your organization has kept watch though its warnings have perhaps been not too well heeded. The future course of our countrv rests in the sound judgement of our people. As our people, our judgement is, of course, no better than our information. Tt would be indeed unfortunate if lack of information lead us into grave error. T hope and trust that vour organization will continue in the future as in the past to preach the gospel of free institutions, free enterorize and personal initiative and to stand strong and firm as it did stand firm, against alien doctrines. We have alwavs heard much of freedom and libertv. We esteem them above life itself. We must remind ourselves that everv freedom imposes its dutv. a duty that in the excercise of the freedom, the rights and privileges of others will not be impaired. The record of the past shows that freedom and liberty have been lost principally because of three reasons. First, the possession of freedom and libertv have been accepted as a matter of course and there was failure to take the necessary steps to preserve and guard against the first signs of encroachment. When defense against encroachment is made, it is found to be too late. The confiseators of freedom and liherty have so entrenched themselves that the people cannot recover their rights without resorting to violence. I like to think of the United Spanish War Veterans as a faithful watchdog, protecting us from the loss of liberty and freedom by denouncing the first signs of encroachment. (Applause) Second, those possessing freedom and libertv in temporary periods of hardship have sometimes traded them for what they believed to be benefits. People of Germany and Italy lost their liberties during the economic crisis by voluntarily surrendering them to Hitler and Mussolini in return for fatuous promises of future economic security. Third, freedom and liberty have been lost by abuse by those who possessed them, by failing to recognize that every right and privilege of a free man carries with it corresponding duties. Abuses creep in and the people themselves re strict their own freedom. We in America pride ourselves on our freedom but almost every act of Congress, every act of state legislature places restrictions on freedom. In recent years busi nessmen have been subjected to many new restrictions and regulations. 15 Some unscrupulous men abuse their freedom and as a result governmental agen cies stepped in by common consent. Demand has been made from some quarters that certain freedoms and liberties enjoyed by certain labor leaders be restricted. With every freedom and liberty there is the duty that it shall not be excercized in such a way as'to interfere with the rights and privileges of others. History shows that a violation of duty may result in a loss of freedom. In America today we have freedom of speech and of the press. We can keep those freedoms if we do not abuse them. When people talk of freedom and liberty they tell only half the story. The other half is that in order to continue to enjoy them we must observe the duty, not to excercise them in a manner harmful to others. The members of your organization are now assembled here in a great convention. It would be fitting and proper for you to consider the manner and mean whereby each of you individually and through your organization can intensify and concen trate your opposition to those persons who would undermine our form of govern ment and subject us and our children to a government already in many parts of the world, weighed in the balance and found wanting. I appreciate, Mr. Commander in Chief, the opportunity courteously extended by you to me to express these few words of cordial welcome. I thank you/. (Applause) PRESIDENT GRANT: Comrades, Sisters, he is pretty good, isn't he? (Laugh ter and Applauhse) He sure got his name in the papers not very long ago before they quit there. Maybe he worked just like I do with the Chief of Police—built him, up, so he built me up that way. (Laughter) Comrades and Sisters, our next speaker is the representative of the Veterans Administration in Kansas City. He might have a message for you. Later on in the program, General Hawley of the Veterans' Administration Medical Department will speak. This Comrade has his office in the Veterans' Administration in this building, and he might have a message from them, for you. I take great pleasure in introducing to you the Regional Director of the Veterans' Bureau in Kansas City, John A. Brody. (Applause) MR. JOHN A. BRODY: Mr. Commander, distinguished guests, I didn't know that I would be called on to speak, but I am glad to be here and I am1 glad to welcome you here. Our City Manager has told you that he arranged for this nice change in the weather and that's very fine of him to do that. We are just hoping that it will stay nice for you while you are here. Now, if you want to get better acquainted with the Veterans' Administration they are conveniently located. We are just downstairs. We would be glad to have you come down there at any time whileyou are here. I certainly hope you are happy while you are here. Thank you. (Applause) PRESIDENT GRANT: Comrades and Sisters, our department sign speaks for itself, "Welcome to Kansas City", and an outline of the State of Missouri. It's a very beautiful sign furnished by one of the members of our department. It was very nice of him. There was quite a bit of expense getting it up just purposefully for this Encampment. Now, Comrades and Sisters as President of this Encampment Committee, I bring you greetings from the Department of Missouri and the Department Aux iliary. We have worked on this Encampment for a year and we hope you enjoy your selves while you are here. We are the same age as you are, you know; so, we are not spring chickens and can not run around like the younger people. But our 16 efforts and time have been given to you to put on a successful encampment. There have been errors made. Those will pop up, but we want you to know we did the best we could and when you leave Kansas City we want you to have a warm spot in your hearts for Kansas City. We hope to have you back some day. The City Manager stole some of my stuff here a while ago. It was the Encampment Committee that ordered the rain. It wasn't the City Manager. (Applause) That downpour we had out here—everyone was kicking about the heat—so we opened the faucet. (Laughter) Some people are not satis fied no matter what you do. Some of them said, "How are we going to get to this social affair and this dinner?" So we had to shut the water off again. We thought the heat was broken, but it didn't take long to start it popping out again, although, I didn't think it was quite as severe. So we put in another order to turn on just a little water this time. There were so many social functions and dinners they couldn't get to them, so I don't think the rain this morning interfered with anything. Now, Comrades and Sisters, as I said before, the Department of Missouri hopes you have a wonderful time in Kansas City and hope the arrangements that are made are satisfactory so that when you leave here you will have a good word for Kansas City. Now I thank the members, Sisters and Comrades who have given us help in put ting on this encampment. They are still doing so. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts for any little thing they might have done to help us. We needed lots of help and we are getting it now that the encampment is here. It was when we needed it most. We needed it right now. I always had the impression that I wanted to be invited to one of these big social affairs at this Encampment. That has been my life ambition, and Comrades and Sisters, I have more invitations than I ever imagined I could get, and I want to apologize that I have had to turn down most of them. I wasn't able to attend after waiting all these years for the opportunity. If I weren't Chairman of the Encampment Committee and had plenty of time, I wouldn't get the invitations, so there you are. I think it's planned that way. But I do want to thank every one that extended me an invitation for a breakfast and a dinner and a meeting and, believe you me, I would have liked to have attended every one of them but it was impossible. There is something happening not only every minute, but there is somethig happening a number of times a minute. I step out of here to get a ball of string and I have to answer a hundred questions before I get back. I want you to know it wasn't because I didn't want to accept these invitations. I would have been glad to, but the Encampment must go on, and Comrades, I want you to understand that the sole purpose of this Encampment Committee is to put on the Encampment for you. , We don't expect any thrills from it or any awards. All we want to know is that you are well satisfied with our Encampment and our efforts. With that message I take great pleasure in introducing to you your Commander in Chief John White who will take over the program from now on. Commander in Chief John White. (The audience arose and there was applause) COMMANDER IN CHIEF JOHN WHITE: Thank you, Comrade Dave Grant. You have prepared a warm reception for us and I don't mean the weather. I want to thank the City Manager, Mr. Boning, and above all the Chief of Police, you know. We have got many to deal with from day to day—and the other distin guished guests who have so cordially invited us here on this occasion. But last but not least, I want to thank this distinguished Senator Kem from this great city and this great state who came here to extend us a most cordial invitation. i 17 Only just a few weeks ago—you might say a few days ago—I sat in the upper chambers of the Senate and I heard him and saw him champion your cause for that 20 per cent increase. (Applause) He is a most cordial Senator. He knows what we folks need, and he did not hesitate to put his full power and force behind our mandate which passed the United States Senate without a dissenting vote on the roll call. (Applause) As Commander in Chief of the United Spanish War Veterans, I want to officially express the thanks of this organization for the fine hospitality which has been shown us during our stay in this beautiful city of Kansas City. They have lavishly and whole-heartedly made preparations and carried them into actuality to make us enjoy our visit here, and we are glad to be here, and in turn to them, I am going to make a vow So long as there are droughts ,rain will follow; So long as the sun rises in the East, there will be the Missouri River; So long as there is the Missouri River, there will be a Kansas City, Missouri; So long as there is a Kansas City, Missouri, it will be populated with a God-loving and fearing people; So long as God-loving and fearing people dwell in Kansas City, they will be steeped in the traditions of the great state of Missouri. So long as there is time, there will be the great State of Missouri, where the West begins, where yesterday the traveler only paused to make ready to transverse the unknown regions of the West; where they crossed the snow-capped mountains, the wooded hills and sunny valleys to the far distant Pacific Coast—there they paused beneath the turquoise sky and ultimately inventoried the Pacific Ocean, our western boundary. So long as there are Spanish War Veterans and their beneficiaries, they will each remember this occasion, being your guests at this, our 1947 Encampment. We will carry with us and in our bosoms, hearts and very beings on our de parture, sweet memories of your beautiful city, its Great Court of Honor, magni ficent Auditorium, thousands of acres of parks, play grounds, knowing that you care for the sick, the aged, the unfortunate and above all, the Veterans of all Wars and especially so in Kansas City. In conclusion, permit me to say we are happy to have been your guests on this occasion and accept your hospitality so lavishly occasioned for our benefit of this August, 1947, Encampment. We thank you again and again. (Applause) Comrades, we have for the next speaker, a distinguished lady who has worked hard for you and in your behalf the last twelve months. She has carried your wishes demands and desires to the four corners of the United States. She is sincerely wrapped up in the work of our organization. In fact and in truth, if it were not for the ladies of our organization, it would be rather weak because our ladies are back of us and as long as they are supporting us as they have been in the past, we will continue to go forward in the (future. (Applause) I shall introduce your National President who in turn will introduce Dr. Perry Burgess on this occasion. I now give you one of the best National Presidents this organization ever had, Julia A. Kull. (The audience arose and there was applause.) NATIONAL PRESIDENT JULIA A. KULL: Commander in Chief, our distinguished guests, our Comrades, Sisters and friends, I am very happy to greet you this morning at this joint session. The joint session of our convention is always the high light of our convention meeting wtith our Comrades, and I 18 would like to say to the distinguished guests that are representing the city of Kansas City that I express my sincere thanks to the National Auxiliary for their kind invitation to be here. I want to say to the Chief of Police that I am sure that he will not have any trouble with our Comrades. They are law-abiding citizens, and are always invited to come back and anything that you might do for them and the members of the Auxiliary will be very much appreciated. I have a very happy privilege this morning and a very high honor. You all know that when I was elected National President just a year ago that a project was selected, and this project we had in mind, honoring the services of our Comrades and honoring the service of a Comrade that served with some of you Comrades in the Philippine Islands. And as this project was presented to our Auxiliaries, I found that many of our Comrades in the various camps were interested in this project. And they wanted to be a part of it. We didn't reach the goal,, but I want to say that we have just started and this morning it is my happy privilege to present the initial payment on this project that we selected, the General Leonard Wood Memorial for the research of leprosy and in doing so we are honoring General Leonard Wood. May I ask Dr. Burgess to kindly present himself. (Dr. Burgess came forward 'and there was applause.) Dr. Burgess, we do appreciate having you here with us this morning. We felt that we wanted to present this check to you at our joint session when our Com rades and Sisters were here to see you receive it. We want to thank you for the many books that you have sent to our Auxiliaries Our members are interested in that book and may I say to you that I know that you are going to receive from time to time contributions toward this worthy cause because they have just about become interested, and I would like to say to our Comrades and Sisters, if you have anything to spare that you would like to con tribute, a free will offering, always remember the Leonard Wood Memorial for the research of leprosy and it will be something that is worth-while and Jyou will be very happy in doing so. And so today, Dr Burgess, I have the pleasure of presenting to you this check of $10,000. (Applause) I know you are happy to receive it. Our goal was much higher, but it is a fine check to take back with you. (The check for $10,000 was presented to Dr. Burgess and there was applause.) DR. PERRY BURGESS: Madam President, I am very much touched by this magnificent contribution, and I say that from the depths of my heart. Thousands of people have contributed to this fund that was created by one of your Comrades, General Leonard Wood, but no gift in my opinion is so signi ficant as this one. I attempted to tell the story of one of your Comrades. Some of you know that story—a man whom I called Ned Langford, the bravest man, I think, I ever knew. I tried to obscure his identity for the sake of his family. I put him in a a regiment to which he didn"t belong and later the Commander of his own regi ment wrote to me something about the man and his services in the Philippines. He was given a special commission of great danger with General Lawton. He was a man who distinguished himself in the campaign. But that was not the bravest thing he did. He came back to the United States and was discharged. Nine years later this dreadful disease appeared on his body. That man returned to the Philippines to a great colony and there alone fought out this battle against the thing that was threatening his life.He lifted the courage and morale of thou sands of his fellows. To his credit and to his honor when he died he had amassed 19 a fortune of 40,000 pesos. He did it with his own courage and own ingenuity and unwillingness to be defeated. But he remained a patriot, the patriot who had gone to the Philippines in the beginning of the Spanish-American War. He remained such a patriot to the end and when it was known that the flag was to come down in the Philippines, Ned Langford asked to be transferred to the leprosarium at Carville, Louisiana. The poor fellow died before he got there, but I have a queer feeling this morning that it is not I who speaks, not I who has received this magni ficent gift from this organization, but Ned Langford, because had we learned by then how to cure this disease, how to prevent it, Ned Langford would probably be one of the delegates here today. And in speaking my appreciation I am certain that I speak from the heart of that great and courageous Comrade of yours. I say that it's a significant gift. No group could possibly mean so much in lining up with the work that's trying to be done under the name of Leonard Wood. If-you will forgive me for seeming to boast, I feel that I have a right to be here. I am a Missourian to begin with and you know Missourians rate pretty high today, particularly in the nation's Capitol. (Applause) Also, I believe that I am probably the youngest survivor of the Battle of Manilla Bay. When Dewey was ordered to find the Spanish Fleet and sink it, I was hovering around the first decade of my life down at Joplin, Missouri, and on May 1, 1898, we were, of course, —we boys—electrified with the story that whatever portion of the Spanish Fleet was not scattered along the beaches in and about Cavite had disappeared beneath the blue waters of Manilla Bay. And then came July 1, and of course, we boys were too young to answer McKin- ley's call, but not too young to boast we could lick the King of Spain, who was about our own age if you remember, were celebrating Dewey's victory. And I had a little cannon and about a gallon of black powder and another boy indiscreetly lit a firecracker and a spark went astray. Two months afterward when I went back to school with a big sheet wrapped around me because I couldn't endure my shirt, I was the hero among the early graders of the school of that battle that was fought on the other side of the world. (Laughter and Applause) So, I claim the right of being one of the victims of that battle as badly wounded as anybody else on the American side. And it is a strange turn of fate that forty- nine years later I am invited here to receive this concrete evidence of the spirit of America, the spirit that led us into war with Spain after the sinking of the Maine. Although the battle cry, "Remember the Maine", swept the country—I do not believe that it was entirely because of our own who lost their lives in Havana, but it was the memory of the thousands of Cubans whom we knew* had starved and been persecuted that fired the American spirit. The Spanish-American War lasted only a few months, as you know. But another war followed which lasted several years, the war with the Filipinos. It was the aftermath of that war, ladies and gentlemen, which seems to me to have revealed the true American spirit. We knew nothing of these people. Most of us thought they were somewhere down in the Caribbean. Many of them said when you spoke about it, "I have never gotten beyond Miami. I always wanted to get down into that country. We had no particular interest in them, but heedless of the cries of "imperialism" that were raised on every side, McKinley lost no time in announcing the policy of the United States, that it would be to give the Filipinos their freedom eventually and thus we set our face toward the tremendous task of teaching the Filipino and training him for a democratic self-government. A stable and just government had for allies, in that herculean task, education and public health. A thousand Ameri can teachers followed you soldiers to the Philippines and the American doctors went with you and many more to follow. 20 In 1902, those of you who were in the Philippines at that time will remember, there was an outbreak, one of the greatest epidemics of cholera the Philippines had ever known. It was fought ruthlessly. Barricos were burned by the Ameri can medicos and the American soldiers and Filipinos couldn't understand it but the disease was conquered. Some of your Comrades went down in that fight and in. similiar ones later, but finally this old menace became almost a forgotten thing in the Philippines. In the early days, when many of you were still quartered in the Islands wearing the uniform of Uncle Sam, our medicos came face to face with another disease, a very rare disease to us. We had heard if it in Sunday School. We had read of it in the Bible, but it was only a thing of horror and terror and was far removed from our lives and that was !. leprosy. When Manilla was captured there were some 400 lepers being cared for by the , Spaniards in two leprosaria, one in Manila and one in Cebu. That was Spain's r record after 300 years of occupation.. Within three years after the termination of the Philippine Insurrection there was established under American leadership on the Island of Culion, 180 miles south of Manilla, the largest leper colony in the world. Within a quarter of a cen tury nearly eight thousand ill people were domiciled there, and some eight other other colonies had been established throughout the Islands. The men of Spanish-American War days began this work. Two decades later another one of you was to lift American interest in this problem from that of iso lated camps, not all of which were the best, to the determination to find, through medical research, the means to drive this menace from the face of the earth. That man was a doctor before he was a sodlier. His exploits in the capture of Chief Geronimo made him a line officer. With his friend Teddy Roosevelt he organized the Rough Riders—a glamorous regiment probably represented here today. He became governor of Santiago, and then Cuba. There he set himself to the task of public health. Yellow fever crept out of the jungle laying desolate the land over which it spread like a poisionous miasma. Leonard Wood, through the influence of his position and his great personality, backed Finley, Reed, Lazear and others and they learned the way to the heart of the horrible beast, yellow fever. It was a quarter of a century later that this man, said by some to have been the world's greatest colonial governor, as Governor-General of the Philippines called on his country to create an organization to do strictly research in solving another great disease, leprosy. He pointed out that the Philippines government was spending one-third of its insular income simply to clothe, house, feed and to give what treatment was avail able to its lepers. It, like other governments and organizations was attempting to care for the individual patient, was overwhelmed by the vastness of the task and had no funds for the fundamental need of research. "Just tell America the facts", Leonard Wood said, and his prophesy has been fulfilled, and how important is that task! Less than three percent of the lepers of the world have any kind of care what soever. Out of five million or more, of every hundred of them, 97 have no care. It's true that in Carville, Louisiana, and in some other places, there are excellent leprosaria. I have visited colonies of a thousand patients living in mud huts along * ankle deep mud streets without a doctor, or nurse, or well person in the place. And yet 97 out of every hundred have not even this, but must wander over the earth pleading for help, scraping the fields or haunting the alleys of the market places seeking food, hiding from the police—hungry—ill—alone—afraid. Their only hope is through medical research. 21 We must conquer this disease]. It's toward that end that this magnificant gift of yours goes. The organization which I have the honor to represent, and which bears the name of your illustrious Comrade, carries on research in different parts of the world. We have laboratories and research units in Culion and Cebu in the Philippines, at Harvard and Tulane Universities and publishes the only international journal of leprosy. We have carried on research in eight of the leading medical schools of the United States. It is guided by an advisory medical board composed of ten of the outstanding scientists of the United States. Its funds are controlled by a board of trustees under the leadership of the Honorable Henry L. Stimison and a group of outstanding businessmen. At a meeting in New York just ten days ago it was voted that we would appro priate beyond our regular budget an additional $50,000 annually to establish a test ing place for the new and promising drugs which are beginning to appear. During the nearly twenty-five years I have been related to this work, I have seen and you have seen the sensational stories in the newspapers and magazines of some miracle cure for leprosy. These poor people and their families are so unspeakably desparate that they grasp at any straw. I have seen over and over again the para lyzing shock when their hopes were blasted. A few months ago I was in Brazil where they have 25,000 lepers and thirty-five leprosaria and there is much excitement there over the new sulphone drugs. One of their leading leprologists predicted that within ten years they would wipe out leprosy in Sao Paulo where they have 10,000 patients—another one of those wild predictions that will not come true and what a terrible thing it will be for those patients who count on it. Now, it's our puropse to do something that has never been done, as an inter national organization to test these drugs comparitively, the new with the old, to pick out those that are the most promising and seek their improvement and then to inform the patients and their physicians of the facts I take it as a great omen that here in August '47 just twenty years after the death of Leonard Wood that his old outfit, if I may speak of it in those terms, should come so generously to the support of the work in which he believed and which he found. May I thank you again on behalf, not only of our Trustees, not only on behalf of myself, but on behalf of Ned Langford and his thousands and thousands of fellow patients for this generous and encouraging support. May I plead with you that because it may be a long fight as it is against most diseases, that your interest will not lag through the years. (Applause) COMMANDER IN CHIEF WHITE: Thank you, Sister Kull, for your won derful address and for the appearing before this audience and for the wonderful address we heard from Dr. Burgess. Perhaps all of you have read his book. If you haven"t, get one. It is well written. There are some beautiful illustrations in it of real life. We have next a presentation of a plaque by the National Patriotic Instructor Lillian Bauman. (Applause) NATIONAL PATRIOTIC INSTRUCTOR LILLIAN BAUMAN: I am very sorry to make the following announcement, but the gift that has been selected for the convention city has not arrived, but as you heard him say, the City Manager was a very fine fellow and he has graciously consented to be patient in waiting for this gift, and we trust it will arrive within a very few moments. 22 Mr. Chairman, Commander in Chief, Madam President, distinguished guests, Comrades, Sisters, Sons and Daughters: With each convention gathering a pleas ant task befalls the National Patriotic Instructor, that of presenting an emblem of remembrance to the host city. Prior to the year of 1935 it was customary to present our beloved stars and stripes. However, during the mentioned year, a plaque was brought into being, a plaque characteristic of the spirit of the volunteer going to the fort to relieve suppression, want and strife. We feel it is a grand salute to send to the future this remembrance of the victor ious boys of the Spanish-American War. To the representative of this gracious city, the City Manager, L P. Co.okingham, the National Auxiliary of the United Spanish War Veterans make this symbolic presentation as a token of their appre ciation to the people of Kansas City for the warm hospitable treatment afforded us and thereby award them our treasured Hiker plaque. (Applause) COMMANDER IN CHIEF WHITE: Thank you, National Patriotic Instruc tor Lillian Bauman. We will have next—I am hurrying along a little bit here because we want to get speeches before this joint meeting. I shall next introduce the Commander in Chief of the Commander in Chief. Mrs. White organized the first department in Texas of the Ladies' Auxiliary and she has a token she wants to present to the National President for and on behalf of your Commander in Chief. Mrs. White, come forward. (There was applause and the audience arose) PAST DEPARTMENT PRESIDENT WHITE (Texas): Mr. Commander in Chief, my husband, Madam National President, all distinguished guests and honored guests of this organization— and I say that any man or women who belongs to this organization is distinguished. I am a Past Department President of Texas. I organized the department there, but I am just one of you, and I hope always to be. I look into the faces of this audience, and I see many of you whose faces are familiar to me. Through our visits over the United States we have had a most glorious year and we have visited so many of you and enjoyed every minute of you and you have lavishly entertained us and I want you to know we are very grateful for the reception that we have received, and as I usually say, I hope you have not been disappointed in elevating my husband to your Commander in Chief. He has worked hard and I think this morning he will bring you a glorious mes sage about your increased pensions, and I thank heaven that he has been permitted to work in that capacity and do this for you because I know many of you need it, and I am proud of him for the work he has done. I have heard these discussions', these cussings, and I think I know a lot about it, and I am just glad that he can bring you a message and I wanted him to bring the pen that that bill was signed with by your President. I have it in my room, but I could not get a case to display it in and therefore we have it. So, I want you to know it and share it with us. I can't quit without saying a word about Texas. They say actual Texans brag. We do, but we think we have something to brag about. We have a big state and I have often said I had a lot of fun out in California and in Florida about their grapefruit. We have the pink grapefruit (Laughter and Applause)—something the other states do not have, and when you come to Texas we will give you plenty of it. But I find all over the United States wherever we go but Florida and Cali fornia, you can buy the pink grapefruit on the diners and in the hotels and any where you ask for pink grapefruit they have the Texas grapefruit. Come tq Texas and we will give you plenty of it. 23 I want to tell a little story about Texas. You have heard it probably, but there was a man from the North who came to Texas and he was on a train riding through Texas and this Texan was sitting by him, and, of course, he was bragging and he said, "You know, you can get on a train in the night and get up the next morning and you are still in Texas. You can ride all day and you are still in Texas. You can ride all night and you are still in Texas." This fellow* sitting across the aisle from him said, "Yes, we have those kind of of trains in Arkansas, too." (Laughter and Applause) And another one I want to tell is about the damm Yankees. One came to Texas and was riding through Texas on the train and he was talking about the potatoes we raised. He didn't know we raised so many potatoes and this Texan was sitting by him. He didn"t say a word. So, after a while the fellow came in and this fellow was still talking about the potatoes we raised down there and this Texan says, "Why those are not potatoes." He said, "What are they?" He says, "It's cotton." And this fellow on his left turned to him. He said,"Why didn't you tell me that was not potatoes, that it was cotton?" "Well", he says, "you are the first damn Yankee I ever saw that didn't know everything, and I thought I would let you alone." (Applause and Laughter) Anyhow, come to Texas. We will feed you on potatoes, grapefruit and we will show you the cotton and we will show you a good time. If the convention ever comes to Dallas we want you to come, but don't say anything about our weather. We have hot weather in Texas, and we are not bragging about that. But, anyhow, we look forward to seeing you. If you ever come to Texas or if you come through Dallas and don't call Mr. White and me, its all off with you. So, thank you again and I will now present this gift. I didn't know that I was to do that, but it's a pleasure to me to present this gift to Julia Kull. (The gift was presented to National President Julia Kull.) Julia, I want you to know that this gift is presented to you from Mr. White and me with deep affection. We love you and you have done a lot of good work and we love you down in Texas and I have found many lovely, nice things said about you all over the United States. It is a great pleasure to me to have the honor of presenting this gift to Julia Kull, your National and popular President. (Applause) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Mrs. White, Commander in Chief, I want to thank you for this gift. I appreciate it and your kind thought and as the years go by I will always remember my service to this organization and your service. Thank you very much. (Applause) PAST DEPARTMENT PRESIDENT WHITE: Let's have her open it. I like to see gifts. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: While the gift is being opened I won't waste any time as I have a little duty to perform. Commander in Chief, would you kindly present yourself. Commander in Chief White, you and I have had a very high honor this year, and with that honor came great responsibility. You and I were privileged to serve forty-eight states, serve the members of our organizations. I am sure that each of us has tried to do and serve you to the best of our ability, and I have a little remembrance for you. I hope you will like it. And whenever you look at it, won't you please remember with kind thoughts the National Auxil iary and its National President and may you have pleasant memories of the year that you were privileged to serve this grand organization. 24 This honor comes to but few of us. It is the highest honor that our organizations I can give to us. r COMMANDER IN CHIEF WHITE: Thank you. (Applause) 1 (The gift was presented to Commander in Chief White from National Presi dent Kull.) Thank you Lady Kull and President of the National Auxiliary. I shall always treasure this gift. I trust the fortune will prevail and be with me forever and a day. I treasure the source that brought it to me and the occasion and the honor of re- | ceiving it. Thank you. And I want to say further that my wife omitted conveying to you that the token that was presented to you was presented by all of these Comrades up there in the balcony and downstairs and everywhere in the United States, from the Philippines to Panama, every man that served in the Spanish-American War whether he is here or whether he is not. I thank you. (Applause) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Isn't that beautiful? PAST DEPARTMENT PRESIDENT WHITE: This is a silver vegetable dish. COMMANDER IN CHIEF WHITE: I have the honor of presenting Louise W. Williams, Past National President and your Secretary at Washington. Our next speaker, I am to call upon a man who started your pension bill, or if didn't start it he worked on it from the beginning to the end. He was born on a farm in Wisconsin. He was raised and educated at different universities. He became a member of the United States Congress. I present to you a distinguished guest on this occasion who is President of the anti-Communist Organization and his address will be on anti-Communism. I present to you our friend, your friend and my friend and America's friend, Congressman O'Konski of Wisconsin. (The audience arose and there was applause.) THE HONORABLE ALVIN E. O'KONSKI: Commander in Chief White, distinguished guests and fellow Americans from every part of the country: I am happy and proud to be a speaker on this program. I am happy and proud to have the opportunity of appearing before a group of what I consider to be the most distinguished Americans living within our country. (Applause) I know of no place in the world I would rather be today than to be among you and to have the opportunity and honor of speaking before you. (Applause) I have had the opportunity to get acquainted with quite a number of your group. I had a very amusing experience last night when I walked into the coffee shop of one of the hotels here in Kansas City. The place was rather crowded and I saw two gentlemen wearing delegate's badges sitting in a booth that had room for four people but there were two of them very comfortably situated and as I was looking around and couldn't find any place to sit down, I intruded upon them and asked if I could sit down and have my meal with them. They looked at me rather relunctantly as much as to say, "Well, we don't care to be intruded upon, but if you cant find any other place, all right, you can sit here." I paid no attention to them and they paid no attention to me except that I was eagerly listening to their conversation. After it continued for some time, they to tally ignoring me, I finally interrupted them by saying, "Well, you gentlemen are Spanish-American War Veterans. I have sort of adopted you people as my special interest." 25 1 And they couldn't quite get what I was driving at except they looked at me in a more or less scornful fashion and said, "Well, you young squirt, you aren't old enough to adopt anybody. We are old enough to take care of ourselves." So again they ignored me until finally it dawned on them maybe they ought to ask me what I meant by that abrupt statement, "I sort of adopted them as my spec ial interest." So, after they asked me what I meant by that statement I said, "Well, I am the gentleman who sponsored that bill which provides for your 20 per cent increase in pensions." They were flabbergasted and didn't believe me. One of them finally asked, "Are you O'Konski, Congressman O'Konski?" I said, "Yes", and they started to talk to each and not believeing it and then finally they said, "Are you really Congressman 0"Konski?" I said, "Yes". They said, "By God, if you are, let's get up and shake hands." (Laughter) I am proud of the United Spanish War Veterans' organization, their auxiliary, and all their affiliated organizations. In the seven months that I have been Chairman of the Committee that sponsors legislation for Spanish-American, Philippine Insurrection, Civil War Veterans, I have gotten to know the leaders of your organization intimately and I want to tell you people here and now that there aren't any leaders of any organization in the United States of American whose friendship I cherish more than the members of and the leaders of your organization. (Applause) They are real men and real women, and when they come and stand for something they ask for it in such a way that it's just impossible to say no. I have high regard and the utmost of confidence in the leaders of your organiza tion. They, more than anybody else, are responsible for the legislation that was passed which is going to give you that increased pension. It was their untiring efforts, their unceasing work in the direction of contacting members of Congress, members of the Senate, leaders of the committee. They were constantly at it until the bill became law. They should be credited with the accomplishment. I have other reasons to respect your organization. I think one of the salient points in American history at the present time and one of the most redeeming fea tures within the United States of America is this one very significant point, that among the veterans of the Spanish-American War, their Auxiliary and their affili ated organizations, you cannot find one single Communist among them. (Applause) They are all real Americans who believe in the American way of life and that is all. (Applause) There are other reasons why I have great regard for your organi zation and that is as veterans, the veterans of the Spanish-American War, their Auxiliary and affiliated organizations are somewhat in a class by themselves as compared to the veterans of other wars. For instance, a veteran of the Spanish- American War is a veteran of America's first war for humanity, and they fought that war for humanity. And after the military victory they carried out a peace for humanity. A Spanish-American War veteran is a veteran of the only 100 per cent volunteer army that the world has ever known. (Applause) A Spanish-American War veteran is a veteran of the only war in history that has paid dividends to the United States of America. (Applause) A veteran of the Spanish-American War is a veteran of a war that was not fought to a draw, but it was a war after which the United States of America dictated the terms and that brought about the peace of the world. (Applause) The war which you participated in was responsible for the building of the Panama Canal, a great asset to the United States of America. (Applause) 26 That was responsible for the passage of the first national defense act by the Gov ernment of the United States of America. (Applause) It was a war which caused the abolition of yellow fever and kindred diseases and what is more important, it was a war that united the North and the South so there was no North, no South, no East, no West, but one flag, one United States of America. (Applause) It was a war that furnished every commander in the World War from Comman der in Chief on down. (Applause) I wonder how maiy citizens of America realize these important points of the veterans of the Spanish-American War? It was the first campaign fought on foreign soil. And here is something that is very important. The soldiers of the Spanish-American War did not bring back home the flag where they took the flag. They left the American flag. (Applause) You fought the war with poor equipment, poor food, and antiquated guns and black powder. Isn't that right? You remember that. It caused the improvement in maintenance of the army and navy and the form ation of a standing army through training corps. It marked the industrial reconstruction of the South. It taught the lesson of unpreparedness that claims more lives than war. It caused the United States to take the lead at the table in the concert of nations. It marked the rebirth of a nation. It marked the last great conflict between the people of a free, self-governing republic and that of the last absolute monarchy. 458,000 were engaged in this conflict, exceeding in number those engaged in the Revolutionary War, the Mexican War and the War of 1812 put together. The losses in deaths from all causes were 4.3 per cent as compared to six-tenths of one per cent for the Civil War, seven-tenths of one per cent for World War T, and about two per cent for World War II—very heavy casualties. The average length of service was four months as compared with nine months for World War land eleven months for the Civil War. The pay was $15 a month. (Applause) You veterans of the Spanish-American War received no bonus. You received no war risk insurance. You received no adjusted compensation. You received no vocational training or no hospitalization until 1922, twenty years after the war was over. (Applause) The cost of the war was $1,800,000. The Civil War was $8,500,.000 The World War I was $50,800,000, and World War II only God knows. (Laughter) Although the Spanish-American War cost the American people $1,800,000, pro perty was acquired which was valued at $8,000,000 which means that we fought a profitable war as far as the United States was concerned. (Applause) 61 per cent—just think of it—61 per cent of those enlisted at that time saw for eign service compared with 36 per cent for World War Veterans. 73 per cent of the Spanish-American War veterans were sons of Civil War vet erans and 42 per cent of them saw service in World War I. The motto of the Spanish-American War veterans was Freedom, Patriotism and Humanity. (Applause) 27 That motto has been a rallying point among your members ever since the war has been over and that motto is still the rallying point of your organization. You haven't forgotten what you were fighting for. (Applause) And because your motto has been and still is Freedom, Patriotism and Humanity, I know of no other group in America or. the world that I would rather discuss the imminent danger facing this great republic. I know of no other group I would rather discuss the danger before than this group right here, and don't think for one minute that America today is not facing its most critical period in its entire history, because it is. The capacity to preserve our freedom and the capacity to preserve our way of life is being^ taxed today more than it has ever been taxed before, and when I speak of the danger confronting the people of America and the American way of life, I speak of nothing more than the danger of communism. The reason why most people are not alarmed at the danger of communism to the American way of life is because most people don't understand what communism is and what the goal of communism is. Get this out of your minds, that communism is just another military party, or that communism is just another form of government. Communism, if it were only that, would not be so great a danger, but communism is more than that. It is more than a political party. It is more than another form of government. Communism, my friends, is a way of life. It's a way of life that is the exact opposite of the American way of life. (Applause) And since it is a way of life which is directly opposite our way of life, the even tual goal of communism is to destroy the American way of life, and don't let anyone tell you differently. Americans are very relunctant to learn bitter lessons. We are not an aggressive people. We never take the offensive unless we are forced to, and so many bitter lessons have occurred in history that we do not heed. For instance, when we had the threat of Nazism to the peace of the world, any one who was intelligent or who cared to know should have been known that you can't do business with Nazism because the future of Nazism, its principles and its technique were all outlined and blueprinted in Hitler's book called "Mein Kampf". So, only those who did not care, did not know that Hitler's real goal was in disturbing the peace of the world and in conquering the world. Now, like Hitler's "Mein Kampf", and the threat and danger of Nazism, we have communism. Now, anyone who does not know what the real goal and what the real technique of communism is, doesn't know simply because they have never read the blueprints of the technique and the goal of communism. Just as Hitler had the "Mein Kampf"—it was printed black on white—so Joe Stalin has his "Principles of Leninism", and if anyone wants to find out what the communists are after, all you have to do is to read the blueprints of communism—"Principles of Leninism". Now, one of the most striking paragraphs, one of the most striking statements in that book is this: that democracy and communism cannot live side by side. One or the other must be destroyed, and one or the other will survive. So, in the hearts and the minds of the communist leaders throughout the world, anyone who is intelligent enough to read, knows that communism is out to destroy the American way of life and they know that eventually democracy and communism are going to be pitched in a death struggle. Now, the sooner the people of America wake up to that goal of communism, to that technique of communism, the sooner the people of America will know what to do in combating communism. 28 Now, there are other points about communism that we ought to understand. I mentioned these over the radio station last night. If you want to know what kind of people you deal with When you deal with communists, first of all I might tell you this, that if you ever shake haftds with a communist be sure you count your fingers every time you shake hands with him. (Laughter) That's one of the first things that you should remember because they have no scruples. They have no honor. They look upon international diplomacy like they look upon war. If you can outlie and outsmart the other fellow, you will be the victor. To them international diplomacy is like belonging to the United Nations. International diplomacy is like signing the pacts at Yalta, Teheran, and Potsdam. All of them, as far as the communists are concerned, are merely steps in the direction of accomplishing their goal. Let me point out more accurately as to what I mean as I come to these various axioms to the technique and how they operate. First of all, if you were to read the "Principles of Leninism", you would find how each and every one of the communistic leaders are instilled with certain rudi ments of communism and certain rudiments of their technique and if you do not adopt and if you cannot be trusted in carrying out that technique, you just don't belong or you just are not given a position of responsibility. For instance, one of their axioms is this, that tactics change according to the ebb and flow and toward this end any legitimate or illegitimate, moral or immoral, human or inhuman means may be employed. In other words as far as technique and goal of communism is concerned, whether a thing is legitimate or illegitimate, moral or immoral, honorable or dishonorable, it means absolutely nothing if anything stands in the way of the goal or their ac complishment. It must be done away with. For instance, within their own country they have thus far liquidated—since com munism has taken over Russia—they have liquidated between 15,000,000 and 20,000„000 people. Listen to this: A communist must use any rules, dodges, tricks, cunning unlawful methods in the concealment and veiling of truth. For instance, when they signed the pact at Yalta, sure Russia signed that pact— because she knew she would live up to that pact once she signed it? She signed the pact of Yalta simply because it was a temporary expedient, because she knew that once she got her nose into Baltic and Central Europe, like a camel gets its nose into a tent, once she got her nose in there she could take over. Now, when Russia signed the Yalta Pact she kept hidden the fact that all she wanted to do was to get into the Baltic and Central Europe. She kept that hidden from public opinion and from the leaders of America and from the leaders of Great Britian, but every communist throughout the world knew that that was the reason why she signed the Yalta Pact, merely to get her nose in. Once they got their nose in they would take over and that was exactly what they accomplished. Listen to this, another axiom: Whatever helps the proletarian revolution and the communist party is ethical. Whatever helps their cause is ethical. Listen to this: Words must have no relation to action. In Qther words, good words are a mask for concealment of bad deeds. Sincere diplomacy is no more possible than dry water or wooden iron. Sincere diplomacy is no more possible than dry water or wooden iron.* So, we have Russia today in the family of nations called the United Nations organization. 29 _____ Is her goal in the United Nations organization one of bringing about eventual peace of the world? Not at all. Her goal is one of obstruction, confusion, disunity and division. Sincere diplomacy according to their book is no more possible than dry water or wooden iron. % That is why throughout the entire history of the communist regime in the Soviet Union today, in its entire history, they have not kept one single treaty they signed. They have not lived up to one single obligation they have incurred. Listen to this one. Three-quarters of mankind may die provided the remaining one-quarter become communistic. In other words, as far as their goal is concerned, even if they find it necessary to liquidate three-fourths of the population of the world, so long as the one-fourth that remains are communists, that's all right with them. Even if they have to wipe out three-fourths of the population of the world. Listen to their last one. Communism will be vigorous and united only as long as it is feeding on the property of others. When communism comes to the place where it can no longer feed on the host, it must feed on itself and die. That is why you see communism reaching out its clutches into Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Rumania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Albania—because according to principles of communism, it must feed on the host because the minute communism ceases to feed on its host, but begins to feed on itself, it will fold up and die. And in a large measure, we, in the United States of America, have made it possible for communism to spread because we have made it possible for them to feed and to live and to function off us. For instance, at the present time, we have trouble on the Grecian border. Now anyone who understands the international situation knows that the Grecian border difficulty originated in Yugoslavia because those people who are causing all the trouble on the Grecian border were trained a year ago in Yugoslavia by that great leader of the communist party in Yugoslavia called Marshall Tito, the man who murdered five American flyers in cold blood. Now, I contend that, and I have always contended it, that if we had not been foolish like we were to give that puppet communist leader in Yugoslavia, Marshall Tito, $650,000,000 in the last two years like we did to finance and to entrench his communist organization in Yugoslavia, $650,000,000 to where he has built up a standing army of 700,000 men, money we thought was going to help the starving people of Yugoslavia, if we hadn't given that communist leader $650,000,000 in the last two years, we wouldn't have to be sending $400,000,00 to stop him in Greece and Turkey. (Applause) And to me it just does not make sense. I am younger than the average member of Congress, but to me it just does not make sense for the Government of the United States of America to give $650,000,000 to a communist leader and then the next year give $400,000,000 to stop him. It just doesn't make sense to me and that isn't the only thing. For instance, here is what I mean. The leadership of the United States of America asked the Congress of the United States to appropriate $400,000,000 to stop communism in Greece and Turkey. The same day that the message was de livered to Congress, a representative of our State Department appeared before the Appropriations Committee and asked that we give $25,000,000 worth of goods to Russia—the same day, believe it or not. Now, to me that just does not make sense. Here we talking about the danger : of communism and sending $400,000,000 to stop communism in Greece and Turkey, 30 I and yet in June they were talking about rationing gasoline in the Middle West while at the same time they were sending an average of 50,000 barrels to Soviet Russia through the Los Angeles ports, especially when you consider that Russia \ today has a reserve of oil and gasoline ready for use of 150,000,000 barrels and the 1 United States of America only has 50,000,000 barrels—one-third as much. My time is up so I think I will have to stop. I merely want to say this, that the surest way to stop communism in my judge ment is for the Government of the United States of America to realize the kind of animal we are dealing with and to quit financing it and to quit supporting it. (Applause) The Government of the United States of America should here and now shut off all financial and material aid to any communist government and any communist leaders anywhere in the world. (Applause) That's the first step. Number two, we should kick out of the federal pay roll any employee who en courages or who is sympathetic with the cause of communism. That's step two. I think I have given you people the message that I had in my heart and in my mind. I am sorry that I didn't have a prepared speech for you, but I always feel that a speech coming from the heart is better than something written out on paper. (Applause) I merely want to say this, that it was a pleasure and an honor appearing before you. You people deserve that 20 per cent increase. You know, I was very astonished when I saw your good Senator from the State of Missouri over here, Senator Kem, who is very highly respected in Washington. He is a great credit to the great State of Missouri and to the Senate of theUnited States of America, but I was rather surprized when I saw him here because you know, there are over one hundred Congressmen and Senators now all over the world finding out what the people of the world need. You know, when I get back to Congress, I am going to introduce a resolution to organize a committee of Congressmen to see America first and to study the needs of the American people. (Applause) Evrything that you people deserve, you deserve more than you have gotten. I felt that 20 per cent increase was only fair and honorable. I think it should be an even one hundred dollars—not this 90 per cent business. I pledge my loyalty, my support, my energy and my effort in the future just as you have gotten it in the past, I love your organization. I have great respect for your organization. I am yours to command. If you ever need me for any of your problems, I am yours. (Applause) Call on me any time you want me. (Applause) (There was sustained applause and the audience arose.) COMMANDER IN CHIEF WHITE: Thank you, Congressman O'Konski. The Adjutant General, Peyton Irving will bring you the biography of our distin guished speaker who will come before you in a few minutes, General Hawley. ADJUTANT GENERAL PEYTON IRVING: Major General Paul _.. Hawley retired from the Army in June, 1946, to become Chief Medical Director of the Vet erans Administration after almost thirty years of army service. 31 He was born in Indiana. He received his degree from Indiana University, the University of Cincinnati, and Johns Hopkins University, and honorary degrees from Wayne University, the University of Cincinnati, Indiana University, Syracuse University, and from the University of Birmingham, England. His army career is too lengthy and too brilliant to be detailed here. Dr. Hawley served in France as a regimental surgeon during World War I. Between World Wars he served at many stations and in many lands. Just before Pearl Harbor, he was sent to England as one of the special observers with the British. After the United States entered World War II, General Hawley became the Chief Surgeon of the United States forces in the British Isles, and afterwards Chief Surgeon of the European Theatre of Operations. As head of the medical service of the Army in Europe, he built and leased hospitals to the total of 203,000 fixed hospital beds. He supervised and directed the Medical Department in the theater, which eventually reached the strength of 254,000 officers and men, including 16,000 physicians, 4,500 dentists and 18,000 nurses. General Hawley has been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star bv the United States: the Legion of Honor and the Croix de Guerre with Palm by France: the Companion of the Bath and the Order of S.t John of Jerusalem by Great Britian: the Order of the Crown by Belgium: and the Presidential Medal of Merit by Nicaragua. He is, of course, associated with many social organizations and with the societies of physicians and surgeons the world over. COMMANDER IN CHIEF WHITE: Comrades and Sisters, wait a few mo ments. I have a message here to you that came all the way from Berlin frorr General Omar Bradley. (Applause) I have another message before Dr. Hawley comes before you from; the President of the United States. (Applause) This is a cablegram from Washington. The} wouldn't deliver it to anybody unless I signed for it. Its addressed to: "John F. White, National Commander United Spanish War Veterans In care, Convention Headquarters (Report Delivery) Hotel Muehlebach, K. C. "Following message received from Berlin, Germany, for delivery to you: Please extend my greeting and cordial good wishes to members of the United Spanish War Veterans and allied organizations as you assemble for your Annual Encampment. I am looking forward with interest to learning the results of your discussions when I return to my desk. May I take this opportunity to wish you not only a most successful and enjoyable Encamp ment, but also a full measure of achievement and productive service in the year ahead (signed") Omar N. Bradley (signed) J. W. Bowen, Lieutenant Colonel, General Staff Office, Chief of Staff, Washington, D. C. That came all the way from Berlin. 32 Now, the Adjutant General has a telegram. We have time for it, from the President of the United States. ADJUTANT GENERAL IRVING: "The White House, Washington "Dear Commander White: Please extend my sincere greetings to the United Spanish War Veterans on the occasion of the 49th Encampment. Your fellow Americans can never forget the courage and unselfish devotion to duty of the men of "98 who exemplified so well the magnificent battle traditions of citizen soldiers. In peace as in war the United Spanish War Veterans have worked with out stint to advance the welfare and progress of our nation. In congratu lating you on your continued devotion to the task of keeping our nation strong both at home and abroad, I know I express the feelings of your fellow Americans. Sincerely yours, HARRY S. TRUMAN" COMMANDER IN CHIEF WHITE: I have another mesage from across the sea. "National Commander in Chief White, Muehlebach Hotel, Kansas City. "Congratulations to you, your aids, and Comrades and ladies for a most successful year. Dr. and Mrs. B. A. Bowers This comes from Oslo. (Applause) ADJUTANT GENERAL IRVING: "The Department of War Chief of Staff, Washington "Dear Mr Irving: It is a distinctive honor to be invited to speak to the United Spanish War Veterans at their coming Encampment in Kansas City, August 25. I have had from earliest boyhood the greatest respect and admiration for the volunteers who successfully fought the Spanish- American War, and it should be a great distinction to meet with them. I am, however, committed heavily during the summer months because of an extended inspection trip planned for the Alaskan area and in addition, too, my absence from Washington seems impossible. "Please express my thanks to the Commander in Chief for his thought ful interest together with my deep disappointment at not being able to give you a more favorable reply. "Sincerely, Dwight D. Eisenhower" "Honorable John White, Commander in Chief, United Spanish War Veterans "Deeply regret inability to attend the convention and thus have the oppor tunity to discuss much needed legislation and interpretations on the enact ment of legislation beneficial to Spanish War Veterans and beneficaries. • My best wishes for a successful year. Edith Nourse Rogers, Chairman Veterans Committee 33 h COMMANDER IN CHIEF WHITE: These are just a few of the telegrams that have been received, but time will not permit us to read the others at this time. I want to ask if Colonel Hanson is in the audience—General Bradley's aide. Colonel Hanson, come forward if you are in the audience, (not present) While I am here, I want to introduce you to a man (Applause) among the most beloved Comrades in our entire organization. Lieutenant Governor Past Com mander in Chief, Joe Hanley. (Applause) Comrades, then at twelve o'clock high noon you hear from General Paul R. Haw ley, Chief Medical Director of the Veterans Administration. You may face him one of these days I am sorry we have got a lot of reports. We have the Editor of the National Tribune to be heard from. We have the Chairman of the National Committee on Legislation and its Administration, We have a lot of reports yet, but we didn't have time to get them in, but we are going to get them in later. We are not going to overlook anybody. Wre have a Comrade down in Alabama. He hasn't got but just a minute, and just to look at him and know him, you know, he always has a good laugh. Stand up, Judge McCord. (Past Commander in Chief McCord arose and there was applause) You know, that fellow, they grow big boys in Alabama. He has always got a smile. Is his wife with him? Mrs. McCord. Is she with you? She has quit associating with him. She is careful who she associates with these convention times. Comrades and Sisters, it lacks one minute of being twelve high noon. Your speaker has many duties and yet he is a guest invited here, came here at our request, at the request of General Bradley, due to the fact that General Brad ley had to go to Europe, and by the way, he went there on his vacation. He sent his messanger and we are glad to have him with us. He might be elevated. He is practically so now, at least in the Medical Department of the Veterans Ad ministration, and he may be your next Administrator of veterans' affairs so far as I know. (Applause) You know, when we lost General Hines nobody could take his place. Our love and respect went with him and our prayers everywhere and abide with him around the Panama Canal. We soon learned the high respect of that brave and gallant soldier, General Omar Bradley. (Applause) He is a Missourian and fully human. He looks at our side. He is svmpathetic to the Spanish-American War Veterans and I am sure Dr. Hawley will be. He is a major general, retired. You heard how long he served in the army and how well he served. I now give you General Paul R. Hawley, Chief Medical Director of the Veterans Administration. (Applause) GENERAL PAUL R. HAWLEY: Commander in Chief White, distinguished guests and fellow veterans, I think first I should assure you that the biographical sketch was not prepared by myself While it was being read I thought of the story of the stubborn calf being led down a road, when he got to the middle of a very narrow bridge over a creek, there he stopped and planted his four feet; and the far mer leading him tugged, but he could make no progress. Then a motorist came up behind and was unable to nass the calf on the bridge. After attempting to get the calf to go on, the farmer said to the motorist, "Mister, maybe if you would blow your horn a little I could get this calf moving." The motorist was a bit impatient, having had to wait for sometime, and so he put his hand very heavily on the horn and blew a loud blast. This frightened the calf so badly that he jumped stiff-legged over the side of the bridge, and broke his neck on the rocks in the creek bed below. The farmer looked down on the dead calf and turned to the motorist and said, "I know Mister, it was my fault. I asked you to do that. But don't you think that was an awfully big noise for such an awfully little calf?" (Laughter) 34 I apologize for bringing you this husky voice. It was the only one I had with me, but perhaps we can get together despite it. It is somewhat like the British land Army girl and the cow who got together to overcome a handicap. (I don't know why I am thinking about so many stories about cows except Texas and its cattle have been so well advertised here this morning.) This girl was raised in London and had never been in the country. When the war came she wanted to do her bit and went to work on the farm down in Surrey, south of London. These Land Army girls did a perfectly magnificent job replacing men on the farms of England during this war. But most of the tasks on the farm were very difficult for this girl and particularly was it difficult for her to milk a cow. One evening she went out to a party which was given in the neighborhood for the girls and stayed up quite late, but still she had to get up at four o'clock in the morning as usual and start her farm work. So she was sleepy and she had a little headache and this morning she was making particulary wether of milking the cow, and getting very little milk. Finally the cow became discouraged, turned around and said, "Now, never mind, my dear. I know just how you feel. Now you just hold on, and I will jump up and down." (Laughter) So, if my voice gets any worse, you hold on and I will jump up and down here— anyway until we get through with this speech. I am particularly glad to be with you here at this National Encampment of the United Spanish War Veterans. My earliest recollection in the little town in Indi ana where I was born is of the many men who left our village and went to the Spanish-American War; and I can remember when they came back, but not all of them came back. Three or four men from this little village never returned from this war. General Bradley is on special duty with the army in Europe. He has asked me to convey his regrets to you that he cannot be here, and I consider it a particular privilege to have this opportunity to speak to you in his place. For many years the United Spanish War Veterans has been outstanding among those organizations working for good citizenship and the national welfare. Good citizenship is the basic privilege and the duty of every American. You have proved it by the force of arms and you are continuing to prove it by your devotion to the legitimate peace-time needs and aspirations of all of your fellow citizens. I am here to report to you on the services that are being rendered to veterans by the Veterans Administration. You are entitled to know what is being done in a nation-wide effort to speed our veterans along the road toward self-supporting, job-holding, tax-paying citizenship. Veterans and their families are important in the population of this country. Any thing that affects veterans, affects the entire nation. Their number was estimated this year to be around 46,000,000, or about one-third of our total population. Five years from now in 1952, that estimated percentage is expected to rise to about 43 per cent. It is clear that veterans and their families shoulder a large part of the national tax burden. It is equally clear that a carefully considered program for a veterans benefit does not constitute a free handout for a favored group of citizens, but it is a common investment for the benefit of the nation as a whole. Such a program affects not only veterans but all citizens. It is paid for by all citizens, including veterans. 35 During the present fiscal year you and I and every other tax-paying citizen will pay about 20 cents out of each federal tax dollar for the Veterans Admini- stration budget. Direct cash benefits to veterans and their dependents will use up I three-quarters of a total Veterans Administration budget of $7,000,000,000. Direct benefits ydu know, comprize such payments as compensations, pensions,' educational subsistence and the readjustment allowances. Indirect benefits to veterans will use up another 19 per cent of that $7,000,000,000. These benefits include the costs of medical hospitals and domicilliary care, educational tuition and counselling, vocational rehabilitation, hospital construction and insurance. These two types of benefits account for 94 per cent of the VA $7,000,000,000 appropriation. What are veterans getting out of it in terms of normal, well-adjusted living? To begin with, VA hospitals are giving veterans medical service that compares favorably with the best to be found anywhere on earth today. Veterans are getting this service from a staff of outstanding doctors, nurses and technicians. This work is supplemented by specialists and consultants, many of whom have world-wide reputations. Now, I do not mean to infer that at the present time every veteran hospital is operating at a standard which I want for veterans. I do not think that it is possi ble for anyone to raise more than 100,000 hospital beds to the highest possible standard within a short space of two years. It was a tremendous task which faced General Bradley when he became Administrator of Veterans Affairs. But, I have been astonished at the progress we have been able to make. We are now further ahead in our efforts to improve the medical care of the veteran than I have thought it possible to be after five yeears of this effort. I would say that fully 40 per cent of our hospitals in the Veterans Administration today are the equal of any hospitals in the world, and I would say that 45 per cent more are as good as or better than any of the hospitals serving the communities in which they are located, and -that leaves us about 15 per cent of our hospitals which we must improve and shall improve in the near future. The cooperation of committees made up of the Deans of Medical Schools as sures our VA patients the best in specialized treatment. These patients benefit from our medical teaching program. They benefit from our modern residency program. They benefit from medical opportunities that attract able doctors who want to make VA service a career. They benefit from the 100 per cent cooperation that exists between the VA and the American medical profession. There has been an increasing shortage of doctors in this country for several years. The Veterans Administration will never be able to obtain sufficient doctors of any standard which we want for the veteran upon full-time employment, and we want only the best doctors. Now, this means that we can get the best doctors for the veteran only by em ploying large numbers of doctors upon part-time and to do this we must have the cooperation of the medical profession of the country, but even if it were possible for us to employ all of the doctors we need upon a full-time basis, we could never maintain a satisfactory standard of medical care in such a program. Full-time medical services which are isolated from the rest of medicine tend to I stagnate and to deteriorate and we must keep in constant touch with living ad vancing medicine through close contact with the great medical profession of this; country. During the fiscal year 1947 the Veterans Administration discharged from its hospitals more than 367,000 patients. 36 This does not mean that veterans are being hurried out of hospitals. It means that veterans are getting better medical treatment and care today than ever before —they are getting well and leaving hospitals in faster time. And this saving of time in the care and treatment of the veteran is economical both to the veteran and to the government. The only difference is that today the treatment starts immediately when he enters the hospital. It is prosecuted vigorously and he is restored to health and able to leave the hospital in much faster time than before. Now, there are people in this country who measure the cost of medical care of the veteran in terms of how much it costs to take care of one veteran for one day in the hospital. This is not what it is costing the government. What it costs the government for medical care for the veteran is how much does it cost to cure one veteran for one disease or one injury. In our general medical and surgical hospitals two years ago the average stay of a patient in a hospital was between forty and forty-five days. Today that same patient for that same condition is kept in our hospital only from twenty to twenty- two days. We have cut in half the average stay of the veteran in the hospital. Consequently, we can afford to pay more each day for his care and still save the government money. The most expensive medical care in the world is slow and inefficient medical care and think what this means to the veteran who has a job whose earning power is stopped when he goes into the hospital. He wants to get out and get back on the job at the earliest possible time. Now, the Veterans Administration medical program is not limited to hospitals. Veterans with service-connected conditions who do not require hospitalization, are given the same high-type treatment in out-patient clinics or in their home towns. During the 1947 fiscal year we made more than 7,000,000 out-patient exami nations. We gave not quite 6,000,000 out-patient treatments to veterans. And you know that only veterans with service-connected disabilities are entitled to out patient care at the government expense. Nor is medical treatment the whole story by any means. In our Veterans Ad ministration hospitals medical rehabilitation goes hand in hand with medical treat ment. It gets under way as soon as possible after the patient is put to bed. And through the use of physical therapy, occupational therapy, corrective therapy, edu cational therapy and manual arts therapy, we help patients to build within them selves the will to get well, and get well fast. Medical rehabilitation helps patients to develop a determination to get out of bed, to stand, to dress themselves, to learn to take care of themselves, even though they are badly handicapped and learn how to get about in the hospital. Patients are encouraged to think about job skills. They are given intelligent guidance and help in testing their individual job desires and job aptitudes. They are given the opportunity for study, and for practical preliminary work at the bench or lathe. This training in the hospital serves a double purpose. In the first place, it helps to shorten the veteran's stay in the hospital by making him well as soon as possi ble. In the second place, it prepares the veteran for a continuation of progress toward independent, self-reliant citizenship after he has left the hospital. Educational training at school or college picks up where educational therapy in the hospital stops. Vocational training on-the-job picks up where manual arts therapy stops. In making this program continuous and complete, Congress has given veterans an opportunity to fit themselves for useful and productive lives in their home communities, by using all or as many of these steps toward final read justment as they may find necessary. Patients in our mental hospitals offer no exceptions to this practical program of making the hospital the first step along the way toward readjustment. True, 37 patients suffering from emotional disturbances that require hospitalization creatf a more difficult problem. But medical rehabilitation is designed to provide sue! patients with the chance to continue their adjustment after hospitalization is com pleted. In addition to hospital treatment for mentally disturbed patients, we are widen ing our efforts to keep such veterans out of hospitals by attacking their problem; before their condition develops to a point where they may require hospital treatment For this purpose 86 mental hygiene clincs have been established, 34 of their operated by the Veterans Administration, and 52 of them under contract. Pro fessional teams, consisting of a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a nurse and a socia worker combine three different techniques to assure the best possible treatmen: for veterans in need of this service. In November 1946, a total of 9,869 veterans had been given treatments. Si; months later, in May, 1947, the total of veterans treated in these clinics had in creased to 12,636 . And the estimates of the most conservative and ablest psychia trist of the country is that with out this out-patient treatment outside of the hospital, that 25 per cent of these cases today would have to be confined to menta hospitals. Our increasing use of mental hygiene clinics as a way to help emotionally dis turbed veterans to avoid hospitalization is one kind of progress that saves beds money, and above all precious time in the lives of men who seek adjustment and normal living. Our prosthetics services provides another example of progress. Veterans wh( have come back disabled need the best in artificial aids and appliances if they are to remain unhampered in their quest for independent self-reliant careers. The Veterans Administration has joined with the army and navy to stimulate research in this field. As a result, considerable progress has been made. But hospital treatment, out-patient treatment, and a constantly developing pros thetics service are not necessary parts or the readjustment process of all veterans For many able-bodied veterans the process may begin with education at school oi college, or training on-the-job. At the end of April, 1947, the peak month of the year, two and one-half millioi veterans were in training either at schools or on-the-job. Of these, two and one quarter million able-bodied veterans were training under the G. I. Bill, and a quar ter of a million disabled veterans were training under Public Law 16. It is expected that the number of veterans in training during the spring of 1941 will represent the peak of the program. It is further expected that the number in training at that time will exceed the peak of last spring. Nor does education complete the story of our unified readjustment program Application for G. I. loans passed the million mark in July and the face value oi loans approved soared above five billion dollars. There are many veterans who stand in need of some degree of help, so that the] may push themselves forward over the rough spots, while they hunt for jobs tc support themselves and their families. About two billion dollars in readjustment allowances have been paid out by the Veterans Administration to bring closer the goal of these men and women for useful and productive living. Thjere have been some abuses of this program, but in the main it has worked reasonably well. Through the G. I. Bill, Public Law 16, and other important pieces of legislation, Congress has designed a program to prepare veterans to take their places among their fellow citizens as productive members of thier communities. 38 i This is an enormous task, a task that requires the cooperation of all if it is to be successful. It's a task too great for the government alone. Part of it is being done in Washington. Part of it is being done by each of our 48 states. Part of it is being done by local civic and business groups. Part of it is being done by individual citizens in our local communities. There is room for a great deal more effort. There is room for improvement. To live normally and happily veterans must have jobs. In the uncertain world of today America must be kept strong. The one way to do it is to keep our production at peak output. As Americans we are all working for the same cause. For in assisting veterans to find homes and jobs, we are assisting all citizens toward a better and stronger community life. Let all of us continue to work together in this task. Let all of work together to keep America strong. (Applause) COMMANDER IN CHIEF WHITE: Thank you, General Hawley. We en joyed your address. The theory of that is that we are going to grow younger and we won't be in the hospital as long as we used to be. QUARTERMASTER GENERAL DOWNEY: Comrades, I am going to read to you the names of the Comrades who have been appointed by the Department Commanders to serve on the Resolutions and Enactments Committees. The name of the Chairman of Resolutions Committee is Past Commander in Chief Joe R. Hanley. The Chairman of the Enactments Committee is Past Commander in Chief, Guy Boyle. (Quartermaster General Downey read the list) COMMANDER IN CHIEF WHITE: The Chaplain in Chief will now pro nounce the benediction. (The audience arose) CHAPLAIN IN CHIEF HAMILTON: May the blessings of God be upon us and remain with us and keep us true to our country, loyal to our flag, and faith ful to our fraternity. Amen. COMMANDER IN CHIEF WHITE: Provost Marshal, you will retire the colors. (The colors were retired) Salute. Post. We recess now until Wednesday morning at nine-thirty A. M. in memory of Comrade J. M. Todd, our former Chaplin in Chief and Comrade Luke B. Stephens, Surgeon General. (The meeting recessed at twelve-thirty o'clock) 39 MONDAY AFTERNOON SESSION AUGUST 25, 1947 The Forty-Fourth National Encampment of the National Auxiliary, United Spanish War Veterans convened at one forty-five o'clock in the Music Hall of the Auditorium, Kansas City, Missouri, with Sister Bertha M. Finke, the Convention Chairman presiding. CONVENTION CHAIRMAN FINKE: The assembly will come to order. The Colors will be advanced (The Colors were advanced) CONVENTION CHAIRMAN FINKE: Sisters of the Organization, as Na tional Chairman of the Forty-fourth Convention, I hope you will have a very pleasant convention and I now give you your National President, Julia Kull! NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: We will now repeat Americanism. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: We will sing the Star Spangled Banner, led by the National Soloist. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: We will have the invocation by the National Chaplain, Grace M. Alexander. NATIONAL CHAPLAIN ALEXANDER: Our Father in Heaven, we hum bly implore Thy blessings upon our labors, and grant that everything we may do may be in accordance with Thy will. Help us to more fully realize and appreciate the blessings which we enjoy as a free people. Enable us to follow the lofty example of pure patriotism shown by those whose privilege it was to hallow the close of our nation's century as well as those who sanctified its dawn. Give us Thy aid in conducting the business of this convention for which we are here assembled, and teach us, that we may be faithful in our duties, wise in our administration and truly patriotic. Help us to feel that we are engaged in a just and holy work and when our mission here is ended, may we dwell with T(hee. We ask this in our Saviour's Name. Amen. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: We will now have the Pledge of Alle giance to the flag. (Sister Geneva Bussard, the Department President of Missouri was escorted by the colors.) CONVENTION CHAIRMAN FINKE: Madam National President, National Officers and Sisters and Delegates to the Convention: This is the Department President of Missouri, Geneva Bussard and she has a word of greeting for our National President. GENEVA BUSSARD: Madam National President, National Officers and our Sister Departments assembled: In behalf of the Department of Missouri, I wel come you. We have looked forward with keen anticipation for many months to this time when the Department of Missouri should have the very great honor of welcoming you as our guests. Our Sisters and Comrades have worked un tiringly to make your stay with us in this Forty-fourth Encampment a very pleasant one. The extended success that we shall obtain shall be measured en tirely by the pleasure, that you, our guests, derive from being with us. 40 A poet could not write the things that we would say to welcome you; an artist could not paint the things that we might do to entertain you. So, without the brush of the artist, without the poet's rhyme, just let down your hair and have a good time. Now, Sister Julia, it is my honor to present to you the key to the heart of the Department of Missouri! (Sister Bussard presented a key to the National President.) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Thank you. Sister Bussard and friends of the Department of Missouri, thank you for this kind greeting and welcome. I am sure we are going to enjoy our stay with you here in this beautiful auditorium and this beautiful city. Thank you very much. We will have the Reading of the Convention Call. NATIONAL SECRETARY WILLIAMS: Official Call for the Forty-fourth National Convention to be held at Kansas City, Missouri, dated June 14, 1947. Pursuant to and in accordance with the Constitution, Rules and Regulations, the Forty-fourth National Convention of the Auxiliary, United Spanish War Veterans, affiliated members of the United Spanish War Veterans, will convene at Kansas City, Missouri, August 24 to 28, 1947, for the purpose of receiving the reports of The National President The National Officers The National Standing Committees to elect the National Officers for the ensuing year, and to transact such business as may legally come before the Convention. Delegates and Alternates shall be chosen as prescribed by the Rules and Regu lations. By Order of Julia A. Kull, National President Official: Louise W. Williams, National Secretary. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: I now declare the Forty-Fourth Annual Convention of the Auxiliary to the United Spanish War Veterans duly opened for the transaction of such business as may legally and properly come before it. We will have the roll call of National Officers. (National Secretary Williams called the roll of National Officers.) NATIONAL SECRETARY WILLIAMS: Madam National President, the roll has been called. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: We will have the roll call of the Depart ment Presidents. (National Secretary Williams called the roll of Department Presidents.) NATIONAL SECRETARY WILLIAMS: Madam National President, you have a quorum. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: We will now have the presentation of Department Presidents. Will the Department Presidents please retire and the Colors will present them. (The Department Presidents were escorted to the stage by the Colors.) 41 NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: I am going to ask each Department Pres ident to give her name and state. (Each Department President announced her name and state.) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: I am very happy to greet the Department Presidents of 1947 and 1948 and I wish for them a very enjoyable convention and I hope that they will take home more encouragement to do great things this coming year. I am going to ask you all to arise and salute your Department Presidents. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: We are very happy to have them. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: I am going to ask all Past Department Presidents to retire and the Colors will present them. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Sisters, I present to you your Past De partment Presidents. You will observe this station and salute. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: I am very happy to welcome the Past Department Presidents. I think they are half of the Convention. I am sure we are happy to see that so many of our Past Department Presidents are stilli nter- ested and have gone along. And if each of these Past Department Presidents will do just a little bit of extra work, we could build up our organization. We never retire. We retire from office but not from the organization. So, I would like each and every one of them to be a committee of one and try to get in some of the members that we ought to have in our organization so we might build it up. They have had the experience and can be of great help to a Department President in the right way. And so, I want to extend a welcome to them and hope they will enjoy this convention and we are very happy to greet them. There are 143 Past Department Presidents present. Now, I am just going to make a little change in the program before we present the National Officers and the Past National Presidents. I have a very pleasant duty to perform and I would like the have the Personal Secretary of the National President presented to this station. I have a very pleasant duty to perform as I said. It is Sister Kain's birthday, and somebody just brought a beautiful corsage for her and she will receive the card just a little bit later. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Two friends of hers presented this beau tiful corsage, so let's all sing Happy Birthday, Dear Emma. SISTER KAIN: Thank you very much far your good wishes, girls. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Next is the presentation of National Offi cers. Will they kindly rise and come forward? I would like to have you announce your name and the office you hold. (The National Officers announced their name and office.) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: You will observe this station and salute. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: I am very happy to greet you, Sisters, and I hope you enjoy the convention. Thank you for your loyal support. Sisters, I present to you now, your Past National Presidents. I am going to ask them to give their names and the year that they served. (The Past National Presidents were escorted to the platform and each an nounced her name and the year she served.) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Past National Presidents, I am very happy to greet you today. We are very proud of the services that you have given to this organization and we feel when you are in our presence that we have the 42 support that a National President needs, and so today, I welcome you. I hope that you will enjoy this convention and I hope it will be everything that you want it to be. I greet you and welcome you and I am going to ask the delegates to arise and observe this station and salute the Past National Presidents. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: I would like to ask the Past National Presidents whose names I shall call, to present themselves to this station. Violet B. King. Jesse Booth Perry is not with us, due to illness. It was impossible for her to come to this convention, for which I am very sorry. Anna K. Juneau. Elizabeth M. McNamara. She is not with us today and I am sorry. Louise W. Williams. Today, this convention would have been Cora Thompson's twenty-fifth anniversary. You all know Cora Thompson passed away very suddenly. When I was at National Headquarters, I happened to think that this year would be her twenty-fifth anniversary, and so I wanted to make some little plan to honor these sisters who have served twenty-five years or more in our organization. I felt, after they had held a high office such as National President and saw fit to come to these conventions year after year, after they had received all the honors and still were interested in the organization, I just felt we ought to do something to honor them. Just a few have served over twenty-five years, and there would have been six today. Jessie Booth Perry, I believe this is her second convention that she has missed in forty-two years. I can't tell you about the other Past National Presidents. I am going to let them make their own reports. Now, Iwant you to tell them how many years since you were National President. Anna Juneau, it is thirty years since she served. Violet B. King, tweny-eight years. Louise W. Williams, I think it is twenty-six. I think last year she served her twenty-fifth convention. And so today, we want to honor those Past National Presidents who served us and send out greetings to the two who are not with us. We are sorry that they are not with us, but we will remember them. So, I am very happy that I can present to them a little remembrance and I hope whenever they wear this gift, they will think of our organizaiton and how valuable a link they are in our organization. There is a little verse and a little gift for each of you. I hope you will live a long time and enjoy it. (National President Kull presented each of them with a gift.) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Let's give them a good big hand. (The remainder of the Past National Presidents arose and sang the following words to the tune of "Long, Long Ago".) You did the work in the days that are gone, Long, long ago, long long ago, Built an Auxiliary, now firm and strong, From long, long ago, long ago. Now you can look on your work as well done, Leaving some work for the others to come, God bless you, Sisters, who started us on, Long, long ago, long ago. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Would you say just a word? SISTER JUNEAU: Madam National President, I am so touched, I can hardly collect my thoughts. This very thoughtful token which is a complete surprise to all of us is deeply appreciated and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. SISTER KING: Madam National President said she was nervous. What about us who didn't know what was coming? She knew what she was going to say and do, but we just didn't know. But, I am sure that we are deeply touched and are happy that we could be here at this particular convention., I have had so many happy moments in the various conventions that I have attended, but this surely was a most happy one, and I shall remember this for the rest of my days. 43 We are glad we can serve our organization and have been able to serve it for these many years. I often think what was accomplished, what did I do when I was National President, when we see folks coming along who have their projects. Today, you have heard our National President present a check for ten thousand dollars to the Leonard Wood Memorial Foundation. (Applause) Twenty-eight years ago, we couldn't have found ten thousand dollars to do anything with. I sort of felt badly this morning to think back, what did I do? But now today, I feel I must have done something when I was National President, to receive this recognition from our organization, and I want to say to each and every one of you that this organization has brought more to me than you could ever realize. It is my love, and I want to see this organization reach the standards that we should reach and to maintain them. But, unless we have women who are good, patriotic women and interested in our organization, and good Christians, we cannot accomplish the things that we must accomplish. So, I Want to say to each of you, may you go home from this convention with a little deeper love in your heart for our organization and the de termination that you will be a living example of the kind of woman who should belong to this organization and maintain its standards. Again to you, my dear Julia, I want to say thank you, and to the members of the organization for the courtesy today, and for the courtesies I have received in the past thirty-five years from the sisters of this organization. Thank you. NATIONAL SECRETARY WILLIAMS: Madam National President and my Distinguished Associates and Members of the Convention: I hardly know what to say. The surprise of this remembrance has rather taken speech away from me, and that doesn't happen often. But, in the thirty-seven years that I have spent in the service of this organization, I have had very happy moments. I have enjoyed the association and the friendship of many, many of our sisters. It has been a labor of love all through the time, even though, through those many years, I have been interested in other things, but it was always like coming back home, to come to those whom I seemed to belong to first. Twenty-six years ago, it was my privilege to serve as National President. In the year that I was National President, I had the honor of instituting two depart ments. Yow will remember at that time our organization was not as large as it today. I instituted the Department of Nebraska, and, a coincident, the Department of Missouri. (Applause) And, I traveled down to Sedalia, for your institution, having been organized by Lucille Dragon, who has gone home to rest. It is strange, our National President should preside in the Department of Missouri today. It was an unfortunate circumstance that I was prevented from being present at Milwaukee last year to see my very dear friend, Julia Kull elected to the office of National President. I was sick at heart. I was with the group constantly in thought, although I was unable to be with you, and I was most happy to serve this year in office of Secretary and so very happy I could be here at our convention at which she presided and upon her retirement. So, I want to say at this time, that I sin cerely appreciate the many courtesies and honors that you have given to me throughout the years. It is such a privilege to be with you. I am grateful for this gift of remembrance which I shall treasure always, and I am glad to be here to serve during this convention. I was happy to serve you during the past year and thank you very much, Julia, for the lovely thought that prompted this gift to your Past National President who served in the long ago. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Mamie B. Schmidt composed the song that the Past National Presidents sang. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT MAMIE B. SCHMIDT: Madam Na tional President, may I make a little correction? I asked our National President to let us have this little surprize for our older sisters and I didn't compose this. 44 I want to make that correction. Some time during the year when I was traveling over the country, this was on a song sheet and I copied it from that. I don't know which Department I got it from. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Well, that is all right. She did her part*. I am going to ask our National Secretary to see that these two gifts are sent to the Past National Presidents who are not here, Elizabeth McNamara and Jessie Booth Perry. NATIONAL SECRETARY WILLIAMS: I will be very happy to take care of it. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Now, the Colors will present the repre- sentatvies from the Sons and Daughters. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Sisters, I have the pleasure of presenting to you the Sons and Daughters of '98. You will observe this station and salute. BROTHER EUGENE RANDLER, National Trustee: Madam National Presi dent, Distinguished Guests, Ladies of the Auxiliary: It is with great pleasure that we of the Sons of the Spanish War Veterans come here today to bring you greet ings on behalf of our organization. We assure you that the Sons stand ever ready to assist you as well as the Comrades in all matters that properly be allowed us to do. I might point out that recently the Sons and Daughters composed many letters to the representatives in Congress urging passage of the 20 per cent Bill and we were very much pleased when that law went into effect. I say again that it is a pleasure to be here in this beautiful auditorium and bring greetings from our organization. I wish to present Brother John Crawford, also a trustee. Also, Brother Howard Crawford. I have a small token of appreciation for your National President which I will present at this time. It was my privilege to attend the reception accorded to your National President in Oakland, California, some months ago. I am very happy to be here again to see her at this time. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Thank you so much for your greetings and to the Sons, you know we stand ready at all times to give to you our support. CAPTAIN BERNADETTE PARKER: I want to bring to you the greetings of the National Organization of Daughters of '98 and wish for you a happy and harmonious convention and present to you this little gift. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Bernadette comes from New Jersey and we are very happy to receive the Daughters of '98. We know the Daughters are going to be very happy because we do have some nice things planned for them this year, and we are going to try and keep our Daughters as happy as we can, we need their support and I know they stand ready and willing to help us at all times. Thank you very much for coming. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Colors, will you present our visitors. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT FLORENCE M. CLARK: Madam Na tional President, we bring you greetings from our sister patriotic organizations, and Madam National President our visitors will be introduced to you. Past National President Hattie B. Trazenfeld presented Mrs. Ida Heacock Baker, representing Mrs. Grace Vendetta, National President of the Woman's Relief Corps. Past National President Violet B. King presented Mrs Frances Rohrbach representing the Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic. 45 Past National President Marie C. Williams presented Mrs. Agnes Upell Boyce representing Anna B. Dolan, National President, Daughters of the Union of the Civil War, 1861-1865. Past National President Nora V. Eveleth presented Mrs. Ann. Burton Sine, National President, Blue S+ar, Mothers of America. Past National President Lou Ella Allen presented Mrs. Nell Keilberg, Assis tant to the National Secretary of the Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars representing the National President, Sally Cannon. Past National President Olive M. Ravens presented Mrs. Edith Mattocks representing Mrs. Jewell Miller, National President of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. Past National President Irma Hill Vogel presented Betty Storer, Supreme Gila Monster, Military Order of the Lizard. National President Kull received the visitors expressing her appreciation for their greetings and gifts. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: I am going to ask Past National Presi dent Violet King to respond to the greetings from the various organizations. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT VIOLET B. KING: Madam National Pres ident and Our Guests from these other organizations who have come to us today: We do appreciate the greetings that you have brought to us. We are working for the same cause. We are all patriotic women and to be a good, patriotic woman, we are good Christian women. It wouldn't do for us all to belong to one organization. We would have a terri ble time to find enough office? for all the women who like to serve if we only had one organization. So, to make us more interesting and make us more anxious to work, we have to have various organizations. As you know, our bovs and men did serve at the same time, which was a good thing, for we do have times in the world when our boys and men are called upon to sacrifice and their women to sacrifice. But, we are glad that the women feel that they want to organize and have organizations that befit the tvne of service the men gave and want to serve all those men and boys who sacrificed for our country. May I sav to you representatives, kindly ^o back to your organizations with a [ thank you from us to your folks for coming to us with these greetings and bringing to our National President these material gifts. It is always a high light of any convention when we can see the women who are working along the same lines as we are and see that they are just as nice looking and young as we are. So, Sisters go back to 3rour organizations with our deepest thanks for everything. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: We will now have the report of the Rules Committee. Chairman Past National President Martha B. Hart and her Com mittee. CHAIRMAN MARTH B. HART: Will Anna Nugent and Lila Lacey and the other members of the Committee come to the platform. Convention Rules of the Forty-Fourth National Convention of the Auxiliary United Spanish War Veterans held in Kansas City, Missouri, August 24 to 28, in clusive. 1. The meeting of the convention shall be opened at the appointed time, if a quorum is present. 2. Each morning meeting shall be opened with prayer by the National Chaplain. 46 3. A section shall be provided for the members of the Convention entitled to vote, and no one other than members entitled to vote by virtue of present or past office, voting delegates or alternates serving as delegates shall be seated therein. 4. Delegates shall wear the delegates badge at each convention meeting. Alter nates serving as delegates shall wear the delegate's badge during time of serving at convention meetings 5. Delegate's badge shall entitle the wearer to a seat in the voting section of convention; an alternate's badge or a visitor's badge and receipt for current dues will entitle the member to a seat in the non-voting section. 6. When a member rises to address the Chair, she shall announce her name, department and number of credential so that they may be entered on the minutes of the Convention, and member shall not speak until recognized by the Chair. 7. The National President shall state each motion properly and if debatable ask, "Are there any remarks?" After debate or discussion, the National President shall call for the vote and announce the result. 8. Members shall not speak more than twice on any motion before the conven tion, other than to make explanations, except by vote of the convention. 9. When speaking, a member shall confine her remarks to the question before the convention, and shall refrain from personalities, unbecoming language or dis- 1 respect toward members. A member having the floor shall not be interrupted except for the purpose of raising a point of order. 10. Nominating speeches shall be limited to two minutes each. Only two seconds of nominations shall be recorded. 11. Presentation of flowers or gifts shall be made at the time of installation of officers, except gifts of flowers presented by Greeting Committees. 12. Any one of these rules may be suspended by a two-thirds favorable vote of members of convention seated and voting. 13. No member shall present literature or solicit votes within fifty feet of the polling booth. 14. These special rules and the Rules of Order Section 188 of the 1945 Rules and Regulations shall govern the proceedings of the Forty-Fourth National Convention. 15. Subject to the foregoing rules, the proceedings of the Fourty-fourth National Convention shall be governed by Roberts Rules of Order, Revised. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Sisters, you have heard the report of the Rules Committee. What is your pleasure? MARY GOMMERINGER (Credential No. 229, New Hampshire): I move that the rules be accepted. SISTER QUICK (Credential No. 122, Oregon): I would like to second that motion. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: It has been moved and seconded that we adopt the rules as presented. All in favor say "aye"; contrary "no". It is so ordered. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Before I give my report, I would like to say I am using the gavel presented to me in Portland, Oregon, by the Department Commander. I promised him that I would open the Convention with this gavel. I also feel I should make an announcement about the beautiful flag. The beautiful American flag on my right was presented by Franklin Auxiliary No. 3, Department of New Jersey, Auxiliary of Spanish War Veterans to our Headquarters and we are using it for the first time today. Our Department President thought I should have a flag of New Jersey heie today. We have received the use of the flag through the courtesy of our Governor Alfred E. Driscoll of New Jersey. 47 Will the National Senior Vice President assume the Chair. (National Senior Vice President Pansy De Nunzio assumed the Chair.) (The National President read her report as given in the printed reports.) NATIONAL SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT DENUNZIO: You have heard the National President read her very fine report. What is your pleasure? PAULINE HOELZEL (Credential No. 590, Arkansas): I move the acceptance of the report with a rising vote of thanks to our National President for her efficient and loyal service. LILLIAN DODD (Credential No. 33, New York): I second the motion. NATIONAL SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT DENUNZIO: You have heard the motion made and seconded that we accept the report of the National President with a rising vote of thanks. All those in favor make it known by the usual sign; opposed? All please rise. The motion is carried. (National President Kull resumed the Chair.) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Thank you. You have all reveived your printed reports and I would entertain a motion to accept them. (A motion was made and duly seconded that the printed reports be accepted.) PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT HATTIE B. TRAZENFELD (Pennsyl vania) : If many of the delegates like myself, didn't receive this report in time to read it, I would suggest, with your approval, that that it be put off until we have had the opportunity to read it. It doesn't seem right to accept it by motion or action, until such time as we have had an opportunity to read it. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: All right, we will wait until tomorrow morning, until all of the delegates have read the reports. It may be laid on the table. I believe we can have the report of the Credentials Committee. Mary Larkin, Chairman Credentials Committee. MARY LARKIN, Chairman Credentials Committee: Madam National Presi dent, I have the honor to report 728 registered delegates, 536 visitors, making a total of 1264. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Thank you, Sister Larkin. MEMBER: Many of us have not gotten the reports you asked us to read. What shall we do? NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Sister Larkin, when can the delegates j get the reports? SISTER LARKIN: Tomorrow morning, any time, from nine o'clock on. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Couldn't we get them sooner? We are to open our meeting at eight-thirty. You all know we can only have this audi torium for five hours. We have to pay $25 for five hours and if we stay five minutes over five hours, it is $25 more. While we had planned that we only have half-day sessions, it doesn't interfere with our program, but our sessions will begin at eight-thirty and I will give you five minutes of grace to get in. We have to do that in order to get through with our work, so won't you please be on time, because wWw e\gY_t-\\\tf ty comes, and after the five minutes of grace, we are going to start, and those of you who are not here, you ax. go\wg _o wv\__ an awiuV \O\L. SO please, won't you help us. This is the only afternoon session. Each day you may be dis missed at one o'clock, and it may be at twelve-thirty. It just depends on how we I get through with our work. Now, you each want a half of day off, don't you; a j half a day for enjoyment, so if you don't help, we can't accomplish it. But, we are going to start with those of you who are here. 48 SISTER LARKIN: Sisters, the reason we were so late this morning was, we could not get our material. We were here at seven-thirty, but doors down in the lower part of the building were not open until quarter to nine, and therefore, we could not start to work. National Secretary Williams read telegrams from the following, Past National Presidents, Elizabeth L. McNamara, Jessie Booth Perry, Anna C. Jesmeir; Catherine L. Joyce, National President, Auxiliary Sons of Union Veterans; Austia Barnaburg, Department President of Oregon; Mrs. Harrison Smith, Chairman, WomensNational Defense Committee of Philadelphia, Gertrude Herrington, Past Department President of South Carolina, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Herbert, Mrs. E. C.Rumpler, President General, National Society Daughters of the Union, 1861-1865. Also the following: "Dear Sisters, "I sure do miss being with you, but I am sending my deepest appreciation and thanks to the committee who made it possible for my scholarship fund for nursing. "With my best wishes for a successful convention to all, "Yours, F. P. H. Joyce Kelley" This is the daughter of the Spanish War Veteran, member of Auxiliary 46, War ren, Ohio. The inscription on the card says, "I just can't put it into words The way some people do, But way down deep within my heart I'm thinking all of you." My sincere thanks to All of You." I think that is all, Madam President. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: I would like to ask Sister Shakespeare to serve as parliamentarian as our sister parliamentarian will not be with us. The following Past Department Presidents will serve as pages: Merle Hunter; Mary E. Wyman; Milderd Zerbel; Evalena Lawrence; Alice Mc- Bournie; Zidonia Quick. (Announcements were made by National Secretary Williams.) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: I would like to appoint the committee to serve as judges for the scrapbooks: Past National President Mary C. Williams; Past National President Lulu Shake speare; National Publicity Chairman Harriet Warick. The Chairman of the Enactment Committee was Jessie Booth Perry and I shall ask Violet B. King to take the Chairmanship. Past National President Mary Mc Gauley will serve on the Committee. We have come to the close of our first session. Sisters, will you try to be here tomorrow morning at eight-thirty? We will recess until tomorrow morning at eight-thirty. (The meeting recessed at tour twenty-five o'clock.) 49 TUESDAY MORNING SESSION AUGUST 26, 1947 The meeting reconvened at eight-forty o'clock with National President Kull presiding. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Sisters, will you please be seated. We are waiting to open our session. You know, our time is limited and we want to have plenty of time for the things we want to do. We will have the opening prayer by the National Chaplain. NATIONAL CHAPLAIN ALEXANDER: Heavenly Father, we pray that Thy Spirit may possess our minds and hearts as we meet here today. Give us Thy aid that our work may be successful and so endow us that charity, justice, peace and harmony shall ever remain and abide with us; speak to our hearts when courage fails and men faint with fear and the love of many grows cold and there is distress upon the nations of the earth. Keep us resolute and steadfast in the things that cannot be shaken, abounding in the hope and knowledge that our labor is not in vain in Thee. Restore our faith in the omnipotence of good and renew in us the love that never faileth and make us to lift up our eyes beyond the things that are seen and temporal to the things that are unseen and eternal. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord; Amen. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: We will have the roll call of Departments. (National Secretary Williams called the roll of Departments.) NATIONAL SECRETARY WILLIAMS: Madam National President, the roil has been called and you have a quorum present. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: We will now have the reading of the endorsements. (National Secretary Williams read the endorsements of candidates from the various Departments.) SISTER AGNES UPELL BOYCE: May I at this time have my name with drawn. I do not wish to be a candidate this year for office. I appreciate it, and perhaps will run for office sometime in the future, but please do not submit my name to this National Convention. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Thank you, Sister Boyce. Now, any of you sisters who are going to nominate a candidate, will you please be seated here in the front of the auditorium so we will not lose time. The next order of business is the nomination of officers. The nominations are now open for the office of National President. The following officers were nominated: For National President, Pansy DeNunzio, Kentucky, nominated by Virginia Morton, Department President of Kentucky, seconded by Past Department President, Pearl Reister. For Senior Vice President, Mary Ross McKay, nominated by Frida Gruler, Depart ment President of Ohio, seconded by Past National President Florence M. Clark. 50 For National Jr. Vice President, Grace M. Alexander, Arizona, nominated by Cora Johnson, Department President of Arizona, seconded by Past National President, Lulu Shakespeare and Past National President, Olive M. Ravens. For National National Chaplain, Lillian Bauman, Indiana, nominated by Past Na tional President Marie C. Williams, seconded by Anna Nation Department Presi dent of Indiana. For National Patriotic Instructor, Ruby H. Lyons, Arkansas, nominated by Past Department President Pauline Hoetzel, Arkansas, seconded by Mattie Trice, De partment President, Arkansas and Past National President Lou Ella Allen. For National Patriotic Instructor, Emma B. Stobbe, New York, nominated by Eva B. Lauteman, Department President of New York, seconded by Past Department President Elzabeth Shaefer, New York. For National Historian, Anna Nugent, Montana, nominated by Winnie Walters, Department President of Montana, seconded by Ethel Peterson, (Credential 197), Montana and Past National President, Ethel Cummings. For National Historian, Anna Elson, Kansas, nominated by Louise Odle, Department President of Kansas, seconded by Past Department President Emma Warren. For National Conductor, Ada L. Duffy, Illinois, nominated by Gertrude Schumann Department President of Illinois, seconded by Past National President Violet B. King. For National Conductor, Edna R. Summerfield, District of Columbia, nominated by Past Department President Gertrude Miles, seconded by Madge Ryce, Department President, District of Columbia and Past National President, Mamie B. Schmidt. For National Assistant Conductor, Cecelia Johnson, Wisconsin, nominated by Past National President Anna K. Juneau, Seconded by Helen Mundt, Department Pres- dent of Wisconsin. For National Guard, Margaret McDaniel, Oklahoma, nominated by Mary Smoyer, Department President of Oklahoma, seconded by Past Department President May Ferguson, and Past National President, Nora V. Eveleth. For National Guard, Lucretia Bunnel, Connecticut nominated by Mary Sebas, De partment President of Conecticut, seconded by Past National President, Mary A. McGauley. For National Assistant Guard, Ellen R. Hawk, Pennsylvania, nominated by Depart ment President Cora Mawhinney, seconded by Past National President Hattie B. Trazenfeld, Pennsylvania and Past Department President Maude Schroyer. For National Assistant Guard, Emma Von Lindenburg, Maryland nominated by Carroll A. Cottingham, Department President Maryland, seconded by several mem bers of the Department. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Are there any other nominations? Are there any other nominations? Are there any other nominations I declare the nominations closed. Now, could we have the report of the Credentials Committee? They are not ready. The Enactment Committee, do you have any report? SISTER VIOLET B. KING: Not as yet, but we would like to look at the candidates. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Will the candidates kindly present them selves here on the platform? (The candidates came to the platform and were introduced to the members.) (Applause) 51 NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: They are all lovely ladies, aren't they? NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: We will have the report of the Credentials Comniittee. CHAIRMAN CREDENTIAL COMMITTEE MARY LARKIN: Madam Na tional President, I have the honor of reporting the results of the credentials list Registered delegates, 786, visitors, 530, making a total of 1316. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Have all the Departments registered? Is there anyone waiting for a credential? When shall we close? MATTIE W. TRICE, Department President, (Arkansas): We have two but they are out now. GENEVA BUSSARD (Missouri): I have four delegates who names were not presented to National by the 15th, but I have them here. Will those ladies be allowed in? NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Will you please take care of that now, and then we will be able to close our registration. When shall we close? NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: I was just going to make the suggestion that after we are dismissed here at one o'clock, we could ask the Credentials Com mittee to serve an extra hour and then close at two o'clock. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Are there any remarks or is there a motion? LUCRETIA BUNNEL (Credential No. 202): I move that we follow your sug gestion. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Are there any other remarks? We want to be fair, you know, but sometimes our sisters wait until the last minute. CLARA FOWLER (Credential No. 102, California): I second the motion that the credentials be closed at two o'clock. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: The motion is that we close our regi stration at two o'clock, one hour after we are dismissed here. Now is there any other discussion? NATIONAL CHAPLAIN ALEXANDER: I do feel that, that is a little soon to close the registration. I believe it was understood it would be open all day today. SISTER MARY SMOYER, (Credential No. 420, Oklahoma): Some of pur delegates are not present and that will not give us time to fill our quota. Two-thirty or three o'clock would be better. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: All right, Sisters, we have to stay open a little longer until the Departments have their quotas filled. I would say four o'clock. I think by that time we ought to be able to have our quotas filled. We vote Wednes day morning and we close our registrations today. Now, what shall we do? MEMBER (Credential No. 297): Wouldn't it save us a little bit of time, where there is no contest in an office that it be a collective ballot? NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: No, all names should be on the ballot. SAME MEMBER: Is that permissable? NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Well, if you want to do it, but I think it is rather nice to have the candidate's name on the ballot. They may want a ballot to take home with them. I knowl did. I don't think it will take much longer and we had better have all the candidates' name on the ballots. We want the hour for closing now. When shall we close the registration? 52 SISTER EMMA RYAN (Credential No. 90, Arkansas): I move that we amend the motion and we close the registration at four o'clock this afternoon. That should give them plenty of time to get the credentials in. SISTER IDA BATCHELOR, (Credential No. 364, Connecticut): I second the motion/ NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: There has been a motion made and second ed that we close the registration at four o'clock. Are there any questions? All in favor of the motion say "aye"; opposed "no". It is so ordered. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Sisters, the polls will be open from seven- thirty to ten-hirty and we will give you a half hours' grace and we will start our session at nine o'clock tomorrow. That will help some. But, we do have to be on time, because we must be out of here by one o'clock. The Credentials Committee will be on duty at seven-thirty and if everybody cooperates, we can be seated on time. You will have to ballot on the way in, so everybody try to get here earlier. A motion is in order that we accept the report of the Credentials Committee. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: A motion has been made and seconded that we accept the report of the Credentials Committee. All in favor of the motion say "aye"; opposed "no". It is so ordered. The final report of the Credentials Committee will be given tomorrow. Communications were read by National Secretary Williams from the following: Adeline Aiken Sigel, National President, National Society Daughters of the Revolution. Theodore Roosevelt Auxiliary No. 5, Department of California. Minnie V. Stahl, Past President, Department of Missouri. Vivian Tallman Peterson, National Musician. Mrs. Edmund R. Stearns, National President, Nat'l Society New England Women. Mrs. William H. Pouch, Honorary President, General Daughters of the Ameri can Revolution. Mrs. Harry G. O'Connor, National President, Army and Navy Legion of Valor. Miss Lulu V. Walsh, Commander National Yeoman. Mrs. Dorothy W. Pearl, National President, American Legion Auxiliary. Miss Tina Brill, National President, National Auxiliary Jewish War Veterans. Mrs. Eleanor D. Boyd, National President, American Gold Star Mothers. Mrs. William Shelton, National President, National Society for Constitutional Security. (National Secretary Wiiliams made a few announcements.) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Will the Distinguished Guest Committee kindly present our visitors. (The guests were escorted to the platform by the Colors.) PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT NORA V. EVELETH: Madam National President and Sisters of the Conventon Assembled: This year we have had an out standing Legislative Committee. Great work has been done and successfully done. Each member of the Committee did his bit, but under the great leadership of Judge Matthias. We have been very successful, and now I am going to prsent to you, Judge Mattthias, who all the ladies should love for the work he has done this year for our legislation and I am most proud and happy to present to you our own * Judge Matthias, the National Legislative Chairman. 53 NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: I am sure we are very happy to have Judge Matthias with us today and words fail to express to him our thanks for all he has done on behalf of our widows. We are very proud of him and we want him to know that we stand behind him 100 per cent in all he has done for us. We are very happy to greet you, Judge. He is going to speak to you in just a few minutes. (Applause) PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT IRMA HILL VOGEL: Madam President and Sisters: I deem it a great privilege to introduce this man who this year has been the silent worker of our organization. As usual, the people from National Headquarters do all the work and all of these National Officers, both men and wo men, stand up and take the bows. Comrade Downey! (Applause) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: We are very proud to have Comrade Dow ney visit us and I have enjoyed going down to Headquarters and have always found him ready and willing to do all he could for us and we are going to hear from him just a little later. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT LOU ELLA ALLEN: I now have the honor of presenting to you, the Editor of the National Tribune. (Applause) Those of you who do not take that paper, do not know what you are missing. Now, may I present to you, Mr. Edward K. Inman! (Applause) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: And for Mr. Inman, I want to say just a word. You know the publicity our organization has received this year through our National Publicity Chairman, and our Mr. Inman at the National Tribune has tried to put in all that publicty to give your organization all the credit. Each Department wanted to have their publicity in the Tribune and so we did have a wonderful year. And, Mr. Inman—I am going to let you in on a little secret—has taken a little abuse on account of it. Some people complained there were too many pictures of the National President in the Tribune. But. he did give all the publicity to our organi zation that was possible and after all, that is important, not the individuals. While I am presenting our guests, I want to present to you, the Chairman of our Legislative Committee, Nora V. Eveleth, who was privileged to serve with our National Chairman on Legislation. NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE CHAIRMAN NORA V. EVELETH: Madam National President and Sisters: It was a pleasure and an honor to be able to do something to help our comrades and sisters, and everything that has been said on this platform about these splendid people was true. I had the privilege of being on the "Hill" when they were so busy with their work. Every corner was covered so nicely. Nothing was left undone. I think Judge Matthias was flying back and forth by airplane to and from Washington, and he did a splendid job and I was awfully proud of the way he handled that Committee. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: And now, will you admit the Drum Corps? (The Philadelphia Drum Corps were escorted to the platform by the Colors.) SISTER ELLA DILLION: Madam National President and National Officers and Convention Assembled: I have the privilege and honor of presenting to you the Pennsylvania United Spanish War Veterans Band. This band has traveled from coast to coast to National Conventions for approximately the past seventeen years and they have earned and justly covet the title of National Championship Fife and Drum Corps. This morning they come to you from Philadelphia to serenade our National President and to give you a little music. The first number they are going to play, they are dedicating to our Past National Commander in Chief, our beloved Comrade Matthias. (The Philadelphia Drum Corps played several selections, led by Comrade Pool Davis. A solo was sung by Comrade George Trinkle.) 54 NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: I am sure we all appreciate this music. Let's give them a big hand. (Applause) We appreciate your coming Comrades, and we are very proud of you. Come again. And now, it is my happy privilege to present to you, one of the most outstanding Comrades in our organization. Last January when I was in Washington, I invited Comrade Matthias to visit us at our National Convention and he hasn't forgotten it. We are very happy today to have him with us. He is a most outstanding Comrade and it is my pleasure now to present to you, Judge Edward Matthias of the Depart ment of Ohio, our National Legislative Chairman. (Rising Applause.) JUDGE EDWARD MATTHIAS: Thank you: NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: I told him he could have all the time he wanted. JUDGE EDWARD MATTHIAS: Madam National President, Ladies of the Auxiliary, Comtades who are present and Friends: The extension of that unlimited time privilege may be dangerous. When a culprit was before a court and he was asked if he had anything to say why his sentence should not be pronounced, he had nothing to say. But, after the judge handed out rather a liberal sentence of imprison ment and the baliff was about to start out with him, he turned around and said, "Well, Mr. Judge, I have something to say now." The judge said, "Certainly, go ahead and say anything you desire." He said, "I just at this time, Mr. Judge, want to say, your Honor, that I think you are darned liberal with other folk's time."(Laughter) I am very glad that your National President remembered that she extended me that invitation to come here and thank her for not forgetting it. It is mighty fine to know that you really have an invitation. You want to be sure about that. Every state is probably represented here and it is always dangerous to locate a story in any state when someone is present, so I don't know in what state this was heard. One fellow just a little the worse for lubrication came in and was on the floor dancing when his presence was discovered. He was led to the door. It was opened, he was put out and it was closed. But soon, he was back again dancing on the floor. Then he was led out again and pushed out and the door closed behind him. But soon, he was back again. Then, a couple of huskies picked up by the nape of the neck and the seat of the trousers and threw him into the street. He came back again to the door rubbing his shins and he said, "I know, you fellows don't want me in there." (Laughter.) So, it is Wonderful and reassuring this morning to know that I have an invitation to be here. I know you will recall that at the National Encampment at Milwaukee last year, a mandate was issued. It was stated in its terms to the National Committee on Legislation and its Administration, and that mandate was in substance, a directive to our Committee to watch over and protect the interests of Spanish American War Veterans and their dependents and to seek to procure more liberal pension allow ances, consistent with established precedent and commensurate with the increased living costs. It is one of the most happy privileges I have ever had, to come back, and on be half of the Committee on Legislation and its Administration, say to you that mandate is now the law of this nation. It became the law of this nation by the unanimous vote of the House of Representatives, by the unanimous vote of the United States Senate and by the prompt approval of the President of the United States. Let's make it clear in the beginning, that result was achieved and accomplished not by any effort of any single individual. Let me assure you that the benefits of you and our comrades everywhere, are dependent—the benefits that they will enjoy are the results only of the fine cooperation of the united action and the concerted effort of the most cohesive, hardest fighting veterans' organization ever known. (Applause) And of course, you understand that in any time that I refer to an 55 organization or veterans' organization, I am including in our Auxiliary because some of the finest influence that we have had all the time in our efforts to procure legislation and heretofore the influence we have had exerted, has been from the Auxiliary of our organization. Those who have had the opportunity, and I think they have or will have, if they have not already, to see a copy of the reports of the various officers and committees, will find in that a report of the Legislative Committee which is quite in full up to and including the fact that our bill was reported out favorably by the Senate Finance Committee. So, what I will have to say this morning will be to some extent, a synopsis of that report and a supplement of that report, referring to the incidents connected with the procurement of that legislation which occurred after this report went into the hands of the printer. I don't like to use the word "I", but for twenty-five years, I have been a member of the Legislative Committe. Most of the time, either Chairman or Vice Chairman of that Committee. We were confronted by a situation this time that we have never known before. We were confronted with an economy-minded Congress, a Congress starting out under a reorganization plan; new committees. Committees that heretofore, I believe were forty-six in number, were cut down to nineteen. Heretofore, we have had our own Committee, the Pension Committee of the House who accorded us hearings and who acted upon our proposals for legislation. Now, there is a Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the house that consists of twenty-three members, as I recall. There comes before that Committee, the proposed legislation of all veterans' organizations, so that we are confronted by an entirely new committee. As we approached our hearing last April, as we came to the hearing for our bill, there was only one Congressmen who had heretofore served upon our pension com- mittee of the House, before whom we had previously appeared. Our bill was introduced pursuant to the action of the Legislative Committee. The bill had been prepared. It was unanimously approved and endorsed by our Com mittee at its meeting in Washington in January. It was upon our request that it was introduced into Congress by the logical person to introduce it. She did it gladly and willingly and enthusiastically, and I refer, as I go along, to those who were par- j ticularly active, the real cogs in the machine, every one of which it was so essential to have favorable to that legislation, I am not going to make any comment that I really isn't necessary to make except to those who were in those key positions and I who turned their influence to our benefit. When I tell you what they did, you can I draw your own conclusions as to where credit should be ascribed. Mrs. Rogers of Massachusetts has been in Congress for twenty-five or twenty-six I years. She is the Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. I had not known her, but through the good grace of Ed Inman, who I think has the pedigree of every Congressman in Washington, we made that contact and she readily assented to ( introduce our bill and support it. Now it was important, as we discovered afterwards, that a subcommittee out of a committee of twenty-three be appointed; a subcommittee who would have in charge, only the affairs of our organization, the Spanish War Veterans, their dependents and benefits, and that committee was appointed. Well, I don't mind saying to you, there are some suggestions as to who might be good members of that Committee. You heard one of them; the Chairman of that Committee, Mr. O'Konski. He called a meeting of the Committee at the time requested. The hearing before j the Committee was all that could be desired. The results could not possibly have been better, because at the close of that hearing, the Chairman of your Committee was present and participated in that hearing. At the close of that hearing, much to I our surprize and without leaving their seats, and in our presence, of course, the motion was made and unanimously carried that our bill be immediately approved 56 and the passage recommended. Necessarily, that bill would be referred back to the full committee. I have called your attention to those facts, that bill was No. 969. We must realize that we have talked about it for years and that our legislation was based upon civil war legislation. We fought for that for years until finally that theory of legislation received the approval of Congress and finally, the approval of the Executive, the President of the United States. That has been the theory of our legislation and so it was that the Veterans' Affairs Committee, while they would approve our bill, said, "But here, you fellow the plan and the purpose, the rates of Civil War Veterans and their dependents, but you are going beyond. We can't do this logically and fairly consistently with your own action and we can't do it unless we either have another bill bringing up the Civil War Veterans, bringing up the dependents of the Civil War Veterans or make that a part of your bill." Well, that called for some decision. You know, a two-hour air-plane schedule from Columbus to Washington isn't even swift enough when you have that kind of a proposition calling for a decision. When you have that kind of a situation, you can't take a referendum of 3^our organization. You can't even take a referendum of your committee. You have to act. Well, if you will permit me to use the word "I" again, I have been making de cisions for forty-two years. You have to accept the responsibility of makin them when it becomes necessary to make them. You can't postpone it if you are going to have prompt action on what was before a committee. So, "Why of course, we will accept that change." And, the change was made. That clause was inserted, but it made a different bill. Therefore, it was necessary to go through the hopper. In the process of that, it changed its number to 35-16, but the effect was exactly the same, only that it gave those same terms to Civil War Veterans and their dependents Without that, we wouldn't have deserved to have had the bill at all. We should not have had it. So, it was the number was changed. Well now, about that time, that one member of our organization wasn't even a member of the Legislative Committee. In fact, he had never been a member of the Legislative Committee. I said to you that we have gone along so marvelously by concentrated concerted action in these matters, but once in a while we run up against someone who is entirely lacking in experience, who was never a member of the Com mittee and without any knowledge of legislative affairs or how it has been done in the past, and you know, he got as jittery as an expectant father. We changed the number of the bill. A crisis was at hand, he thought, in the affairs of our organization; a crisis he thought was so desparate that he wrote letters over the country to members of the organization, to the members of the Legislative Committee, in which he suggested that a "brain trust" should either succeed or sup plement the Legislative Committee itself. Well, you know, it reminded me of a man on the river bank. He looks at the great river but he only see this little eddy, this little whirlpool down below, and he says, "It is just going down and down and around." He hasn't the breadth of vision to see the great stream is moving along to its predestined course and predestined destination. Well, you know, you can't bother with things like that when you have an important proposition of this kind and you have to move on, so we did. The Veterans' Affairs Committee unanimously, and I am speaking now of the Committee of the whole approved that bill and thus it became 35-16, and then it went, necessarily to the powerful Rules Committee of the House. Now, if you get tired of these details, just hold up one finger and I will quit. But, I am going to give it to you until you tell me to stop,because you know it is interesting, this sort of thing. You know, this legislation doesn't come just as a matter of course. Oh no, it has never been handed to us on a silver platter. You have to fight for it and have uniform action, concerted action, to have it pass through. You have to have the Rules Committee. Now, it doesn't make any difference how many Congressmen you have for'your bill if they never get a chance to vote. Oh, it is fine for your Congressmen. You 57 have gotten those letters, you have received those letters. By the way, you don1, know what pleasure it gives them to call on a Congressman or Senator and observe his conduct after he has received a sheaf of letters and telegrams and you know he t has them and observe the effect it has on him when you folks write those letters, and he will write back to you, "When the bill comes up, if it comes up, I will be glad to give it my sympathetic attention. "That is the word. Maybe he will go so far as to say, "If and when it comes up, I will vote for it". But, I am saying to you, that attitude, that he will vote for it, isn't worth a continental unless he has has a chance to vote and he hasn't a chance to vote unless the Rules Committee of the House put it on the counter and affords that opportunity for him to vote. So, it is necessary to get by the Rules Committee. That is a barrier; a barrier to much of the legislation and properly so. If you had everything going in there, why the Congressmen would never get through. But the fine thing about it was, we discovered after a while that we had the prefer ence. I will tell you how we got it. We got it because through the years, every re quest we have made has been recognized by Congress as being fair and just. (Applause) You heard Congressman O'Konski when he gave us such a fine recom mendation. If I had the opportunity then, I wanted to say to Congressman O'Konski he couldn't come down here and make any controversy with us when he tells us what fine fellows we are, because we agree to it. (Laughter) So, it went to the Rules Committee. Congressman Allen of Illinois is the Chairman of that Committee. While I am saying this, I want to say that Congressman Brown is an influential member of the Rules Committee and also a member of the Majority Steering Com mittee and that after all, determines what legislation is going through or will be per-mitted to go through. The Rules Committee said, "We just can't approve that bill the way it is. We are willing to approve a bill that provides for a horizontal increase for pensions for those who are already provided for, but we just can't approve the portion of the bill, that expansion, that brings in a different case. As you recall, the bill was to provide for widows who married their subsequent veteran husbands prior to December 31, 1937. That was, before January 1, 1938. And they wouldn't include that clause because it was new legislation, and it would not go through. There was a barrier there. Well, that was another question. What would you do? Would you take all of that but this little fraction or would it all be defeated? That called for a descision and it was made and made promptly. But, the question arose, what would that do to the bill? Well, that is where our good friend O'Konski came in again. Chairman Allen said to me. "You know, Con gressman Brown, your friend, has told you how this can be done, but we will do it* the expeditious way. This was on Saturday and O'Konski came in Monday morn ing and said that the bill would go in the hopper and be approved and it was. It was approved by the Veterans' Affairs Committee again. It was approved by the Rules Committee and inside of ten days, it had passed the House unanimously with 337 votes for it and no votes against it and was sent to the Senate. m Well, the Senate Finance Committee, the watchdogs of the Treasury; Senator Millikin of Colorado is the Chairman of that Committee. Senator Taft of Ohio was next Senior Member of the Committee. I am giving you names., not from the importance standpoint, but what I want you to understand this was a bipartisan propostion at this time. Let me say this is the first time, and I am quite sure I am right about this, in the history of our organization and the legislation that we have had, that we had legislation under consideration where the President was of one po litical party and the Congress, and therefore the leadership of Congress, was of the other party. From one party to another. It was the first time we had that situation While I am speaking of first times, this is important. This was the first time wc we have ever been able to get legislation through Congress and approved by the President at any other session of Congress than the session which immediately pre ceded the election. It was not hard to understand that one or why that would be. 58 I wonder if you realize that when this sort of a situation converges, there are no personalities in it at all? We seek to get the man who can do the job, whatever it is. It just happened that I have known Senator Millikin for a long time. Don't you suppose that a tVnrty-mVnute conversation over the telephone with a key man in Congress who has to say what legislation can go beiore or on W\£ ftoor would have some effect. Now, we are back to the Senate Finance Committee. I never had a bigger surprize in my life than when I saw the Chairman of that Committee, Senator Millikin, and he said, "The Senate Finance Committee has approved your bill. Best regards to you.' Well, tbat brought it out, put it on the calendar about the _K „c of the session. But, the close of the session of Congress was coming up. On Thursday, which was just thirteen days before Congress was to close, Thursday a week from the folk wing Saturday Congress was to clo^e, our bill came up on what we call the unanimous consent calendar. If there is any objection, out it goes, passed over. It must be unanimous. A number of bills are passed that way. They have been combed over by committees and where there is absolute agreement, of course they are passed, and that is passed, but if there is one objection, they are thrown cut. Thursday there was one. It was Senator Byrd of Virginia. Some bird. He is a brother of the Admiral. Senator Byrd doesn't like veteran legislation. I don't say that he objects to it all, but Senator Byrd objected and it went over to Friday. On Friday, Senator Russell arose and as a personal privilege asked that the record of the day before be corrected. It had shown that he had made the objection. Then he said, "While I am on my feet, I couldn't have made that objection and I am ask ing that unanimous consent be given now to the consideration of this bill." Byrd objected. It went over. On Saturday they said they would run throught to seven o'clock if necessary. At quarter past six, Senator Taft—let me remind you again, Senator Taft is the Chairman of the Majority Steering Committee and if that com mittee says it is okay, that is all that is necessary; it is ah over. Senator Taft arose, presented this bill, referred to it and yielded the floor to Sen ator Millikin who in less than three minutes stated the merits of our bill and asked that it be immediately considered and passed. There was no discussion, no debate. The roll was called and it was unanimously passed by the Senate. I have said to you that this was a bipartisan effort. Congressman Rayburn of Texas was the minority floor leader. At the last session of Congress, when the ma jority were Democrats, Rayburn was the speaker. Before I get to that, I think I ought to call your attention to the fact that Joe Martin of Massachusetts is now the speaker and if the speaker had said no, it would have meant no. We are greatly indebted to Joe Martin, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and to Senator Halleck of Indiana, the floor leader. But now, on the minority side as I have indicated, Sam Rayburn of Texas was the minority floor leader. John W. McCormack has been one of the most steadfast friends we have ever had and he was Assistant Floor Leader of the House. They sometimes call him the whip of the House. So, we were looking of course, at the minority as well as the majority. But, I want to emphasize again, that if we had not been able to secure an active support of this bill by the majority leadership which had absolute control, we would never had a chance to pass the bill. Well, we received the support, not only of the majority, but of the minority as well. Now, that was going along fine and I want to emphasize again that the suc cess of that legislation by the strong influence of the folks back home—when the opportunity camefor that influence to be used and realized, you can see the result that was accomplished. Of course, as I said a while ago, it is like a football game where the excitement is great and sometimes a fellow on the sidelines will jump in and attempt to carry the ball. Did you ever see that? He is not even on the team You know, that sort of thing doesn't get either the ball or the fellow over'the goal 59 line. You just have to disregard those things and go on, remembering the people who are benefiting you back home and those who are helping you accomplish that result. Iwant to say this to you: That without the head and foot work of Ed Inman, the Editor of the National Tribune and Walter Downey, the Quartermaster General of our organization who were on the ground all the time, and as we say, up on the "hill" checking over these things constantly, without that, regardless of you Chair man, Vice Chairman or anybody else, our legislative program would still be nothing but a legislative program. I wonder too, if you folks know what it means and what it meant in the past to our efforts on legislation on behalf of our comrades and their dependents, to have- the strong fighting ability constantly, week after week, of the National Tribune? It goes to the desk of every Congressman and every Senator and you know as well as I, the strength of the editorials that it has, and you can guess as well as I, the| sort of influence it has upon the membership of the Senate and the House of Repre sentatives. Now, I want to say something about gratitude. You folks write letters to your Congressmen. You make requests. Sometimes, you make demands. You do splen did at that. But, do you ever write him a letter after it is done and tell him that that it is appreciated? Well if you don't, vou are making a mistake. One of the reasons for the result of our legislation in the past has been that constant contact, Your Committee, after the approval of the bill by the Veterans' Affairs Committee, wrote a personal letter to every member of the Committee; after the bill passed the House, again a letter went to everyone of the members of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, expressing appreciation and likwise the hope that the Senate when they had an opportunity would do the same and would also pass a bill. Well, there is nothing selfish in that. After all, you know when a Congressman helps to get a bill across, he would like to have that done and it is helpful. He likes the help of the Senator from his own state. So it is with the Senate Finance Com mittee. A telegram went to every one of them, asking for their help and when it came, a telegram went to every one of them thanking them for their action, and so it has been throughout this legislation. We have laid the groundwork to provide a defense against any attack. We have. already .got our defenses set up by the contacts we have made, by the influences you have helped us to make. I want to emphasize again that the results achieved? in our legislation are based upon two things: The merits of our own proposals, the fairness of our requests, and second, the fine influential and constant assistance oil the comrades and the sisters back home. Al Kennedy, if you will recall, prepared his report when he was Chairman for the Cincinnati Convention, but was called away before that convention came oni In his report, he suggested—he didn't have many suggestions or proposals, but oneB of them was that now that old resolution that was 23-50, the number of the bill that! had been passed, and it was 1943, that all the legislation we could hope to procure had been procured and the Legilative Committee should be abolished. It was a good thing we didn't do that, wasn't it? We ought to remember the fact that the Legislative Committee is not only a committee on legislation but also upon its administration and it has that authority so that when legislation is passed, the Com mittee has to see to it that, that legislation is carried through in letter and spirit as was intended by those who enacted the legislation. So, it is essential that jwr continue to be watchful and alert. If you read the National Tribune, you will see that a joint resolution was intro duced and it was passed, providing for what looks like another forerunner of an effort by the Economy League. I am not going into that. I just want you tof remember it. But, let me emphasize it again to you, as to the pleasure it gives me this morning to give you these facts on which you can base your conclusions, 60 __ The greatest pleasure of all is to reaffirm what you really knew before, that the mandate of this organization is the law of the nation. Thank you. (Rising Applause) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: I am sure we all want to give our Chair man, Judge Matthias, this rising vote of thanks for this very fine report and for all that he and his committee have done in favor of our comrades and their depend ents. We thank you, Judge Matthias, and this is a unanimous vote. I am very happy to present to you now, our Quartermaster General, Walter E. Downey. (Applause) QUARTERMASTER GENERAL DOWNEY: Madam National President, and she is a very lovely Madam President, too, Sisters, All of you: I am going to be very brief because we have had a very wonderful talk from our good friend and your good friend and your servant, Judge Matthias. (Applause) He was most modest in what he said. He didn't tell you how many headaches he had or how many times he wanted just a little more room for air. He was working on a very, very tough assignment and that is as it should be. Nobody wants an easy job and the legislation is a matter of history. It is a matter of pleasure to all of you and to all of us. I am going to be very brief. I am simply going to say this to you: You have a National Headquarters in Washington for your Auxiliary. We have one for the Comrades. I hope you use yours and our Comrades use ours. As far as I am con cerned, I am more than willing, and I hope I am able, to help you as much as I possiblv can, without wondering when I am going to be tired of doing it. I never will. It has always been a pleasure to work with your National Secretary. She is a very wonderful person and I wonder if you don't appreciate that she does get very tired sometimes from the problems and trving to do the things in a few hours that she should have more time for. But, I believe she gets them done some how and I marvel at her and I have a great deal of pleasure in the morning when I ^et to work and know Louise Williams is upstairs and that I can go UD and joke with her. And when she has a problem she comes down and jokes with me. We are a very happy family. I know at times I say, "Louise, you'd better have a cup of coffee." At first she said, "Oh, you make it here?" I said, "Yes, we keep on making it." We will always have a coffeepot around for friendship and mutuality. Now then, I come from Minnesota. I had no brothers, but fortunately, I was able to borrow one. Who do you think that is? Ed Inman. Maybe he doesn't like it, but I can't wear his shirts and I can't wear his clothes, but the only thing I can do is smoke his cigarettes and that is what I have been doing. Ladies I hope you appreciate the National Tribune. You get a paper once a week. You read it and go on reading it. Just stop and think of how much time is given by Ed Inman to write that editorial and write your news for your organi zation as well as for ours, in order that we may not hurt anybody, in order that we may get the information and may be able to tell some people who can't understand English very well anyway, that they had better look out that certain things are coming up and they had better read between the lines. I am not going into that too deeply, but Ed Inman is very good. I did not say subtle. He is not subtly inclined. He wants to tell the truth. He has done a good job for you and whatever you do, read the Tribune which conies to you once a week and remember there is a lot of perspiration behind it and nights of wondering what to have for next week. He has to get it out to you. He must. That is part of his business. So, when you are reading that paper, just thiqk once in a while how nice it would be if you sat down and said, "Lord, give him lots of strength." 61 Now, it has been touched on, but I want to touch on it again. The President of the United States, when he signed that bill on the 30th day of July, did a very wonderful duty and job. If he had waited two days longer, you would not have gotten your increased pension until the last of October. I think it was very wonder ful of hini to do it, because on previous occasions, they have held it over to save that much. He didn't think so. We must recognize, had he waited another two days, that would have been two million, about a hundred thousand, and that is'nt hay. I know you are going to have a session here and I merely want you to know that National Headquarters is for your Auxiliary and our Comrades. It is your home We hope it will be there a long time, and as for myself, I am willing to serve you on any and all occasions and work with your Secretary and your National Presi dent, and I think we have had a lovely one this year. You had a lovely one last year and in the years gone by. That is as it should be, because you have selected her. Now, just sit back in your seats, because I am all through and I will simply say j I hope you will have a pleasant encampment and that the future years will be kind to all of you. (Applause) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Thank you, Comrade Downey. AGNES UPELL BOYCE, Past Department President : May I interrupt a moment? Our Delegation from Minnesota wishes to salute Comrade Downey. (The Minnesota delegation arose and saluted Comrade Downey.) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Now, I am happy to present Mr. Edward Inman, Editor of the National Tribune. He has certainly been our friend this year I and in the years gone by and I know he is going to do all he can for us and give I us the publicity he is able to. (Applause. MR. EDWARD INMAN: Madam National President, my friends on the plat form and my friends out front, both Comrades and Sisters: My predecessors on I this program have been very kind, I brought along a little speech, but they have I said practically everything. I thought possibly I could now say a few words to j fill in where they may have missed. I have reached the conclusion that probably they missed deliberately in some respects. It is awfully nice to be able to be the man in the hole, the last one on a program of this description. Whatever one might have in mind to say, probably has already been said. Whatever one might like to say in addition to what has been said, had \ probably better not be said. But, I want to tell you, as I sat on the platform, when I first came in and heard your Philadelphia Drum Corps play, "A Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight", 1 think that was about as appropriate a thing as could be played as befitting the dignity and courage of your organization and that of \ your men folks. You receive a warm reception wherever you go, too, and you 1 haven't missed here. I suppose I should say something about The National Tribune, even though it already has been said, and perhaps better than I could say it. We have been in I existence for seventy years, and that is much longer than most of you have lived. ; I have been associated with it for seventeen years. During those seventeen years, or during most of them, I have written to you at least once or twice a year so I don't know of anything much I can say now that I haven't already said. If you } don't support us, we go out of business and you just don't get your publicity be cause you can't get it anywhere else except here. You have been very, very good to us. We appreciate it very, very much. My • associates and I are trying to do for you the kind of a job you wish to have us do. We make our mistakes. As a matter of fact, I am in hot water at least three times I a day. I have received complaints, and I try to take care of them. 62 I have received such complaints as,"Discontinue my subscription. You are pub lishing too many pictures of Julia Kull." Now, believe me, that is a fact. I some times thought so, myself. Well, I wrote to a few comrades and tried to indicate we were publicizing the activity of the National President, not Julia Kull of New Jersey. I tried to indicate it was our business to publicize the activities of an organization which was doing such a tremendous amount of good, and I tried to indicate that, because if we bowed to the foolish will of a few complaining comrades and discontinued their subscriptions, what in the world would any of us do if everybody complained? I am not going to talk about The National Tribune, and certainly not to you people. If I were to ask you to wave your handkerchiefs, those of you who did not suscribe, I wouldn't see any handkerchiefs out there, I am sure. I promise you We will continue to do the kind of a job we have tried to do heretofore, and without fear. There are many times in the life of an editor when he feels he should sit down, and, regardless of what the results might be, express himself just as he feels. Well, that is all right at home, and many of us get the opportunity at home, but when you are publishing a newspaper which is internationally read, it is absolutely essen tial to contain oneself. We have, however, an outlet in an editorial column. We try to satisfy feelings, and we do not try to injure anybody. We frequently contain ourselves and occasionally we slip. But that editorial section of the Na tional Tribune in The Stars and Stripes will always put before you the arguments as we feel you want them placed, and in the proper places at the proper times. We don't believe in character assassination. We will leave that to others. Now, I think possibly Judge Matthias would forgive me if I touched just a little bit on the legislative program. I said I have been down there nearly twenty years. I have had the privilege of sitting in, if you please, with all of the Commanders in Chief and all of the National Presidents, with all of the Secretaries and Treasurers and everybody else. Many times, they would come to me with their troubles. Well Downey said something about leaning on Louise and Louise leaning on him, hell, they both lean on me. (Laughter) I frequently can't get any work done until 1 shove them both out. I mention that only because I want you to know the close ness of the association that has been permitted between The National Tribune and your National Office. Judge Matthias has told you the story of your legislation. I am sure I will be forgiven if I suggest to you that in my humble judgement, the greatest single fac tor relating to the success of your legislation was your supreme organizaton. I want to enlarge on that just a little, and I assure you that I know it is warm and I am not going to keep you here listening to my remarks. Ed mentioned the fact you stood behind him, all of you, individually and collectively, and Ed has been kind enough, during the several years he has been in Washington, to sit and talk with me about the legislation. I think he was smart. He wanted help, and if you want help, the idea is to go and look for it. Ed is not as young as he used to be and he thought I was a lot younger than I am, and he thought he could get me to help him out with his work. That is smart. Never at any time—and I have known of every time you have been called upon to write your letters and send your telegrams —when a crisis arose, never at any time did you let him down; you did a swell job. Never at any time did the men's organization let him down when those requests were sent out. It happens to be my happy privilege to work very closely at the Capital with Mrs. Rogers who is the Chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs in the House of Representatives. I have known Mrs. Rogers since before she was in the Congress. I knew her before she was a widow, before she succeeded her hus band to the Congress. We have been close personal friends. And, in having lunch eon with her or during telephone conversations that have lasted far into the ni&ht, she has commended the United Spanish War Veterans for their splendid organi- 63 zation, and as much as she has said anything else. That is the reason your bill became law. You should consider that a very beautiful compliment. You have been wonderfully organized. There are fewer of the ladies in your Auxiliary than should be in it. There are fewer Comrades in the parent organization than should be in it. You are losing as you go along. I am wondering just what you are doing to fill your ranks. I am wondering just what you are planning to do to fill those ranks and I want to leave with you this message. You had better plan to do something, be cause when you pass legislation that costs money, there are bound to be other organizations that are agaisnt it and they too are highly organized. If you don't go out into the highways and byways and bring in the errant sisters and brothers, you are missing one of the important bets today. I have said to you that Ithink the greatest single factor in this success of yours has been your superb organization. I think that actually speaks for itself. There has been much said before we arrived in Kansas City and since we have been here about individuals who may or may not have had much to do with the success of the legislation. I think it does not behoove me to say anything ill about anybody. I like to be charitable. I was bought up in a preacher's family. He taught me many things, my poor old dad, and my mother, many years ago, and some of them have stayed with me. Of course, I picked up some habits after I left home, over which they had no control, but some of the good fundamentals, I think, have stayed with me. Let's be charitable about some things that have gone on, but let's be positive in our declarations. If Iwere to choose any single individual, and may I measure my words carefully —if I were to choose any single individual more responsible than any other with reference to the success of this legislation. Public Law 270, with reference to last year's legislation, with reference to your 1944 and 1938 Acts and so on, I would pick the gentleman who sits before you today on this platform. Ed Matthias has devoted years of his life to you. (Applause) Ed Matthias has jumped into a plane and flown to Washington many a time when it would have been to the best interests of his health, had he not done so. When he couldn't get a plane, he rode a train and suffered the inconvenience that go with train travel. He has pushed aside his work, very important work, in the State of Ohio, to go to Washington. Now, Downey and I like to think we did a little something down there. I am glad Downey feels toward me as a brother. I always needed an older brother like j that fellow. We have worked together very closely. Things happen from time to i time. We have sat down and talked them over, but we didn't make any decisions. We picked up the telephone and asked Ed Matthias what he wanted done. It was his job to make the decisions. He was the Chairman of the Committee, named by his comrades of the Organization. It was his job and the job of no one else to I steer this legislation through. He steered it from beginning to end. (Applause) I am happy to be here to rejoice with you in the results. What Downey and I did was peanuts as compared to what Ed Matthias did this year and all during the years he has served. I realize I am taking a little extra time. I wanted to say that in public. Had I been given the privilege of the platform in the joint session yesterday, I wou d have said it there, and I would have done there what I am about to do now and Ed Matthias knows nothing about it. It will be as big a surprize to him as it w 11 be to you. Whenever a bill is sent by the Congress to the White House, it is sent down there to be signed or vetoed. You have had bills vetoed and you know what it means. You felt better and had less work to do when they were signed. A long time ago, the President of the United States decided it was useless to veto a Span ish-American War pension bill. Well, there was one signed almost the last d y of the month of July. • 64 There were three pens used in the signature of that bill. One of them is in the possession of your Commander in Chief, obtained for him by Sam Rayburn who was your friend. The second one went to the National Commander of another organization, the Regular Veterans' Association who made an excellent twenty- second presentation to the House Sub-Committee on Veterans' Affairs. I have the third pen here, and I have it all tied up with ribbons. Regardless of what the other pens were used for, by Harry Truman, this is the pen that crossed the "T" and that was the most important of all the pens. I asked the White House, before the bill was signed, whether or not I could have the privilege of having the pen. You will recall that the President lost his good mother out here in Missouri about the time our bill went down, and there necessarily could be no ceremony. There was such a lack of coordination of effort in Washington on the part of a great many who were laboring faithfully and honestly for the passage of the legislation, nobody knew quite what was going to be done except those who actually had to do it. It was necessary to contact the White House—and we have friends there too—to determine when the bill would be signed. That is a good way of asking if the President is going to sign it.When will this bill be signed, "I asked I want the pen and I want to take it with me to Kansas City for the National En campment of the United Spanish War Veterans and make a presentation of it to the one man who in all my experience has done more for the Spanish War Veterans and their dependents than any other individual." (Applause) So, I have the pen. I have a letter from the White House, also and in accordance with our request, they indicated pleasure in sending it on for that purpose. I think it is only proper that both the pen and the letter go to the one man, be loved of all of us, who has done such a swell job for you and for me, Ed Matthias! (Rising Applause) (Mr. Inman presented the pen to Mr. Matthias.) JUDGE MATTHIAS: Thank you. I think I have told you before of the would-be divorcee who wasn't getting along very well with her case and the judge finally pinned her down and turned to her and said, "Now Mandy, just on what grounds do you think you are entitled to a divorce?" And she said, "The fact am, Mr. Judge, this here man has been over-recom mended to me." Ed Inman is rather careless in his usage of language but I don't know of anyone in all the world that I would rather have say those things than Ed, because he knows more about what is going on in veterans' affairs than anybody I have known in this whole country. Now, I appreciate this so much. I appreciate Ed's.thoughtfulness in bringing it. I never had but one other pen presented to me and that was after our legis lation in 1930. That was not signed by the President, and after I got home, you will remember, they overrode that veto. I told you we had been bipartisan in this legislation. We are non-partisan when it comes to overriding a veto because we have overridden one by a Republican President and one by a Democratic President. We are non-partisan when it comes to that. So, the veto of that bill was over ridden to sustain the President's action. There were only eighteen votes in the house and fourteen votes in the Senate. As I started to say, when I got home, the Committee came to me and presented me with a pen and stamp and I labelled that pen as the pen that was not used to sign our bill. This is the second pen I have ever received pertaining to a matter of legislation and I appreciate it very much. I would rather have it come from your hands than from anyone else's. (Applause) 65 NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Thank you Comrades, our most distin guished guests. I am very happy to announce we have with us the wife of our distinguished Comrade, Mrs. Edward Matthias. Can we give her a hand? (Ap plause) I can't see where she is seated, but I know she can see us. We thank you so much for coming and I know we have all enjoyed your visit. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Will the Distinguished Guest Committee present the guests who are waiting. Past National President, Lou Ella Allen presented Mrs. Wilma Kyle, Presi dent Department of Missouri, Auxiliary Foreign War Veterans. Mrs. Anna Knoke, Past National President, Military Order of Lady Bugs Auxiliary Foreign War Veterans. The National President expressed her pleasure in greeting the visitors and asked Past National President Olive M. Ravens to respond. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT OLIVE M. RAVENS: Madam National President and our Visitors: We are indeed happy to have you come to us today and bring us your sincere greetings, because we are twin organizations. We mean so much together because we have so many close associations. Don't call me a brass hat. I am a Past National President, but I am also one of your sisters. I know all about the Cooties. I am not a Cootie or a Lady Bug, but I am a char ter member of the oldest and largest VFW Auxiliary in Lansing, and so take back to your respective Auxiliaries, the love and best wishes of this organization, one of your sisters. Thank you. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Your Credentials Committee will serve as your Elections Committee, but I would like to say to every candidate that she may select somebody who will serve as her teller. But, please get in touch with the National Secretary and submit the names—anybody whom you would like to serve as your personal teller. We have some announcements. (National Secretary Willams made a few announcements.) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: We have a member of the Roosevelt Auxiliary in Honolulu with us, who has come the longest distance of any of the delegates to attend this convention. She is in the room at this time and we would like to have her come to the platform and say a few words. (Sister Ethel Benjamin was escorted to the platform by the Colors.) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Sister Ethel Benjamin, we are very happy to welcome you today. I thought you weren't going to be with us. Sisters, you will observe this station and salute. SISTER ETHEL BENJAMIN (Hawaii): I am happy to be here. It is the first convention any delegate from the Hawaiin Islands has attended and when J told them I was coming over seven thousand miles, they asked me if I was going to attend and I said I would try to get here for a few of the days . We are leaving tomorrow morning, but I have still been here. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Are you enjoying your trip? 66 _ SISTER BENJAMIN: Every minute of it. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: You will remember, Sister Hawk was appointed on the Credentials Committee, but Sister Hawk is a candidate, so we have a new revised list. Mary Larkin is serving as the Chairman. Gertrude Harrington is ill and so we have Mary Larkin as the Chairman, Elizabeth Cahill Rose Steager and Edith Gaffney. Now, we have two members from Missouri. I don't have their names but they will serve on that Committee. GENEVA BUSSARD, Department President, Missouri: Comrades Kull and Kain. They were sitting in the back of the room and I thought they should sit up-further where they could hear better. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: We are glad you came to visit with us. (National Secretary Williams made a few announcements.) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: We will recess until tomorrow morning at nine o'clock. (The meeting recessed at twelve-thirty o'clock.) 67 WEDNESDAY MORNING SESSION AUGUST 27, 1947 The meeting reconvened at nine-twenty o' clock with National President Kull presiding. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Sisters, will you please come to order. I have given you twenty minutes and it looks to me as though most of you have voted. We will have the prayer by the National Chaplain, Grace Alexander. NATIONAL CHAPLAIN ALEXANDER: O Lord, our Heavenly Father, Almighty and Everlasting God, who has safely brought us to the beginning of this day, defend us in the same with Thy mighty power and grant us that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings may be righteous in Thy sight. Through Tesus Christ oui .Lord, Amen. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: We will have the roll call of the Depart ments. (National Secretary Williams called the roll of the departments.) NATIONAL SECRETARY WILLIAMS: Madam National President, the roll has been called and you have a quorum. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: We have some guests who would like to be admitted. Will the Colors please escort the guests? FLORENCE CLARK, Chairman, Distinguished Guest Committee: I have the great honor to introduce to you, the Daughters of the Anna Barthelmas Fort No. 5, St. Louis, Missouri. CAPTAIN REGINA KANE: Madam National President, I have the honor to present you with this, from the Daughters of Missouri, Fort No. 5, for the Leonard Wood Memorial Fund for leprosy. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Thank you so much. This is a check for $25. I want to thank you most sincerely, Daughters, for this fine contribution for a very worthy project. Would the other Daughters like to say a word? (The other representatives of the Daughters came forward and were applauded) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: We are very proud of our Daughters and I think this year our Daughters are very happy because we have tried to do something for them and they are going to work that much harder. Now, you see they have brought us $25. I think they appreciate what we have been trying to do for them. LOU ELLA ALLEN, Past National President: It is my happy privilege and honor to present to you and this convention assembled, Edna White, the Com mander in Chief's wife. Edna White organized the Department of Texas in 1912 and 1913 and was National Chaplain in 1913 and 1914. So, may I present to this large audience this morning and to our National President, Edna White of Texas! MRS. WHITE: Madam National President, Sisters of the Auxiliary, Dis tinguished Guests and Ladies: It is a pleasure to appear before you this morning. I want to make one correction in a statement Lou Ella made, because you may check up on me. I was National Chaplain in 1914 and 1915. I served under Jesse Booth Perry and was elected at Louisville, Kentucky. I wanted to correct that, so you will understand. 68 I have enjoyed our trips over the United States and our visits with the girls and the camps and the men, and I have ventured almost any place I have been invited. If you ever come up to National, please come and speak to me is what I have told them every place I have gone. I may not remember all of you, but I am always glad to see you and if you tell me where you are from, I will appreciate it. We have had a grand year, and you have been so nice to us. Our entertainment was always planned and we have enjoyed everything you have done for us and I hope Mr. White and his committee has helped you where you needed it. He has worked hard and he does not deserve all the credit for it. I take a little credit for it because I have been along with him. But, we are so glad the pension went through this year and you will be getting your checks pretty soon. I know you are looking forward to it. Again, I want to thank you, and I want to say, of all the things I said about pink grapefruit, don't think I did it to hurt anybody's feelings. A lady this morning came up to me and said, "Do you have any pink grapefruit?" I said, "No, not today." She said, "I would like to have some." I said, "I don't think I can furnish you with any grapefruit now, because it is out of season." Now, who do you suppose that lady was? A Florida woman! But, it was all in the spirit of fun. I have had a lot of good times kidding the California people and the Florida people about their grapefruit, but we can really produce the pink grape fruit, so if you don't believe it, go into the store and ask for it. I think you will find it most everywhere. And, when you come to Texas, if you pass through Dallas, look us up, because the next time you see me, I will be Mrs. Past. So, thank you again for all the courtesies you have extended and we hope to see you at the next convention anyway. Thank you again. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Thank you Sister White, for coming, and I want to give you just this little token. MRS. WHITE: Thank you very much, Madam National President. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: May we have a report now from the Credentials Committee. Mary Larkin, Chairman. MARY LARKIIN, Chairman Credentials Committee: Madam National Presi dent, I have the honor to report 861 registered delegates and 492 visitors, making a total of 1353 registered. NATIIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Thank you Sister Larkin. You have heard the report of the Chairman of Credentials. What is your pleasure. LULU SHAKESPEARE, Past National President: I move the adoption of the report. The motion was duly seconded. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: All those in favor of the motion signify by saying "aye"; opposed "no": It is carried. May we have the report of the Chairman on Membership, Ethel E. Finn. ETHEL E. FINN, Chairman: This is a brief supplemental report to the one sent in earlier and which you will find among the other reports already in your hands. Our National Finance Committee was most generous in the amount budgeted for membership prizes this year. The advisability of awarding prizes to the individ ual bringing in the most members was discussed early in this administration and, with the thought that awards made in such a manner would be a greater incentive. It was decided to use this method this year. 69 Great interest in this most essential branch of our work has been shown, as evidenced by the granting of thirty-three Certificates of Merit. Most of the Area Chairmen kept in touch very closely both with me and their departments. In addition to the correspondence this entailed, I have written sixty-one personal letters. Since complete reports from all departments have not been received, a total num ber of members brought into our organization is not available. But, the incomplete reports received total more than 1000 gained. However, when I tell you that figures from 27 departments are incomplete, you will realize that figure can probably be doubled or trebled. Outstanding work was done in California, which reported 187 members mustered in during their department year, with 45 more gained since their department con vention in May; Washington and Alaska reported 141. One hundred and eleven were mustered in, in Indiana, and although I have not the exact figures for Texas, it will reach at least 100. The number lost is not available, but I understand it is very great. Please, Sis ters, do something about your dropped members. Do make a special effort to hold those already on your rolls. Three of the Area Chairmen apparently did not function as I had no report nor any word of any activity on their part, although in one case, two departments did excellent work. The other Area Chairmen have worked hard, keeping in touch with departments and were ready at all times to give all possible aid and encourage ment. Practically complete files of veterans' widows on the pension rolls, with the exception of very recent additions, is maintained at National Headquarters and through the efforts of our Area Chairmen, it has been possible to bring this file up- to-date by correcting addresses and the notation of those who are already members. My report would not be complete without special memtion of Sister Ruth M. Wilson of Spokane, who although a complete shut-in, secured several new mem bers. When one so handicapped can do this, it should certainly be an incentive to the rest of us. In appreciation of her efforts, we are presenting her with one of our Hikers. May I now ask that Sisters Mary Gommeringer, Catherine Steiger, Mildred Whittaker, Josephine Hanna, Lottie Daugherty, Christine Bruns, and Anna B. Davis come forward if they are present? Some of these sisters were not able to come, but I am just reading the ones I think may be here. I want to introduce these sisters to you. They are some of the chairmen who have worked so hard on the membership drive and I want you to know it has been a real pleasure to work with j them. I also want to say thank you to each one of them for helping me so much. | I want you to see the ones who have really done the work. (The Committee members came forward and were introducd.) ETHEL E. FINN: Thank you again, Sisters. Coming back to my report, now, sisters, comes the part we are all particularly I interested in; the awarding of prizes. Among the Auxiliary members, prize have been awarded as follows: As the names are called, will the sisters please come forward. In case the name called is not here, I am asking the Department Presi dent or some responsible person in their department to come in their place. Eva B. Knox of South Carolina; Lillian Curtis of Connecticut. The order in which I am calling the names is the order in which the prize have been awarded. Bess Filiatrault of California; Mae Metzler of New Jersey; Mae James of Flori-i da; Maude M. Anderson of Texas; Pearl Anderson of Texas; Anna Daw on of Texas; Gladys Connors of Massachusetts; Charlotte Durnell of Missouri; 70 I hope these sisters are all here: While I am waiting for the sisters, I want to say Sisters Metzler and James were tied and therefore, with the approval of the Finance and Executive Committes, it was dcided to give the same prize to each of these sisters. (The members whose names were called came to the platform.) SISTER FINN: Eva B. Knox, First Prize, a $100 Bond. Lillian Curtis of Connecticut, a $50 bond. May Metzler and Mae James, a $25 bond. These were the two sisters who tied. Bess Filiatraut of California, a $25 bond. And now, those receiving the Hikers: Maude Anderson; Pearl Anderson; Anna Dawson; Gladys Connors; Charlotte Durnell. (The prizes were awarded.) ETHEL FINN: Girls, I think this shows a fine job done and I want to thank them all for the work they have done and the interest they have shown and the help they have been to our organization. Thank you all. As you all know, prizes were offered this year to the individual bringing in the most members, new or reinstated. I regret that reports were received from only two Forts. Under the regulations, the first prize goes to Muriel C. Brady of Kings County, Fort No. 14. Will Sister Brady come forward if she is in the room? The other report was from Cleveland, Fort No. 2 who did not credit their gain to any one member, but preferred to report the number gained by the Fort as a whole. Since there is no sister eligible for the second or third prize, it has been decided to award the second prize to this Fort, which we are very happy to do. If the Captain of the Fort is present, will she come forward or some of her mem bers? Otherwise, I will see that the two sisters get them later. I am in the Dis trict of Columbia section, or they can reach me at the Phillips Hotel. The amount appropriated for third prize was transferred to one of the two sisters who were tied among the Auxiliary members, thus keeping the total budgeted prizes to the amount budgeted. It has been suggested, and I think it is an excellent suggestion, that the Daugh ters are in session right now and I will take these over and present them to them in front of their assembly. I cannot tell our National President how happy she has made me by giving me the privilege of acting as her membership chairman this year. It has indeed been a privilege and a pleasure to work with her. Thank you all for the efforts you have made. If you didn't win a prize, it still has been a help to us in our organization. ANNA GUST OLDE (Credential No. 10): We have a member in our Auxili ary who brought in 27 new members and 14 or 15 new transfers and I understand her report has been sent in by my Department Chairman, Chief of Staff and Mem bership Chairman. Inez Ritchie. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: What is her name? ANNA GUST OLDE: Neva Kaufman. SISTER FINN: I am sorry, because that is a splendid job and should have been recognized, but the only information I had was the reports sent to me and I never received that report. I am very, very sorry. What is the name? I didn't get the name. 71 ANNA GUST OLDE: Neva Kaufman of St. Petersburg, Florida. SISTER FINN*: I gave one to a Florida person, but I don't have that name. I have the files at the hotel and I will go through them again. A Mae James from Florida did get a prize, but I haven't the information on the other sister and I am very, very sorry. The only thing we could work on were the things sent to us and I might say there was a deadline on all our work. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: An investigation will be made and she will receive due credit. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: WTe will now have the report of the Daughters. Past National Bassett, Chairman. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT BASSETT: Madam National President, I have been carrying papers all around since I got here so I have none now and I am so happy I don't have to carry them here. I am just going to briefly tell you what the Committtee has done. When we were appointed as the Committee, we immediately got in touch with all the Forts, all throughout the United States and sent out a questioniare as to what these girls wanted.. This was because, as you know, for many years, there has been a con troversy about the Daughters. You know that last year, California brought a resolution to the men assembled and asked to be made a separate organization. They wanted to be severed from our group. The convention in session voted unani mously to give the girls their own organization. Now, you know what that would have meant if the girls were severed from us. We can't lose the girls because we need them.. Fortunately, it was referred to the Commander in Chief to find out the legal angles and the Commander in Chief in formed them they couldn't have a separate group. California came again with another resolution that was presented to the Resolutions Committee, to be pre sented again to the convention assembled. We found out what the Daughters wanted and as a committee we set up what we thought was for their good. I can't tell you what it was because I don"t want you to listen endlessly. What we have set up for the daughters has been unanimously passed by the Committee and unanimously passed by your National President, and unanimously passed by the Advisory Committee which is composed of the Past National Presi dents. It was also passed by the Daughters' Convention which is assembled here. The resolution has been presented to our Resolutions Committee. They will re port to you and then you will find out in detail just what has been done. The Resolutions Committee with a committee of the Daughters went with me over to Past Commander in Chief Comrade Joe Hanley who is chairman of the Resolu tions Committee and he told me last night that they had unanimously approved of our resolution. Now, Sisters, it has been unanimously approved by every committee that it has been presented to, and I sincerely hope that when this resolution is presented to you, that you too, will feel that for once and for all, we can settle this Daughters' problem. The Daughters want it and we want it. Now, for the amendment. We had to eliminate sections from our rules and regu lations because it eliminates counselors and the Daughters have Department Presi dents and a lot of other things. It is just elimination of certain sections. Then, we have to add to our by-laws certain other sections to put in the officers necessary for these girls. I was informed we could not revise our rules and regulations for ten years, start ing 1945. Now, in our regulations, there is an emergency clause, so the Committee went to our National President and she has granted a special dispensation to take care of these Daughters, because we all feel that this is an emergency and we can not keep these girls hanging fire another ten years if we expect them to remain members of our organization. 72 Now, I know that you want this. You cant help but want it, because you have the Daughters at heart. It takes a two-thirds vote of this convention assem- i bled to amend our rules and regulations. I am going to leave you very lovingly in the care of the Resolutions Committee and I hope you not only make me, my committee, the Daughters, the Comrades and the Sisters happy, but everybody connected, happy by giving it a unanimous vote. Thank you. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Thank you, Sister Bassett for this very fine report, and may I say to you, thank you for a job well done. Betty has worked ever since she has arrived in Kansas City and she was just running around to get in touch with the people so that she might have this report for you at this time. Thank you, Betty, and my thanks to your committee and all who had a part in it. We hope that our Daughters will be very happy. In my travels, I have con sulted the Daughters and ask them just what they wanted. They said to me that I was just another National President making a visit and a promise and not doing anything about it. I promised them we would, and we did. Thank you very much. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT BASSETT: Madam National President, thank you; but my job is not yet completed until this convention votes unanimously on our work. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: I understand you will receive this report in the form of a resolution and I know you will sustain that committee. Well, everybody is working. The Resolutions Committee is ready and we will have a report from them now. CHAIRMAN RAVENS: Madam National President, may I ask the Resolu tions Committee to come to the platform? NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Yes. Has everybody in this room voted? In ten minutes, we will close the polls, so if there is anybody wdio hasn't voted, will you please do so? CHAIRMAN RAVENS: This is a resolution sent to the Resolutions Committee. "To the Resolutions Committee of the United Spanish War Veterans, now in session at Kansas City, Missouri. "The following is hereby submitted for approval: Under conditions that the Daughters of the United Spanish War Veterans, known as the Daughters of '98 have been functioning in the past, we feel it is imperative to set up a definite organization so whatever they may do in the future will be legal. We propose to give them the following: "1. Whereas, for the better administration of the affairs of the organization and to promote its interests, two or more Forts shall be grouped and called a Department. "2. Whereas, the newly formed Departments will then proceed to form a National Fort. "THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The local Forts shall function through their Departments, the Departments through their National Fort, and the National Fort will function under the direct jurisdiction of the National Auxiliary of the United Spanish War Veterans. "This resolution has been unanimously approved by the National Convention of the Daughters of '98, now in annual session, by the National Council of Admini stration, A. U. S. W. V. and by the Advisory Committee of the National Organi zation." This is signed by Betty Bassett, Chairman, Pansy DeNunzio, Mary Ross McKay, Mamie B. Schmidt and approved, by the National President, Julia A. Kull and the National Secretary, Louise W. Williams. 73 Madam National President, your Resolutions Committee approves and recom- mends immediate and unanimous approval.. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: You have heard the reading of this reso-j lution. What is your pleasure? MARY GOMMERINGER, (Credential No. 222): I move that we sustain the action of the Committee and that we allow the Daughters to do this. JENNY QUEENSEN STITTS, (Missouri): I second the motion. SISTER ANNA BRUCE, (Arizona): I object. I know there is an initial danger in that if it is adopted. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Are there any other remarks? (The question was called for.) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: All in favor of the motion signify by saying "aye"; opposed "no". It is carried. (There was one dissenting vote.) PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT BASSETT: Madam President, the sister giving that dissenting vote served with me when I was a National President. I am indeed sorry, Anna, that you of all people would make one vote, so it wouldn't be unanimous. CHAIRMAN RAVENS: This is a resolution submitted by the Department of Minnesota. "The Past Auxiliary Presidents of the Department of Minnesota, United Spanish War Veterans, in convention assembled, respectfully request your consideration of the following resolution: "1. Whereas, the Presidents of the Auxiliaries, immediately upon completion of their term of office, become eligible to a vote in the Department Council, and "Whereas, we would like to continue the interest acquired during their year as President with the same privilege of voting as when in the chair, we hereby "RECOMMEND: That all Past Presidents, as well as the sitting Presidents, be allowed a vote in the Department Council. Madam National President, your Committee disapproves of the resolution. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: You have heard the reading of this reso lution. What is your pleasure? NORA EVELETH, Past National President, (Credential No. 297): I' move the action of the Committee be sustained. CLARA FOWLER (Credential No. 102): I second the motion. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Is there any discussion?* All those in favor of the motion signify by saying "aye"; opposed "no". It is carried. CHAIRMAN RAVENS: Resolution No. 3. "Whereas, 1948 commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Spanish American War; therefore be it "RESOLVED: That the Department of Arkansas A. U. S. W. V. recommend to the National Auxiliary that proper steps be taken to insure the publication in 1948 of a series of postage stamps commemorating the Spanish American War. Madam National President, your Committee approves of the idea and refers it to the attention of the National Headquarters for action. 74 NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: You have heard this resolution, what is your pleasure? LUCRETIA BINNELL (Credential No. 202): I move that the action of the Committee be sustained. CLARA HENDRICKS (Credential No. 157): I second the motion. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Is there any discussion? If not, all those in favor af the motion signify by saying "aye"; opposed "no" The motion is carried. CHAIRMAN RAVENS: This is a resolution from the Department of New Jersey. "Recommendation to the Committee on the Revisions of By-Laws". "Recommended that the installation date be changed from the month of January to the month of May: "For the following reasons: "1. Our per capita tax reports now due in April and October. "2. Auxiliary President would then be able to appoint her own convention to convention committees and not inherit the ones from previous administration, and I feel we would have much better committee reports. "3. Rosters could be printed immediately after Department Convention and would have all correct names and addresses for both Auxiliary and Department Officers. "4. Department President could then make all her own official visits sometime throughout the year and not try to "jam" them all in three months and sometimes have to send a representative to an Auxiliary and miss one that she would have liked to make herself. "5. Department President would have the same Council of Administration members instead of one set for the first two Councils and an entirely new set for the last two Councils. "6. Some of our sisters who would like to attend not only her own installation but those of other Auxiliaries could do so, but now due to bad weather they must remain at home. "7. Better reports would probably be sent into Department Headquarters as now there is quite a mix-up in some Auxiliaries as some Presidents appoint all committees in January instead of waiting until after Encampment for convention to to convention cmomittees. Also, according to resolution adopted at the last con vention, all reports are due in Headquarters on June 1, so they can be mimeographed and distributed at convention. Reports are always due in an Auxiliary prior to the installation and they would then be forwarded to proper Department Head quarters. Madam National President, there are many ideas that might work all right, but your Committee decided to take no definite action, but recommended that these be held at National Headquarters for the consideration of future enactment committees. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: You have heard the reading of this reso lution. What is your pleasure? GENEVA BUSSARD (Missouri): I move we sustain the Committee's recom mendation. * AUGUSTA MARULLO (Louisiana): I second the motion. 75 NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Is there any discussion? If not, all those in favor of the motion signify by saying "aye"; opposed "no", the motion is carried. » CHAIMAN RAVENS: This is submitted by the Department of Washington and Alaska in convention assembled July 19, 1947. "RESOLVED 1st: That blanks for Officers' and Standing Committee Reports be simplified and shortened: "'RESOLVED 2nd: That duplification of questions be eliminated whenever possible. Madam National President, your Committee decided to take the same action and refer the resolution to National Headquarters for your further action. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: You have heard the reading of this reso lution. What is your pleasure? EVA RIDE (Credential No. 90): I move we sustain the action of the Reso lution Committee. GURLEY SANDBERG (Credential No. 597): I second the motion. (The question was called for.) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: All in favor say "aye"; opposed "no". The motion is carried. It is now ten-thirty and I declare the polls closed and will you please notify the Chairman that those who are still in line may vote. CHAIRMAN RAVENS: Another resolution from the Department of Wash ington and Alaska. "Whereas, the Government of these United States, through its agencies have extended every effort possible in the creation of a peaceful world, subversive ele ments in Europe and Asia, and to some extent in our own country, have done everything possible in blocking the honest efforts of our agencies. Owing to these conditions we feel that steps should be taken to protect the sovereignty of our government if such protection is needed: "RESOLVED: That we, the United Spanish War Veterans Auxiliary Depart ment of Washington and Alaska, in convention assembled, do hereby submit the following four points to the Congress of the United States: "1. Expansion of the Air Power of the United States as the first line of defense. "2. Unification of the Armed Forces of the United States to gain maximum efficiency at the lowest cost to the nation, and more security for every dollar. "3. Universal Military Training to provide trained fighters and technicians that a war of the future will demand. "4 Expulsion of Communists and Fellow Travelers from all Government jobs. Madam National President, your Committete recommends that this be referred to the comrades for attention. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: You have heard this resolution, what is your pleasure? CLARA HENDRICKS (Credential No. 157, Missouri): I move this reccom- mendation be sustained. LOUISE RAPIER (Credential No. 248, Louisiana): I second the motion. 76 NATIONAL ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR EDNA SUMMERFIELD: On Unification of the Armed Forces, that went through the Senate of the United States and became a law late in July. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Is there any further discussion? All those in favor of the motion signify by saying "aye"; opposed "no". It is carried. CHAIRMAN RAVENS: A resolution submitted by the Department of Tenne- see. "Whereas, the Auxiliary, United Spanish War Veterans is one of the oldest and largest women's organizations in the country, as well as being the Auxiliary to the only 100 per cent volunteer army in the United States, we feel we are due recognition along with other organizations represented on the National Advisory Committee of the Veterans Administration for Volunteer Service; and "Whereas, the members of our organization are experiencing difficulty in coming into the hospitals because of not being certified; therefore be it "RESOLVED: That the national organization take steps immediately to see that this condition is rectified and that we are properly represented on this com mittee, and that all Departments, and in turn Auxiliaries, be so advised and given the proper instructions, that they will have no further difficulty in making their contacts with the hospitals and the Veterans Administration. Our National Secretary advises me that our organization has been registered with the Veterans Administration. We have been recognized or we shall be reco gnized as soon as we can secure the names of the hospital chairman. This will be accomplished this coming year. Therefore, Madam National President, your Committee approves and refers the resolution to the National Headquarters for further action. ANN BURTON SINE (Credential 715, Wisconsin): I was on that Committee and sat in for a whole day in Washington last year and referred the whole matter to Mrs. Williams and she immediately took care of it. It is just a matter of time until we are part of that body, both the Auxiliary and the Comrades. I move that we accept this, as your Chairman offered it to us. AGNES UPELL BOYCE (Credential No. 333): I second the motion. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Is there any discussion on the motion? All in favor say "aye"; opposed "no". It is carried. CHAIRMAN RAVENS: This is a courtesy resolution. "RESOLVED: That we, now in convention assembled express our thanks and appreciation to the Comrades and Sisters of the Department of Missouri, for all they have done for our comfort while in Kansas City; to the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, to His Honor, Phil M. Donnelly, the Governor of the State, to L. P. Cookingham City Manager, to Congressman Alvin E. O'Konski for his' in spiring and timely address, to the Drill Teams for their exhibition work, to the Drum Corps for their music, and to the local press. Especially do we express our everlasting gratitude to Supreme Court Justice of Ohio, our own Comrade, P. C. C. Edward L. Matthias and his splendid Committee for their untiring efforts' and most successful accomplishment in behalf of the U. S. W. V. and his dependents. "And to all who in any way have contributed to our pleasure and comfort while in Kansas City, we thank you. "Respectfully submitted, Olive M. Ravens, Chairman * Lillian Bauman Evalena Lawrence Edith Gaffn&y Mildred Zerbel." 77 Madam National President, your Committee moves the adoption of this reso lution. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: You have heard the reading of this reso lution. What is your pleasure? CHRISTINA GRAHAM, (Credential N. 206, California): I move we accept the motion of the Committee. ELIZABETH CARR (Credential No. 766, California): I second the motion. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: All in favor of the motion say "aye"; opposed "on". It is carried unanimously. CHAIRMAN RAVENS: Madam National President, your Committee has com pleted the assignment and we thank you for the appointment. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Thank you Sister Ravens and members of your committee. We appreciate your help. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: The polls have been closed and your Committee will report just as soon as possible. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: May we have the announcements? (The announcements were made by National Secretary Williams and a tele- i gram of Greetings was read from George S. Geis, Past National President I Eighth Army Corps.) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: We will have the report of the Greetings I Committee to the Daughters of '98. NATIONAL SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT PANSY DENUNZIO: The! Daughters were all so glad to see me this morning. They are enjoying a nice | meeting and extend their best wishes. We told them about what had happened I here and they are very, very happy and they thank us. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Thank you, Sister Denunzio. Now, Sis-I ter Mary Ross McKay. NATIONAL JUNIOR VICE PRESIDENT MARY ROSS McKAY: The I Committee extended greetings to the Sons. We had a very pleasant visit. The I Committee appointed by our National President to extend greetings to the Sons j have brought back, I am sure you will all agree with me, a very fine report, and I also a petition that I will give you later. Their President extended to you, Madam National President, their very best I wishes and thanks and love. We had the pleasure of seeing a priest, Father O'Don-1 nell, we did not learn from what state, who was obligated as a member-at-large. I This father will soon leave for Japan. We also had the pleasure of meeting two of our sisters who were there, Sister I Duffy, and I did not get the name of the other sister. I believe she was Sister I Smith from Illinois. • Now, the Sons were very gracious and they greatly appreciate our help, but they I do want membership. I am going to ask every state represented here, or Auxili ary, if you cannot organize a camp for the Sons, do try and get the Sons as I members-at-large. They need our help and I think they are asking very little. I promised them that I would bring this back to this convention and ask you to I help our sons. Madam National President, the Committee is very happy to have served you I and we thank you for the appointment. 78 NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Thank you, Sister McKay and your Committee. MILDRED RHODES, Past Department President, (Georgia): Your Com mittee appointed to extend greetings to the nurses, went on Monday afternoon at their opening session. We were very graciously received and they were so happy that they received greetings at the beginning of their meeting. They have asked me to bring back to you their love and appreciation. We took with'us a gift of $5 instead of flowers and as they are interested in building a mem orial to nurses of all wars, which will be built in Washington, they immediately placed that $5 on that pledge of that building fund. Madam National President, we were delighted to serve on this committee. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Thank you, Sister Rhodes. Sisters, you all received your Officers' Reports and we did not take any action on them yesterday. We waited until you had all received them, so a motion is in order to accept the reports of your National Officers. MARY GOMMERINGER (Credential No. 222, New Hampshire): I would like to make a motion that we accept the printed reports as we received them. They were fine. MARTHA CROSBIE (Credential No. 118): I second the motion. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Are there any questions on the motion? If not, all in favor say "aye"; opposed "no". It is carried We are getting caught up. We are on time. The Chairman of Enactments is now ready to report. Violet B. King, Past National President. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT VIOLET B. KING: Madam National President, the Committee consisting of Sister Lulu Shakespeare, Sister Hattie B. Trazenfeld and Sister Nora V. Eveleth and Sister Mary McGauley are ready to report to you. You, this morning, by your action approved the resolution relative to the Daugh ters of '98. We are presenting to you some amendments to our rules and regu lations which will necessarily need to be adopted in order to work out to perfection this resolution, so we are hoping that you will approve these because you already have approved it in a manner by approving the resolutions. We are bringing you these amendments so that you may know just how they worked out in detail. For those of you who wish to follow us, if you will take your rules and regula tions and turn to Section 190, it will make it easier for you. That is on page 82. National Council of Administration, Article 1. We desire to amend that section by adding, "National Forts Captain". She will be a member of the National Coun cil of Administration. Madam National President, your Committee approved this amendment. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: What is your pleasure? CLARA GEBHART (Credential No. 31): I move that we approve the action of the Committee. ANNA GUST OLDE (Credential No. 10.): I second the motion. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Are there any questions? If not, all in favor of the motion say "aye"; opposed "no". The motion is carried. CHAIRMAN KING: Article II, Section 207a will be added under Duties of National Officers, National Forts Captain. 79 "National Forts Captain shall preside at all meetings of National Convention of Forts, Daughters of Spanish American War Veterans; after election will be ap pointed a member of the National Council of Administration. She shall appoint all Fort Officers not provided for and perform such duties as are incident to the office." Madam National President, 3rour Committee approves. ETHEL LEPENS, (Credential No. 617): I move the adoption of this amend ment. GERTRUDE WEST, (Credential No. 699): I second the motion. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Are there any questions? All in favor say "aye"; opposed "no". It is carried. CHAIRMAN KING: Amendment No. 3. The National Forts Captain will not be permitted to run for a National Auxiliary office with out first having complied with the Rules and Regulations of the National Auxiliary. That is page 52, sec tion 124. To be eligible for the office of Department President, Department Jr. Vice President and Department Sr. Vice President, the member must be a past auxiliary president in good standing and in attendance at convention. The Committee approves this amendment. LILLIAN KEMP: , (Credential No. 11): I move the adoption of this amend ment. PHYLLIS KRUGER, (Credential No. 69): I second the motion. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Are there any questions? All in favor say "aye"; opposed "no". It is carried. CHAIRMAN KING: Then we decided to eliminate entirely Section 225 rela tive to the Daughters of '98. The Committee approves the elimination of this Section. CHRISTINA GRAHAM: I move that we approve this. GERTRUDE WEST, (Credential No. 699): I would like to second the motion. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Are there any questions? All in favor say "aye"; opposed "no". It is carried. CHAIRMAN KING: Subsection E in Section 225 relative to per capita tax changed to read: Forts shall pay a per capita tax of ten cents for each member to the National Auxiliary U. S. W. V., five cents of which is to be paid semi-annu ally, October 31, April 30". Page 96. Heretofore we have asked them for twenty cents, more per capita than we have asked of our Auxiliary, so the amendment is to change it to read ten cents for each member. Madam National President, your Committee approves this amendment. GERTRUDE WEST, (Credential No. 669) : I would like to make the motion that this amendment be adopted. MARY ROBINSON, (Credential No. 119): I wish to second that. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Are there any questions? All in favor say "aye"; opposed "no". It is carried unanimously. CHAIRMAN KING: Now, there are two subsections that should be eliminated because we have taken care of them in another manner. Section f and g. 80 Now, Section h should read,"—where Departments exist".That is, "Where De partments exist Fort activities shall be reported to the Department President by the National Secretary of the Auxiliaries." Madam National President, your Committee approves this amendment. ELLA McHARG, (Credential No. 430): I move the action of the Committee be sustained. LOVE E. HUGHES (Credential No. 423): I second the motion. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Are there any questions? All in favor say "aye"; opposed "no". It is unanimously carried. CHAIRMAN KING: Now, to make things more workable, we have to add a few sections, but they are good. It is all right, the Committee approved them, so they are all right. Subsection i will be eliminated entirely. There shall be added, following Subsection (e), "The group of Forts will elect Department Fort Officers at state conventions, and at national conventions; delegates to convention will elect a National Forts Captain and corps of officers. All conventions, while held separately, must always be at the time of Department and National Conventions and at no other time." Madam National President, your Committee has approved this amendment. CHRISTINA GRAHAM, (Credential No. 206): I move we sustain the Com mittee's action. MEMBER, (Credential No. 175): I second the motion. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Are there any questions? If not, all those say "aye"; opposed "no". It is carried unanimously. CHAIRMAN KING: Subsection (g) : "Forts shall have a program based on Child Welfare and Patriotic Work in behalf of the United Spanish War Veterans in National and State Homes and hospitals. Where there are Sons of Spanish American War Veterans as veterans of World Wars I and II, such work can extend to them in behalf of their comfort as well as aid to their children and wives, keep ing within the circle of own organization." Madam National President, your Committee approves the addition of this section. SALLY GIMBLE, (Credential No. 513): I move we accept this amendment. EVELYN ORME, (Credential No. 8): I second that motion. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Are there any questions? IRMA VOGLE, Past National President, (Credential No. 14): I rise to a point of information. Why are they keeping it within our own circle? PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT BASSETT: So we will not interfere with with the activities of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and those auxiliaries that are so much larger than ours, and to keep them closely affiliated with the Auxiliary of the Spanish War Veterans. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT VOGLE: Thank you. I didn't want to think we were selfishly taking care of our own. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Are there any further questions? If not, all those in favor say "aye"; opposed "no".,It is unanimously carried. CHAIRMAN KING: Sisters, you can add to your activities as far as«that goes, but we wanted to have a certain setup for them, so we would have something to go by. You can add to them. There is no objection, like the report came in this morning on the $25 for the Leonard Woods Memorial. We can do a lot of things. 81 Then, we add this next subsection. "Always shall the title of Fort Captain re main part of the setup, no matter upon what level it is set up to serve; Local Fort, Department Fort or National Fort." Madam National President, your Committee approves this amendment. GURLEY SANDBURG, (Credential No. 397) :,I move the adoption of this amendment. MEMBER, (Credential No. 46, Department of Michigan): I second the motion. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Is there any discussion? If not, all those in favor of the motion signify by saying "aye"; opposed "no".It is unanimously carried. CHAIRMAN KING: "Those persons previously installed under the title of Advisory Chairman, etc., can always be changed into the unified title." Madam National President, your Committee approves this amendment. SISTER BLUM, (Credential No. 165): I so move. IVY TILLITSON, (Credential No. 208) : I second the motion. SISTER FOWLER, (Credential No. 102): Could that be clarified a little? We don't quite understand it. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT BASSETT: It means, as in the past, those who have served as Advisory Department Chairmen and Past National Fort Chair men would be automatically passed upon as Fort Captain in the Past National: It is just those working in the past will not be left out in the present. They will all be the same. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Are there any other remarks? All those in favor say "aye"; opposed "no". It is carried unanimously. CHAIRMAN KING: In each state and the District of Columbia, Departments of Forts may be established where there are two Forts or more. A Department Charter will be approved by the National Forts Captain and granted by the National Auxiliary. The charges involved will be covered by a fee of Five Dollars. Local Forts will also obtain their Charter Applications from National Forts Captain. All Forts now in existence will continue to function uder their original charter. Madam National President, the Committee approved this amendment. EVELYN ORME, (Credential No. 8,): I move that the action of the Enact ment Committee be sustained. ELVA GIBSON (Credential No. 108):,I second the motion. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Are there any questions? If not, all in favor say "aye"; opposed "no". It is carried unanimously. You have unanimously adopted these amendments. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT BASSETT: We only want to express our heartfelt appreciation that we were privileged to serve on this Committee and we are grateful to every single one of you for helping us to finish harmoniously what we have started and we thank you sincerely from the bottom of our hearts. It not only means much to us, but it means much to our organization and to our Daughters to have harmony among our own group. NATIONAL SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT DENUNZIO: Madam President and Sisters, I just want you to know that Betty Bassett has worked hard. She has given time and thought all dtiring her time as Chairman of this Committee. She'has accomplished a great deal in a very short time. Now, it is settled, and I have to say that I believe that Betty Bassett did it. 82 _ NATIONAL JUNIOR VICE PRESIDENT McKAY: Sisters of the Con vention, it was a joy just to have the privilege to serve on the Daughters' Com mittee. However, I feel that our sister Betty Bassett did all the hard work and she deserves a great deal of credit and I wish to add my thanks to everyone here that this has been finally settled. Thank you, Sisters. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT SCHMIDT (Credential No. 34): I am glad it is settled now, and we give Betty the credit because she has worked awfully hard, and I want to thank all of you who have sustained the Committee and given us almost unanimous consent in everything Betty asked for. I sincerely thank all of you. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Well, they have all thanked Betty, and I thank Betty too, and I appointed Betty on this Committee. I did it because you know we had that little friction in California and I thought Betty could take care of it and iron it all out. So, I am very happy that this unfinished business has been taken care of and we have left nothing for our new President to worry about. Thank you very much Betty, and I am sure our Daughters are going to be happy. MARY SLOAN, (Credential No. 499): I too, thank Betty Bassett for her ser vice and propose a rising vote of thanks. (There was a rising vote of thanks to Sister Bassett.) PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT BASSETT: Thank you, I appreciate it. CHAIRMAN KING: You know, we have to have growing pains before we grow up and then we appreciate our good health, so I guess we are now enjoying good health. The Committee recommends that these amendments be printed at once on paper that will fit in our copies of Rules and Regulations and sent out to the Auxiliaries. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT BASSETT: I move that we do it immed iately. SISTER EVANS, (Credential No. 361): I second it. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Are there any questions? All in favor of the motion signify by saying "aye"; opposed "no". It is carried unanimously. CHAIRMAN KING: We still have one more enactment. Listen carefully. This is on page 74 in your Rules and Regulations. Under Section 178, Registration of Delegates and Visitors. This enactment comes to us on the recommendation of the National Finance Committee. "Every Sister and Delegate in attendance at the convention, shall pay a registration fee of $i. This was approved by the Committee. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Elsie Newel, Chairman of the Finance Committee, will you make the explanation.? PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT ELSIE NEWELL, (Credential 290, Tenn.): As National Chairman of the Finance Committee, we are bringing this recommen dation in to you for your approval . As time goes on, we are going to have more and more need of funds for our convention. Here in Kansas City, we are paying $25 a day for this room. Now, then we have just drawn up our budget for this National Convention, the biggest we have ever had. We have to have more money to finance this National Convention. This is not only true in the National, but in our Depart ments. You know, our people come to this one event, and at the present time, we charge them fifty cents registration fee, but we now want to raise it to one dollar, 83 In our field, we need to finance our National Convention when we can all come here and meet with our friends and renew our acquaintance year after year. We would not be bringing the recommendaton to you if it was not necessary and I possible, and as Chairman of your National Finance Committee, I am saying to you I it is necessary^ because we have to have money to finance our National Convention. Last year in Milwaukee, we had some things given to us, but we don't know from year to year what will happen and it will be the same situation and therefore I I feel each and every one of you want to have a part in helping your Finance Com mittee finance your National Convention and I hope you will vote favorably on it. JENNIE STITTS, (Credential No. 661): Madam National President, we all know that since the last two wars, many more organizations have been organized and the condition that is existing in Kansas City so far as the $25 a day is concerned I will exist in many cities, I am afraid, and I feel this Finance Committee is justified I in asking for a $1 registration fee. SISTER HAYES, (Credential No. 741): I am the wife of a living comrade, but we are both disabled and we have changed from what we used to think was necessary to keep body and soul together. I have talked with so many people who couldn't come to the convention because of the expense as it is now. I have talked with lots of people who have been here, and I think we too, have been unfortunate I and I wouldn't vote for any additional expense. GENEVA BUSSARD, Department President, (Missouri): I would like to say just a few words on this and then put a motion before the house so that it can be settled. I am not saying this to try to influence you, but I just want to say that I in the Department Convention of Missouri this year, we adopted a resolution to I pay a fifty cent registration fee, although we had never done that before, but it was necessary, because as you all know, our financial status now in these organi zations, the money does not go as far as it did a few years ago, and if we are to maintain our Department and National in a dignified manner that is befitting such I an organization as ours, it is up to us to. take care of it. I would like to tell you that our Departmet endorsed this almost unanimously. I If one little Department can pay a fifty cent registration fee, cannot our Depart- I ments all together pay one dollar to the National? (Cries of "No".) In order to get your decision, I move that the recommendation be sustained. I (Cries of "No".) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Just a moment, Sister, we will take a vote on it. MARY GOMMERINGER: I wish to second that motion. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Now, are there any questions on that motion? EMMA HOELTZEL, (Credential No. 568): I think we have been out of order in discussing this. There had not been a motion made and there could not have been a second until that. JENNIE STITTS: That was my intention, that I so move, but I was not given the courtesy on the motion. However, that was my motion Madam President, at the beginning. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Now, we will have the discussion. Don't get exicited about it. If we are not going to pass it, we are not going to pass it, but we want to be fair. We know that we will have to pay more for everything, but please bear in mind, too, that you have had these little things in the past years. This organization stands at all times ready to do for you and to take care oi youi 84 benefits. Now, don't forget that. I just want to remind you. Please be kind. You know all the other organizations are charging much more for registration, some as much as three dollars. I just want to leave that thought with you, so won't you be kind enough to discuss it? If you do not want it, you do not adopt it, but if we are in favor, we are going to adopt it and we are going to give you a chance to discuss it. But, please do not all jump up at once. PHYLLIS PERKINS, (Credential No. 69): It is true we have received this increase, but we have to stop and think our men, the most of them, are just on a pension and we wives have to live within that pension. We cannot do the things that we used to do when we were able to work. I am one who cannot get out and earn a living. I have to live on my husband's pension. I love to come to con ventions because I meet so many people that I know over the states, but when we have to add fifty cents here and a dollar some place else and then go to a city that does not give us anything at all, why we cannot do it. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT ELSIE NEWELL: May I say this comes as a recommendation from your National Council of Administration and may I I also remind you that year after year, I think our income is decreasing. As you heard the memorials, you know there were many who have passed on. You know you do have your increase now, but it not a settled fact you are going to keep the increase and I know there is a movement on foot right now to take it away from you, and because they want to do it, they are going to do it, so it is most necessary that we meet here in body and be strong as an organization. I think a fifty cent increase is almost nothing for a national convention to make possible this national convention, which in turn gives you the strength to join yourselves. Let's not forget that. Just because we have this increase is no sign we are going to keep it, because they can take it away as easily as it can be given to us, and you should remember that. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT VOGEL: Madam National President, I just want to say this: I admire our Finance Chairman, but let's not throw a scare into everybody while they are celebrating. I will never profit by a penny. I am a sister. But, I will always work for the Spanish War Veterans and their depen dents and what the majority wants is what is the rule of this organization. Let's vote. WINNIE WALTERS, (Credential No. 106): Montana has always paid a dollar registration fee and we don't feel that it is one cent too much for us, and Montana is not a large auxiliary. This one dollar registration fee we pay at our own Department and I am in favor today of increasing the fee for the National ' Convention. (The question was called for.) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: It is a recommendation from our Coun cil of Administration and we will now vote. LUCY FAVROT, (Credential No. 708): In Louisiana we have a very small membership. We still put on the best Department encampments in any state. We still pay a fifty cent registration fee. I am not speaking for myself, but I do think that when we vote on this, we should think of the women who live entirely on their pensions. They have to save from day to day. I think where we could start the cutting would be at National Headquarters and not at conventions. IVY TILLITSON, (Credential No. 208): We have a lovely convention every year and we always charge a dollar at our convention and I certainly feel that at a National Covention, it would be worthwhile to pay a dollar. LOUISE ODLE, (Credential No. 433): I think we will go home from this convention feeling we will have two months off our vacation to pay this dollar. 85 SISTER BUSBY, (Credential No. 13): Up to this year, Indiana has never had a registration fee. This year, we adopted twenty-five cents.a year. But, this year, some of the widows couldn't go to the state convention because they could not afford to stay in hotels. We had widows in my own auxiliary who could not afford it.. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: The question has been called for and we will have a rising vote. Only delegates will vote. NATIONAL SECRETARY WILLIAMS: We will proceed with the roll call. Department Presidents will respond, giving the number of votes in favor of the recommendation. (The roll was called, Departments responding.) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Just before we got into this controversy over the registration fee, you listened to the report of your Enactment Committee on the amendment in accordance with the action taken by the Committee for the Daughters. In order to legalize the amendment to the rules and regulations, there is an emergency clause in your rules and regulations which empowers your Na tional President to issue a dispensation for anything that must be changed. To legalize the action you took this morning on these enactments, it is necessary for your National President to issue a dispensation. I shall read this dispensation so that it may be presented to you for your action. "This will certify that a special dispensation is herewith issued to cover the emergency necessary for the adoption of the amendment as presented by the Enactment Committee to conform with Section 268, Page 106 of the Rules and Regulations for the Daughters of '98. (Signed) Julia A. Kull Official: National President Louise W. Williams National Secretary (National Senior Vice President assumed the chair.) NATIONAL JUNIOR VICE PRESIDENT MARY ROSS McKAY: I mov the adoption of this, the certification of the emergency that you have just heard PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT OLIVE RAVENS: I wish to second th motion. CHAIRMAN DENUNZIO: Are there any questions or remarks? If not al in favor make it known by the usual sign, "aye"; opposed "no". It is carrie unanimously. (National President Kull resumed the chair.) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: The Distinguished Guest Committee wi present John White, Commander in Chief of the Unted Spanish War Veterans. (Commander in Chief White was escorted to the platform.) PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT LOU ELLA ALLEN: Madam Nationa President and Convention Assembled: I am greatly privileged to have the honor of presenting Comrade John White, Commander in Chief from the great, big stat of Texas, so that he may meet you all and so that you will know him. He ha made a fine Commander in Chief and Texas is very proud of him. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: You will observe this station and with me salute our Commander in Chief. (The audience saluted Commander in Chief White.) 86 COMMANDER IN CHIEF WHITE: Ladies of this distiguished branch of the Spanish War Veterans, and backbone of them: I want to pay tribute to you here. I know you are interested in the legislative program. I hold in my hand a letter from the President with reference to it. I hold in my other hand a pre sentation from Sam Rayburn. He is of our political faith and the President gave us the pen. Here is Sam Rayburn's letter. Here is the President's letter. Now, passing on from that, I want to pay a tribute to the work of every one of you. Now, don't go home and think you didn't have a part in this. But, there had to be somebody in Washington, and those people in Washington were just following out the command of you folks who wrote letters and made it possible for us to do that. Now, who did we go to? We went to John Welch and we worked together and after that, we could talk to Joe Martin and we got results and lots of results and good results. After that, we went to Indiana and we got in behind Halleck who is from Indiana We got results from Washington and every place we turned, we got a promise it would pass in from ten to twelve days. That is, Joe Martn would let it pass. Then, we called Joe Hanley and he told us to call back a little after six. We called him at a quarter past six and he said that Joe Martin the speaker wasj going to let the bill pass in the same length of time as we had heard. We also had wonderful cooperation from Nora Eveleth who s here with you and the Com rades and Sisters of the great state of Massachusetts where Joe Martin came from. We had wonderful cooperation from John Hanley and the other comrades and congressmen all over the United States and they made it possible for the bill to pass the House. All right, when we found out that bill was going to pass, we left and went over to the Senate and that big, bald-headed stalwart man, Milliken of the Finance Committee, known as a friend of the United Spanish War Veterans was ready and he said that he would pass it on to the Finance Committee. We talked to the other ones, and it had left there. The next thing was to pass it over to the House. There was one objection from Russell of Georgia who was confused on the issue. So, they called him again and he was the only one who stood up and said "No',', but he did not vote again. Now, it got through the House ad the Senate and it had to be sent to the Presi dent to be signed so as to get it on the payroll in September. You will get the results of your check then. The President signed it on the 30th of July, 1947. Now, don't think because we are up there, we are entitled to the credit. Some body had to be there, but you all did your part. And then, don't forget that great Finance Committee. We have a Spanish War Veteran on there. I think we have two, and it passed over nicely. When it came up for passing on the 19th day of July in the Senate, it took just fifteen minutes for it to pass, including the roll call and everything on the complete bill. Ladies, I want to thank you for the privilege of appearing before you. You are the backbone. You are the stimuli, the warf and sinew of our organization. God bless you. May you have long health, happiness and prosperity and keep our organzation going. (Commander in Chief White was escorted out by the Colors.) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: On the recommendation from your Coun cil of Administration, for a registration fee of $1., 662 votes were cast and the motion is lost. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: There may be a time when we will have to reconsider, so you just go home and think about it and what it means to your orgaization. We want to do the very best we can for you, but each and every one of you must help. And always remember that there are many of those on the out side who do not support the organization. I have traveled through this country &7 and have found many widows who do not even belong to the organization. Now, if you go and build up this organization and get us more members, we will maybe, have more revenue and won't have to ask you for this. But, always remember, we are working on a 16 cent per capita tax. I sometimes feel we have always sold our organization too cheap. (Applause.) You know, to some people, anything that is too cheap is no good, and I just wanted to take this minute to let you know some of the things I have found in many auxiliaries. Some of them only charge $1 a year dues and so you realize, they have only fifty cents a year to work on, because you give to the National sixteen cents and the balance of the fifty cents goes to your Department. I hope you will go back to your Auxiliaries and discuss the matter and don't feel we are trying to get more money. We want to keep our organization alive so we may do the things for you we might have to do in the days to come. If you read your "Tribune" a few days ago, you will know the Economy League has come to life and they already have their Committee appointed. I hope you will take this in the spirit I am givng it to you, because we do want to do the best we can for our membership. Thank you, Sisters. NATIONAL SECRETARY WILLIAMS: Madam National President, may I say a word? I did not intend to say anything after Sister Favrot said we should save money at National Headquarters, but I think it is timely. I want to correct any impression that the membership may have that those at National Headquarters are extravagant or that the National organization is extravagant. We are not. You couldn't be extravagant on a sixteen cent per capita and the few pennies that we charge extra on some of the supplies that we sell. We tried to give the Departments a ten cent discount so they would save a little more money. We buy our pencils in the five and ten cent store at three for five cents. We don't buy a pad to write on, to scribble on . We take obsolete report blanks that you have amended and corrected. We don't throw them away. We send them to the printer and he pads them, putting a little paste around the top so they stay together. W^e save in every manner, shape and form that we can save. Your National President here has been very economical, if you will look at your financial report. She has gone far and has not spent the appropriated allow ance that the Finance Comittee has given her. We try to economize on postage in every way we can, so your National Headquarters is not extravagant. The only extravagance we have is that we want to give you as prompt service, as efficient service as we can possibly give you. We perhaps send you a number of letters, but we do that to clarify your questions and your requests and to respond to your demands. That is not extravagance, because after all, that is our duty, our sacred obligation, the thing we have obligated ourselves to do, which is to serve you sin cerely, and we are trying to do that every minute of the time, besides it is good organization. So, I don't want you to leave this auditorium with the impression that the Na tional Headquarters spends your money recklessly. We save every penny we can and watch expenditures very, very closely, and if you could have been in National Headquarters the last few weeks when the reports were being compiled and the auditors were there going over the figures, and if you could have seen the National Treasurer sitting at the adding machine and the National Secretary working with her, figuring out our dollars and cents, you would realize that we are concerned about our finances and concerned about our income and trying to do our best. I make this only in explanation to the remark made by Sister Favrot about the extravagance of National Headquarters. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: We will not be able to give you the count of the elections. We will have to wait until tomorrow morning. We will meet at eight-thirty tomorrow morning. You are dismissed. (The meeting recessed at one o'clock.) THURSDAY MORNING SESSION AUGUST 28, 1947 The meeting reconvened at five minutes past nine o'clock with National President Kull presiding. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Sisters, I know we are late this morning, but I am taking a little extra time. I wanted to give you all time to get in and get settled. We will have the opening prayer by our National Chaplain. NATIONAL CHAPLAIN ALEXANDER: Our Dear Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for having brought us safely to the beginning of another day. Send Thy blessing upon this gathering. Watch over and guide us in our deliberations that they may be wise and acceptable in Thy sight. Help us to be kind and gen erous in our thoughts and deeds towards each other. And we pray that Thou wilt be with each one of us all through the year. Bless our comrades, may they be long spared to us, and finally, guide us all to eternal rest with Thee. We ask in Jesus Name; Amen. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: WTe will have the roll call of the Depart ments. (National Secretary Williams called the roll of Department Presidents.) NATIONAL SECRETARY WILLIAMS: Madam National President, the roll has been called and you have a quorum present. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Mary Larkin, Chairman of the Election Board will report. CHAIRMAN LARKIN: Madam National President: There were 787 ballots cast. One ballot was void. For National President: Pansy Denunzio, 706. National Senior Vice President, Mary Ross McKay, 713. National Junior Vice President, Grace Alexander, 696. National Chaplain, Lillian Bauman, 677. National Patriotic Instructor, Ruby Lyons, 600; Emma B. Stobbe, 274. National Historian, Anna Nugent 490; Anna Elson, 292. National Conductor, Ada L. Duffy, 382; Edna R. Summerfield, 390. National Assistant Conductor, Cecelia Johnson, 646. National Guard, Margaret Mc Daniel, 691; Lucretia Bunnel, 169. National Assistant Guard, Ellen R. Hawk, 474; Emma Von Ludenburg, 287. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: I declare the following officers elected to National Office: 89 National President, Pansy Denunzio. National Senior Vice President, Mary Ross McKay. National Junior Vice President, Grace M. Alexander. National Chaplain, Lillian Bauman. National Patriotic Instructor, Ruby H. Lyons. National Historian, Anna Nugent. National Conductor, Edna Summerfield. National Assistant Conductor, Cecelia Johnson. National Guard, Margaret McDaniel. National Assistant Guard, Ellen R. Hawk. Now, Sisters, what is your pleasure in regard to sending telegrams to our Past National Presidents who are not present. Would you like to send them a greeting? CHRISTINA GRAHAM, (Credential No. 162, California): I move that we send telegrams to Past National Presidents who are not present. SISTER MARY GOMMERINGER: I would like to second that motion. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: We have one sister who is quite ill, Jessie Booth Perry, and you know she would be with us if she could. All in favor of the motion say " aye"; opposed "no". It is carried. I would like to appoint Hattie B. Trazenfeld, Past National President as Chair man and Olive Ravens and Marie Williams, on that Committee. Will you kindly take care of these telegrams? ELIZABETH HOLLAND, (Credential No. 192): We have a Past National Commander in Chief, Comrade Newton and every time anyone goes to see him, he is very happy. He is not able to go out at all. I wonder if this assembly couldn't send him a telegram? NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: If there are no objections, a telegram will be sent NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Will you kindly give your attention to the reading of the Memorial Resolutions. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT OLIVE RAVENS: "Whereas, Almighty God in his infinite wisdom has removed from our midst, our esteemed and beloved Past National President, Anna Nagle; and, "Whereas, the place she occupied in our Organization for so many years can never be refilled; and "Whereas, It is our desire to recognize our loss in the passing of Sister Anna, and to express our appreciation of her loyalty to the Comrades and Sisters of our Organization; therefore be it "RESOLVED: That we extend to her bereaved husband, Frank, and to her Sister Agnes Barry, our deepest and sincere sympathy in their hour of sorrow; and be it further "RESOLVED: That a copy of these resolutions be sent to her husband and sister, a copy to the Department of Massachusetts, Auxiliary, United Spanish War Veterans and that a copy be spread upon the minutes of this National Convention, now being held in Kansas City, Missouri, August 24-28, 1947. Your Committee moves the adoption of this resolution. 90 NATIONAL SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT PANSY DENUNZIO: I second the motion. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: All in favor of the motion signify by saying "aye"; opposed "no". It is carried. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT RAVENS: "Whereas, it has pleased our Divine Father to suddenly call away our true and beloved Past National President Cora A. Thompson; and '"Whereas, we are called upon to record the tragic and sudden passing away of one who has given so many years to our Organization; therefore be it "RESOLVED: That we extend to her bereaved husband, Carl, our deepest and sincere sympathy in his hour of sorrow; and be it further "RESOLVED: That a copy of these resolutions be sent to her husband, a copy to the Department of Oregon, Auxiliary, United Spanish War Veterans, and that a copy be spread upon the minutes of this National Convention, now being held in Kansas City, Missouri, August 24-28, 1947. Resolutions Committee Olive M. Ravens, P. N. P., Chairman Lillian Bauman Evalena Lawrence Edith Gaffney Mildred Zerbel" Your Committee moves the adoption of this resolution. LULU SHAKESPEARE, Past National President, (Credential No. 573): I second the motion. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: All those in favor of this moiton will signify by saying "aye"; opposed "no". It is carried. We come to unfinished business and we have the Chairman of the Judges for the scrapbooks. Are you ready to report, Marie Williams, Past National President? PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT MARIE WILLIAMS: Madam National President, I would like to have the members of my Committee stand with me. Madam National President, your Committee on Scrap Books, inspected and judged ten books; namely, Arkansas, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, Montana and Oregon. It was indeed hard to make a decision and to classify for prizes, because all books entered were interesting and showed many hours of time was consumed in the work of compiling material. We have tried to be fair and to judge each book according to its merits, on neatness, arrangement, historical facts and department publicity. Therefore your Committee feels the following Departments are entitled to prizes. Oregon First Prize $5.00 New York Second Prize $3.00 Georgia Third Prize $2.00 Special mention is herewith made of the beautiful and compact book submitted by the District of Columbia. • Madam National President, I move the adoption of this report. 91 CLARA HIGBEE (Credential No. 157): I second the motion. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: All in favor say "aye"; opposed "no". It is carried. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT MARIE WILLIAMS: Will the Department Presidents or their representative of the Departments come to the platform? That is, the Oregon, New York and Georgia. Now, Madam Retiring Department President of the Department of Oregon, it pleases me greatly to present to you this gift of five dollars. PAST DEPARTMENT PRESIDENT ZIDONIA QUICK: Madam National President, Committee members of this fine Committee, thank you very, very much. You have conferred upon my Department an honor, and when I report to my Department and report to my Historian, you will have made them very, very , happy and me likewise. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT SHAKESPEARE: Madam Depart ment President of New York, I wsih to congratulate you upon the receipt of this prize which it is my pleasure to present to you at this time. That is what our orga nization needs, more publicity. DEPARTMENT PRESIDENT EVA E. LAUTMANN: I am very happy indeed, to receive this prize for the Department of New York. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT CUMMINGS: It gives me great pleasure to present this check for the third prize. I think just as Sister Shakespeare has said, what we need is more publicity. Let's see how may more can bring booklets in next year. _- j DEPARTMENT PRESIDENT CAPPS: Thank you very much for this prize for Georgia in the heart of Dixie. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: I will excuse the delegates from the De partment of New Jersey, so they may attend the installation of the National Forts Captain who is from New Jersey and they will be right back after the installation. Sisters, you may retire. Now, I would like to say just a word about publicity and say what a wonderful National Publicity Chairman we had this year. I know she does not want me to say anything about her. She will be very embarrassed. But, nevertheless, I want to tell you that she did a marvelous job and every Department, I believe, did publicity work this year. It is very important that we continue to give this publicity to our Departments, which means so much to our organization, and i would like to thank our National Publicity Chairman, Harriet Warwick for the very fine job that she did this year. She was so busy all year with publicity she couldn't do anything else. She was the Publicity Chairman of a Department and the National Publicity Chairman and I just wish you could see those beautiful books, and they are very beautiful. And so Sister Warwick, I will thank you for the publicity that you gave to our organization this year. It was very much appreciated by your National President and by the members of the organization. While a few thought there were too many pictures of the National President in the National Tribune, it wasn't the National President personally it was our organization that we were representing and the publicity was not given to the individual. And so I want to say thank you, Sister Warwick, for a job that was well done. Is there any other unfinished business? NATIONAL PATRIOTIC INSTRUCTOR LILLIAN BAUMAN: Madam President, I wish to announce that I delivered the plaque yesterady afternoon and Mr. Broudy who happened to be on the platform Monday morning. He is Chair- 92 man of the Veterans' Administration and he very raciously consented to send a man or in fact, two men, to take the plaque to the City Hall and to theiBft floor to the City Manager's office. He said he wanted to have a picture, but ot course, the photographer didn't come. He promised to have publicity and a picture and promised to send them to me. Then while I was dressing for dinner last evening, the telephone rang and it was the City Manager and he wanted to know if I could'nt return to his office, because the photographer was there and he wanted to take a picture. So, he graciously consented to send his chauffeur and get me and I never dressed so fast in my life as I did last night. I went back to his office and I guess many of you have seen the picture this morning. And, he promised to put it in a prominent place and he was very sorry that he wasn't given the opportunity Monday morning of re sponding and accepting it. He said that Monday is a very full day for him, but he was waiting, knowing that he was going to get this gift. However, he wasn't given the opportunity of responding and he wanted the sisters to know that he did appreciate the gift and would put it in a place of honor. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Thank you Sister Bauman. Is there any other unfinished business? I would like to say a word about our half-day sessions at the convention. Did you all like the thought of just coming half a day? (Applause) You know, when we made up our program, we planned that you should have some time to enjoy the things you would like to do. You know, in the past years, our Comrades would get very angry when they had to stand outside and wait and wait for the ladies. They said they didn't know what we were doing so long and the became very impatient. I feel, too, sometimes, that our delegates come and spend their money, and sometimes see very little of the city they are visiting and I was wondering if you would like to continue that? (Applause) It happened to be fortunate that we planned to meet a half a day, because when we arrived here, we were informed we could only have this room until one o'clock, five hours, and that would be $25 for each five hours, and if we stayed over it would be an extra $25, even if we only stayed five minutes. So, you see, we didn't have to interfere with our program and it worked out very nicely in this case. Would you like to offer a motion to continue this plan? ALICE MATHERSON, (Credential No. 510, California): I move that we con tinue this operation. LOUISE ODLE: (Credential No. 433, Kansas): I second the motion. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Are there any questions on the motion? PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT SHAKESPEARE: I would like to propose an amendment, by adding, if possible. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: If possible. Of course if we have more work we might have to call a session in the afternoon. Is that amendment agreeable to the sister who made the motion? SISTER MATHERSON: Yes, Madam President. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: All right, are you ready for the question? All in favor of the motion say "aye"; opposed "no". It is carried ^estlon? GENEVA BUSSARD, Department President (Missouri)- I would lik, _n 93 is no charge for them. The only charge is for the labor of moving the chairs. That is new in Kansas City and that is why I make the announcement. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Thank you. Now, is there anything else to come up under unfinished business? LUCY FAVROT, (Credential No. 705, Louisiana): Madam National President and Sisters: I seemes that yesterday morning I rose to a point of personal privi lege. It seems that yesterday morning I spoke against the registration fee. It seems that some exception was given. I would never deal with personalities on the floor of a convention. If I wanted to tell you, I would take you and tell you on the side. But, I am too much of a lady, I beleive, to deal in personalities on the floor. And at this time, if I said anything impulsively which hurt the feelings of any sister in this audience, I want to publicly apologize. It was not my intention to hurt anyone, much less a friend of many years, Louise Williams, and some of these girls at National Headquarters. I don't take back what I said about the prin ciple of the thing. I am still of that opinion, but I certainly do not want you girls at National to think that I meant any reflection on you. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: This is the place to speak, Sister. NATIONAL SECRETARY WILLIAMS: It was not taken personally at all, but when there is something said about the National Headquarters, then it is my duty to protect National Headquarters. SISTER FAVROT: Well, I think Headquarters belongs to me just as much os it does to you. NATIONAL SECRETARY WILLIAMS: Those Headquarters belong to every individual member of the organization. Each member has a part in the Headquarters. Every one of you has a part and a place in the building. It is yours. SISTER FAVROT: Them's my sentiments too, girls. NATIONAL SECRETARY WILLIAMS: And so, when there is something said about Headquarters, it becomes the duty of the National Secretary to take the stand of protection of Headquarters and that is the stand I took. PAST DEPARTMENT PRESIDENT JENNIE STITTS: May I and my De partment approach your station? PAST DEPARMENT PRESIDENT JENNIE STITTS: Madam National President, we deem it an honor as well as a privilege to have had the privilege of serving you in this convention, and on behalf of this convention, we want you to accept this little gift which we offer you. It is of no great value, but it is rich in love and appreciation and it is a crown. May you wear this crown as a crown of glory. (Sister Stitts presented National President Kull with a jeweled pin in the form of a crown.) PAST DEPARTMENT PRESIDENT STITTS: And now, from the Depart ment of Missouri Women's Relief Corps, I present this little personal gift to you. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Thank you. Will you take back my thanks to the Relief Corps for this, and to you, you don't know how much I have enjoyed the fine work you have done during this convention, and I do appreciate it so, and I would just like to ask, how many were at the Exemplification yesterday? SISTER STITTS: We had a good group. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: I hope you all enjoyed the exemplification of the ritual. Let's give the team a big hand. It added much to the color of our convention to have them with us and we thank you. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Is there any new business? 94 SISTER FAVROT: I have an announcement, and it is very important to me. So many of the Departments are sending boxes to our Veterans in Carville, during the year and they send care of U. S. W. V. I had occasion to be down there a few weeks ago and some Camp in Oregon had sent them a box of twelve puzzles and fortunately I just happened to inquire about them and the Personnel Director said that was for the United States War Veterans. I said, "Oh no, that is for the United Spanish War Veterans." It seems that some lady from Oregon had just sent them all a lovely package. I want you all to take home the message that when we send things to Carville, be sure and write United Spanish War Veterans on it. SISTER WILSON, (Credential No. 534): I feel there is one thing we have neglected. We haven't said a word about hospitalization. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: That is all in the printed reports. You have all received the National Officers reports. Take them home and read them. That is why they are printed. A great deal of money is spent to have them printed for you and we don't read them, because we don't have the time. We couldn't gc into all the details. SISTER WILSON: I think we are neglecting that thought. We are not tak ing care of our veterans. SISTER IVY TILLOTSON, (Credential No. 258, South Dakota): I would like like to know what book you are talking about. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: The Officers' Reports. SISTER TILLOTSON: I didn't receive one. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: How many delegates are without Printed reports? NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: We still have some. You may call for them at Headquarters. We have some announcements. (National Secretary Williams made a few announcements.) NATIONAL SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT DENUNZIO: Is the money realized from the book, "Who Walk Alone" for general hospitalization or just for the leper fund? NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: It is just for the General Leonard Wood Memorial Fund. NATIONAL SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT DENUNZIO: I understand some Auxiliaries have the money for the general hospital fund and I told them I would bring back the right answer. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: It is used only for that fund and should not be used for anything else. I hope our sisters will be interested in The General Leonard Wood Memorial Fund, and I am sure that our incoming President would be very happy to receive anything you might send to her, because those books are just beginning to do their work and our members are just beginning to get the results. Any money that you earn from the reading of the book goes to that fund. That was the purpose of the book. SISTER CHRISTINA GRAHAM (Credential No. 163, California): Where do you get this book so it can be put into circulation? NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Sister Williams, will you answer that? 95 NATIONAL SECRETARY WILLIAMS: Anyone wishing a copy of the book, "Who Walk Alone", maye have it by sending $2.75 to Headquarters, the Leonard Wood Memorial Foundation supply these books gratis to us and the price is $2.75, which is the selling price, we are given the credit in our fund for that amount of money. So we take that money and then turn it over as a whole. Some of the books that were sold were included in the $10,000 check given to Dr. Burgess Mon day morning. So, if you are interested in the book, the $2.75 you paid for it, goes to the National Organization, as its contribution for the Foundation, and as the Na tional Presidet explained to you, the purpose of the book being sent out to all Department Presidents and the Auxiliaries and officers, was to give you the facts in connection with leprosy so that it would be possible for you to receive con tributions and raise money for that fund. That money should not be given to hospitalization. That is Leprosy Fund money and is sacred to that cause and should be turned over to National Headquarters to be given by National Head quarters as part of our contribution. It is a wonderful and worthy cause, if you will consider very seriously the di sease, not only as Dr. Burgess told you—you read about it in the Bible and we might think of it as a diesease of long ago, but you must bring to your minds, the thought that within the last few years, the men of our natfon have served our country during this recent war with Japan, in the tropics, down in the Philip pines and in the islands and in Japan and were in close touch with leprosy. We do not like to think of it, but in time there may be a great development of this disease and now we are helping to combat it. The Leonard Wood Memorial Foundation has been doing a great deal of re search work and only last March, brought fourteen medical students from the Philippine Islands to Harvard in order to complete their education and to help in scientific research to combat the disease. Every penny that you give to this fund, this foundation, you may be assured and feel that you are doing something worth-while for we have had fifteen million men in the service, without counting the women and we don't know what may come out of that. There is a great deal of work to be done in the future of our nation and it is something that we should give very deep and serious thought to. So, if we can help in the scientific research to cure and to prevent leprosy, we feel that we too have given a great deal of our service in the recent war. So please remember that all of the money that you receive for the reading of that book is sacred to that cause and if every member of our organization would contribute just ten cents, we would have been able to reach our goal. Pennies count as much as dollars. You may have only a little gift, but your pittance means just as much as the person who has a great deal. So, just ten cents a member as a voluntary coontribution will go into hundreds of thousands of dollars that we can give to this cause, which means a great deal to the coming generations and to our country. EMMA HOELTZEL (Credential No. 568: I wish to say that I am very happy to know where to purchase this book. So many people have asked us. Members of our own Auxiliary, No. 2, of the Department of Arkansas, have asked about the book. Now it has been the habit of our Auxiliary to place as a memorial when a veteran dies, a book in the library of the city of Little Rock, and ;also we have a state library commission, and we could see that our books are placed there. They could purchase that book for us. So, I am very happy to know that we of our own Auxiliary may place in our city library at least four copies of that book. It has been much talked about in our home town since we received your book and it has passed through our Auxiliary. NATIONAL SECRETARY WILLIAMS: May I say something that I think will be of interest? As we left the convention on Monday morning, three com rades came to the National President and wanted to know where they could contact Dr. Burgess because they wanted him to come to their dinner that night. Now, Ned Langford—that of course, as Dr. Burgess told you, was a name he 96 used, but these three comrades served with this Ned Langford in the Philippines. They knew him by that name and when the book came out, they recognized the story and one of the Comrades had ^written to Dr. Burgess to ask if it was not their very same man and Dr. Burgess told them it was. I wish you could have seen those comrades. They felt so badly about it and they told us about this man and they mentioned his name and he served with them in the Philippines. So, I thought you would like to know that. They were very much upset because they felt a free-will offering should have been taken up Monday morning. The one comrade was very emotional and upset because he was so close to Ned Lang ford and he said that if an offering had been taken up, he felt sure we /would have had a thousand dollars without doubt, because he said all the comrades were very much interested and felt they wanted to help. So, we want you to remember, if any of the comrades want to contribute, just take the money and send in your contributions. Of course, many of them are glad to give, and we received a great many contributions from the comrades this year. We received checks anywhere from five dollars to a hundred dollars from comrades, which helped to swell the fund. Just please remember, if your members want to give ten cents apiece, just take it and send it in because it grows into dollars and we will be able to add a great deal to the ten thousand dollars that has already been given. CHRISTINA GRAHAM (Credential No. 206, California): The question has been asked of me, that this was perhaps only possible during the Spanish War. But, my son served in the same places his father had served, Cuba, Caledonia, Manilla and China, which was just a coincidense. But, when he was in Caledonia for a year and a half, the lepers were not confined. They were afraid to eat food in their commissary. They either got their supplies from the ship or went out and caught fish, the lepers were so numerous. It was the same way in Manila. So many say that our boys of this war did not have the dangers of those in the Spanish-American War so why should we worry? Well, our boys had more ex posure than those during the Spanish-American War and this fund should be swelled and I think Sister Julia Kull has put before us a chance to help with one of the most wonderful things that any National President has started. HELEN WELLIN (Credential No. 560): I want to tell the sisters something about, "Who Walk Alone" that a lot of the sisters do not know. The Christian Churches all over the United States have had this book in their libraries and one of our churches in Pueblo even talked for the memorial and took up a collection. Yet, some of them felt the donation should go to those churches and that is why I feel that so many of the churches who raised the funds did not turn them over to the Auxiliaries as they were expected to do, because the churches did do that and are doing a fine work. I am donating my personal copy of "Who Walk Alone" to the Sentinel High School in Pueblo because I feel that in high school pupils who get ahold of that book, they will do much. It will get them interested in reading about it. I want you to know that the churches have worked on this. Our Auxiliary is loaning this book but it wasn't read fast enough for that to get in with our donations from our Department. Thank you. PHYLLIS SMITH (Credential No. 179): I am very glad the discussion came up about this book. I was Chairman of that fund for my Auxilary and I am sure that the women did not fully understand that. We have the book and we gave it our members to read, with the understanding that they must make a donation. I often went before the camp to ask for a donation, which they were very gener ous about, and I am glad it has been suggested that we keep the fund alive. I think we should make it a permanent fund, the same as we have with the Clara Barton Fund, and make our members understand the necessity of supporting the fund, no matter how small a donation it is. 97 BERTHA TRICKLE (Credential No. 313): We have a member in our Auxil iary who was a teacher there during the war. She met here husband there and she went all over those grounds and gave us a wonderful description. She said when she read the book, she lived all over again, the time when she was a girl, before she married. She praised it so highly to our girls that several of them bought the book for themselves. FLORENCE THOMPSON (Credential No. 570): Could I tell you what a little Auxiliary does in Stoneham, Massachusetts? We bought the book and loaned it out as a lending library book. We charged five cents for the first day and two cents for each extra day. Sometimes the book was kept approximately two weeks. It was quite a little work for the Chairman to take care of it, but the girls would send it to some one else, but there was an envelope to be marked n itrre fron.t of the book and everything was taken care of and it was not too much work. Now, I have $5 to turn into the Department of Massachusetts. WTe haven't completed the work, but I have that to present and I am going to have more before the time is through. When you ask anybody for a donation, they think, "Oh well, fifty cents", but you would be surprized how soon you get fifty cents and a dollar by leaving it in the house. They will leave it in the house and let everybody read it, and it will stay quite a number of days. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Well, sisters, that is a volunteer proposition. Anything you feel you would like to give for the cause will be accepted and I am very happy that you are all interested, and I thank each and every one of you for the work you did which made it possible to present to the memorial foun dation ten thousand dollars. And now, you have some extra money here. You know, you received an extra amount of money from Illinois and $25 from South Carolina and $25 from the Daughters of '98, so you see, they are still interested, and our Daughters now are going to help us to do the things we want and ought to do. MEMBER (Credential No. 737, Illinois): I know that I have lost a great deal of this convention for instruction and pleasure as well, because I was not privi leged to sit in the front rows where I could hear, and I know that possibly 50 per cent of the sisters have heard very little of the proceedings directly from the floor. May I humbly suggest for your future conventions that an effort be made to have portable microphones so everybody in the convention can hear all the good that is coming from the floor? NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Is that a suggestion? SAME MEMBER: Yes. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: We will make a note of it. GERTRUDE SCHUMANN (Credential No. 396, Illinois): May I again refer to the Memorial? I wish the sisters to know that the $W0 check you spoke of a while ago was by the Chicago Cook County Council of Illinois. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: I believe now, we are ready for the in stallation. Before we go into the installation, I would like to say a few more words and then I am going to keep quiet. I want to thank each and every one of you for a very happy year and a very instructive year. Your cooperation was very much appreciated. Your kindness to me on my visits to the various De partments—words have just failed me to express to you my sincere thanks for alt you have done. You have expressed some wonderful thoughts to me on my visits. I hope you haven't forgotten them and will make good use of them this coming year so that your incoming National President will get the benefit of those thoughts. You will remember, I said to you that if you want to keep your organization alive, you must be active. You know, when you retire from office you can always serve on a membership committee and bring in new members, it will help a great deal. It will help us to do the things in this organization that we want to do. And now, I. just want to say, thank you to all of you. It has been a happy yeai\ 98 Now, may I ask the newly-elected National President to come forward and announce the name of her installing officer and her appointments? NATIONAL PRESIDENT ELECT DENUNZIO: My Executive Commit tee will be Lou Ella Allen, Betty Bassett. The Finance Committee, Mamie Schmidt,and then of course, the Advisory Committee will be all the Past National Presidents. I would like for them to meet me in the National Headquarters after we adjourn. For my installing officer, Past National President Violet B. King. My National Secretary will be Louise W. Williams, National Treasurer Henrietta Lynott and National Musician, Merle Hunter. NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Will the Colors present the installing officer and will Comrade Denunzio come to the platform. (The audience arose as the Colors escorted the installing officer and Comrade Denunzio to the platform.) NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Sister Violet B. King, we welcome you as our installing officer and await your orders Sisters, you will observe this sta tion and salute Past National President Violet B. King the Installing Officer. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT VIOLET B KING: We will proceed with the Installation. National Secretary Williams announced the names of the Officers elected and appointed for the ensuing year. The Officers were installed. Past National President Kull invested the National President with the sash of office saying, "I hope you will have just as happy a year as I have had, Pansy". At the conclusion of the ceremony National President De'Nnuzio assumed the chair. NATIONAL PRESIDENT DENUNZIO: Thank you, Madam Installing Officer. I want to give you just a little gift in appreciation for installing the officers. We have been together many, many years. I have been in the organi zation since 1914. Please accept this little gift. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT KING: Madam National President, first of all, I want to say you have made me very happy in giving me the privilege of installing you and those who are to serve us in the coming year. I have admired you for many, many years and have felt very close to you and I was happy when I knew that you would soon be our National President. I am so filled with happi ness today, for I know your capabilities and your personality and I know you are going to be a marvelous leader. We have had such a fine leader this past year, and we are going to have just as fine a one this coming year. I know your heart is filled with hopes and expectations and plans for the coming year. But, I want to say to you that if you don't accomplish all of them, don't be disapointed, for no one who goes into office is able to do the things that they think they want to do. Many times you do other things. But, whatever you do and whatever you accomplish is going to be for the very best of the organization. I want to say to the sisters of this organization, you today have heard your National President and the officers who will serve as your leaders in the coming year, take their obligations, saying that they are going to perform their duties to the best of their ability, but what can they do without your support. I hope as they repeated their obligations this morning, you in your own heart, were repeating an obligation that you will continue to do your very best for our orgaization. I know we have been happy to be here today and all the days of the convention, and many of you have learned more about our organization. I am sure you have felt that your coming here was worth-while and surely each of us has received an inspiration from being with one another. We have eaten together, we have talked together, and we have done many things together, and I feel that we have 99 strengthened the bond of our organization. May you go home with the determi nation in your heart that you are going to be a better Auxiliary member and devote more of your energy and time to this organization. And let us, each one of us, go home and be living examples of the kind of women who should belong to our organization; patriotic women and good Christian women. May I say to each of you, may God bless you and give you strength to carry on and all be back next year to hear the reports of our National President and the other officers, of the trust we have given them today. May your year be all that you want it to be, and if at any time I can be of service, as I told you yesterday, lam getting kind of old, but 1 am not ready to retire, so I am ready to serve you or any one. Thank you so much. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT BASSETT: Madam National President, there is a gentlemen whom we would like to have the first word with you, because he realizes if he doesn't get the first word in now, he will not have another chance during the year. So, we would like you to allow your husband, Comrade Denunzio, to come to this station now. NATIONAL PRESIDENT DENUNZIO: I am giving my permission for my husband to come forward. COMRADE DENUNZIO: My Dear Friends: It seems to me she is one of the prettiest girls in this world and with all my heart and soul, I believe she is the prettiest and best little girl in this entire country. When she first came with this grand organization in 1914 and from that time on she has been working for the Spanish American War Veterans and the Auxiliary. She has been a grand worker and I am very proud of the honor you have given her. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT MARIE WILLIAMS: Madam National President, I am very happy this morning to salute you. As a friend of Comrade Denunzio for so many years, he has asked me to perform a personal task for him and I feel honored, Madam National President. Your words took me back also to the Convention in 1914. At that convention, as I remember it, you sang your self into the hearts of all the Auxiliary members who were present, and at that convention, your husband was Junior Vice Commander in Chief. All the years that have gone by between then and now have found him a friend to the interests and welfare, not only of the comrades' organization, but his first interest always seemed to be for the Auxiliary members. So, I feel highly honored^ Madam Na tional President, that he has asked me to say to you in the words it seems that are hard for him to say at this time, and it seems to me that they are so inadequate for me to pull out from the air. I too have my heart filled, seeing you here, standing in the place we all coveted for you, but I want to present to you this gift, and while I have not seen it, your good husband whispered in my ear what it is and I hope, Madam President, you will open this package and immediately put the gift where you will wear it. I wish this remembrance could really convey all my thoughts and good wishes today. (National President Denunzio opened the package which contained a large diamond ring. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT BASSETT: They want me to bless them. We all bless them and we place them lovingly in God's care and we know that Pie will rake care of them and we know that everything that is good will come to them this year. NATIONAL PRESIDENT DENUNZIO: Thank you Betty. DEPARTMENT PRESIDENT BUSSARD (Missouri): Julia Kull, the De partment of Missouri has not too much of money nor too much of academic cul- 100 ture, but we are rich in human kindness and tolerance and understanding and we ask you to receive this gift and we hope it will be a material token of our love to you. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: President Bussard and Friends of the Department of Missouri: I thank you for these fine words and for this token of remembrance. I appreciate your kind thought. DEPARTMENT PRESIDENT BUSSARD: Sister Pansy, I come before you to bring you this gift. I am confessing base extravagance. The precious garment that I outgrew, and so ruthlessly gave away the night before last, I now need for our infant sister, National Prsident Pansy. But, since bygones are bygones, I enlisted the support of the large Pansy family and we have gathered together, bit by bit, a token of love and welcome to our newest infant. The "Pansy's came to the platform and each one of them presented the National President with a rose. DEPARTMENT PRESIDENT BUSSARD: And now, Pansy, we are going to bind the hearts of all these departments tightly with your heart forever. (Sister Buzzard tied the roses together with a white ribbon.) NATIONAL PRESIDENT DENUNZIO: Sisters, of course, I didn't know what was going on at the time, but we had our meeting and they decided on their name. That was their choice. As we look them over, I know you never seen a finer group, a grander group of girls than we have this year. Do you agree with me? (Applause) DEPARTMENT PRESIDENT BUSSARD: I believe there are forty here, and two sisters, Sister Wheeler and Sister Patrick of Tennessee had to leave, but you have their roses. NATIONAL PRESIDENT DENUNZIO: I have appreciated every expression of love and prayers that has been given to me. Keep on praying, girls, and we will have a wonderful year. Now, will our Past National President Julia Kull come to the rostrum? NATIONAL SECRETARY WILLIAMS: Madam Past National President, Miss Julie: I am very happy at this moment, not happy because you are retiring from office, because I shall be very lonesome without you, but because I have been honored to make this presentation to you. You know that it has been the custom and is the custom of our organization, to present the Retiring National President with the jewel of her office, and it is my honor at this time, to present to you now, that jewel. Entwined in the circle surrounding the emblem of our organization is the love and the esteem and the deep affection of every member of our organization. As you gaze upon this from time to time, you will, I know, remember all of those whom you met during the past year, as you greeted the members of the Departments, and you will recall the many happy occasions that you have occasion to attend. You will recall when you took office last year, and your retirement, and all the pleasures you have had during that time. Because of the unfortunate circumstances that befell me last year, I was unable to be present when you were installed in office. I was resting on the Eastern shore of Maryland, trying to recuperate my health. My heart was with you all, every minute of the time, and I went with you, step by step, I was so heartsick because I could not be here to see you elected and installed. But, God was kind to me made it possible for me to serve you as Secretary this past year, and in that capacity I was most happy, because we were joined in that close association and that sin cere friendship, which I have enjoyed for the past thirty years. It was a happy year. It was a year filled with friendship and kindness, and w To my personal secretary who took care of things when I was away, my sin cere thanks to her. We have had a happy year. Thank you for everything you have done "so far". MARIE C. CRUISE, Department President, (New Jersey): The people of New Jersey are indeed very proud to be here today to see you retire so gracefully after such a very, very successful term of office. May I present this little fan, and I am sure it works. There was a time during the hot spell when we thought we would give it to you. But now, I present this fan from the Department of New Jersey. OPast National President Kull was presented with a fan composed of dollar bills.) PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: To the Department of New Jersey, I want to say thank you for this fan, and thank you for all you have done „or me and as I said last night, each year I have had the unanimous endorsement from my Department and their loyal support—words just fail to express how much I do appreciate all you have done for me. But, I promise you I am going to come back and I am going to be just one of you and show in my humble way'my appreciation; ready to serve you in anything you ask me to do. Thank you so much for what you have done. BEULAH COPE, Past Department President, (District of Columbia): I had hoped there would be someone here to speak more eloquently than I can, but I want to present this little token on behalf of your Department Presidents. It isn't a lot, but you have meant so much to us this year; your words and encouragement, and you had so much faith, that we had to go out and do the things you expected us to do. I know everyone of the Department Presidents feel the same way and if it hadn't been for the encouragement and faith you had, we wouldn't have been able to accomplish as much as we did. We hope your faith in us has been justified. We certainly did appreciate working with you and we want to present to you this little gift and we hope you won't forget us. We hope to keep on being remembered by you. (Past National President Kull was presented with a bouquet formed of dollar bills.) PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Beulah Cope, Past President of the District of Columbia, may I say, thank you. You have been so loyal all year. You have kept in touch with all the Juliettes. They were very happy to receive your letters and I know you have added so much to my year of service. May I thank each and very one of the Juliettes for this lovely gift, and also for the lovely pin I received in January for my birthday. Thank you, all. BEULAH COPE: And before I go, I also want to say that all of the Presi dent's pages joined in the gift Now, everybody in our group is going to sing, "Should Auld Acquaintance be Forgot". 103 BERNICE JONES, Past Divisional President (New Mexico): We wanted you to come to^New Mexico, the land of the Tampas, and we are sure, had you come to New Mexico, you would still be enchanted by it, but you didn't get there. So, the Provisional .Department of New Mexico sent a bit of New Mexico to you with our love. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Thank you so much, Sister Jones. I am sorry I didn't get there. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT ELSIE NEWELL: Last year, you said you wanted big money. You did not say denominations or otherwise, so we are happy to present to you this big money which will put you in the big money class. We even got a holder for you to carry it home in. (Past National President Kull was presented with large stage money.) PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Thank you for what you have done for me. Gifts were presented from the Departments of Indiana, Kansas, California Theodore Roosevelt Aux. No. 5, Department of California General Miles Auxilary No. 32. Department of New Jersey Department of Nebraska Mary Renssler Franklin Auxiliary No. 3, New Jersey Department of Colorado Personal gift from former member of Franklin Auxiliary Sister Little. Department of Minnesota, Department of District of Columbia Department of Alabama, Department of New Hampshire Department of South Dakota, Department of Montana, Dept. of Arkansas Gift presented by National Jr. Vice President Alexander from her Auxiliary. NATIONAL PRESIDENT DENUNZIO: At this time I am going to grant the permission of the floor to Sister Ada Duffy. ADA DUFFY, Past Department President, (Illinois): At this time I would like to extend my congratulations and best wishes to the officers you have elected, and particularly to Edna Summerfield who ran for the same office I did. And while she was elected to this office, I do not feel that I was defeated, because you gave me such a wonderful vote, and I appreciate it as a proof of the friend ship that I have in this organization. But, I want to offer her my sincere congrat ulations and my best wishes and hope she will have a fine year. EDNA R. SUMMERFIELD: Sisters in Convention Assembled and Sister Duffy: The extension of these congratulations probably touches me a little deeper than any that I have received this morning. At this time, I am afraid I can't say more. Thank you, Sister Ada. Sister Anna Bowles of St. Louis, Couselor of the Daughters of '98 wishes to give you this check for Twenty-five dollars from the Daughters of '98 for the General Leonard Wood Memorial Fund. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: I am sure the Daughters are very happy now. Thank you very much. 104 SISTER BOWLES: That is what they wanted. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Well, if we didn't do anything else this year, we made the Daughters happy. SISTER IDA HEACOCK BAKER (Four States Association): If nobody smiled and nobody cheered And nobody helped us along, If each and everyone looked after himself And the good things all went to the strong; If nobody thought just a little bit about you Or if nobody care for me, If we worked all alone in this battle of life, What a dreary old world this would be. Life is sweet just because of the friends we have made and the things we can commonly share, We want to live, not to think of ourselves, But because of the people who care. Giving and doing for somebody else And on that our happiness often depends. The joy of this world, if we sum it all up, Is found in the making of friends. This is a friendly organization. We have in Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and | Missouri, an organization we call the Four States Association. We were organized in 1938 and I have the honor of being the Secretary, since its institution. It is not a chartered organization We meet for friendly consideration. On October i 4 and 5 in Pittsburg, Kansas, we have our next meeting. We are inviting you, Sister Pansy, to be with us at this time, and this little gift from the Association, I am presenting to you as the Secretary. NATIONAL PRESIDENT DENUNZIO: Thank you. Take my love and appreciation back to your Four States Association and I will do my best to get there if possible. SISTER NEWCOMB: To our National Treasurer, this is just a little gift from the beautiful state of Florida, to our very faithful and conscientious Treasurer, Henrietta Lynott. SISTER HENRIETTA LYNOTT: To the girls from Florida, thank you very much. You know how I feel about you and I know how you feel about me. Thank you. COMRADE: (Department Commander of Kentucky): Congratulations from the Department of Kentucky. We wanted to let you know we are very proud of you. The men's organization as well as the Ladies' Auxiliary knew you couldn"t take all of us with you when you travel, but we are giving you something to take with you. NATIONAL PRESIDENT DENUNZIO: Thank you. VIRGINIA MORTON, Department President, (Kentucky): We want to wish you a very successful year. (The delegation from the Department of Kentucky presented National Presi dent Denunzio with luggage.) MEMBER (Kentucky): The world is just a mirror, Reflecting what we do And when your face is smiling, It smiles right back at you. 105 PAST DEPARTMENT PRESIDENT PEARL REISTER (Kentucky): Madam National President, I am so happy to present you with this from your Department delegation. This is a personal gift from them and I know we are all proud of our I^ansy. I have looked forward to the time, from the time you started at the bottom of the ladder and I think this is the happiest moment of my life. NATIONAL PRESIDENT DENUNZIO: Thank you all, so much. Gifts were presented to the National President from the Department of New York and Theodore Roosevelt Auxiliary No. 5, California The National President expressed her appreciation. ....NATIONAL PRESIDENT DENUNZIO: Now, I have granted the privilege of the floor to Sister Emma Von Lindenberg. PAST DEPARTMENT PRESIDENT EMMA VON LINDENBERG, (Mary land) : Sisters, I want to congratulate Sister Ellen R. Hawk who ran for the same office I did, and I wish her a happy year. Also, I want to thank the delegates who voted for me. PAST DEPARTMENT PRESIDENT ELLEN R. HAWK (Pennsylvania): Madam President, you know, when two people run for the same office, one has to lose. I always feel sorry for the loser, whoever it is. But, I want to thank Emma Von Ludenburg and also thank the delegates who voted for me. PAST DEPARTMENT PRESIDENT ANNA ELSON: I want to congratu late Sister Anna Nugent on her election. This is my first attempt and I am proud to have met so many wonderful women and I thank those who gave me tjieir support. Kansas will send in their reports and Anna will compile them for National. PAST DEPARTMENT PRESIDENT ANNA NUGENT. I want to thank you, Sister Anna Elson for your congratulations and I want to tell the delegates I have appreciated the chance they have given me to be of service to you. Gifts were presented to the National Officers from their Departments. To National Senior Vice President Mary Ross McKay by Department Presi- ident Frida Gruler and Past National President Florence M. Clark. National Chaplain Lillian Bauman by Department President Anna Nation. National Junior Vice President Grace Alexander by Department President Cora Johnson. | National Patriotic Instructor Ruby Lyons by Department President Mattie Trice. National Conductor Edna R. Summerfield by Department President Madge Ryce. National Historian Anna Nugent by Department President Winnie Walters. National Assistant Guard Ellen Hawk by Past National President, Hattie Trazenfeld. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT TRAZENFELD: I don't know whether this has been done or not, but I think the whole convention should give a rising vote of thanks to our Convemoin Chairman who has done so much for us. (The audience arose and applauded.) PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT FINKE: Thank you. I have tried to do all I could to make your stay here pleasant and to make you satisfied with your program. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT KULL: Madam National President, I did slip up on something. You know, if we hadn't had a musician and a solost here, our convention would not have been so pleasant. I would like to present to you, the two sisters wh served and who played and sang for us. 106 ( These are the two sisters who helped us out so wonderfully. They are Sister Holmes of Missouri and Sister Edith Clisbee. Thank you very much for your I kindness. I am sorry I forgot to do this before I retired. Thank you for what you have done for us. MEMBER: I think a great deal of credit, recognition and thanks should go to one of the Past Department Presidents here who lives in Kansas City. Margaret Samuels, the Past Department President of Missouri has worked untiringly since it was first mentioned that the National Convention would be held here in this city. I would like to ask for a rising vote of thanks to be given to her. (The members arose and applauded.) CONVENTION CHAIRMAN FINKE: Madam National President and Sis ters: I do want to say while you are all present that all the Kansas City sisters helped me in every way on this convention. I want to thank all of the committees for what they have done. NATIONAL PRESIDENT DEUNZIO: I want to say, I am, not going to introduce any new projects this year. If we work on the Clara Barton Memorial Scholarship and the General Leonard Woods Memorial Fund, I think we will be doing a good job, because they are both very, very important to everyone. I read the book, and in fact, I didn't stop until I read it through from beginning to end. I believe if we could have had that before us before we presented the check, it would have been much, larger. So, I feel, Sisters, let us all work. These are two living memorials. Let's not forget the Leonard Woods Memorial Fund, because that is just as important as the Clara Barton Memorial Scholarship Fund. I thank you for your confidence and the honor you have given me and I am going to do my best and angels can do no more than that, and I do want the prayers I have been promised so many times; I need them. Now, is there anything else to come before us? I would like to have the Advi sory Committee meet me at Headquarters at three o'clock. Perhaps we had better make it three-thirty. MEMBER: There is one question I would like to ask, which has come up so often. When a drill team is holding the flag and the audience sings the National Anthem, should they sing also. Will you please answer that at National. So many say they should not do it. NATIONAL PRESIDENT DENUNZIO: I think it has been customary not to sing while holding the flags. NATIONAL PRESIDENT DENUNZIO: If there is nothing further to come before this convention, we will close our meeting. Sisters, again I want to thank you, and I want to say, God bless you and take care of you and send you safely back home. The National Chaplain will invoke the Divine blessing. NATIONAL CHAPLAIN BAUMAN: Eternal and Everloving God, our Father, we pray that Thy Spirit may possess the minds and hearts of these, Thy servants, that they may be faithful to their duties, wise in their administrations and truly patriotic. Bless our organization. Grant that it may long exist and continue to be an instrument of great good to all. Give us Thy aid that our work may be successful, and so endow us that charity, peace and harmony shall ever prevail and abide with us. Amen. NATIONAL PRESIDENT DENUNZIO: The meeting is adjourned. (The meeting adjourned at twelve-thirty o'clock.) 107 NATIONAL OFFICERS AND DELEGATES 1946-1947 NATIONAL OFFICERS National President JULIA A. KULL National Senior Vice President PANSY DE'NUNZIO National Junior Vice President MARY ROSS McKAY National Chaplain GRACE M. ALEXANDER National Secretary LOUISE W. WILLIAMS National Treasurer HENRIETTA LYNOTT National Patriotic Instructor LILLIAN E. BAUMAN National Historian RUBY LYONS National Conductor ANNA NUGENT National Assistant Conductor EDNA R. SUMMERFIELD National Guard CECELIA JOHNSON National Assistant Guard MARGARET McDANIEL PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENTS ANNA K. JUNEAU MARTHA B. HART VIOLET B. KING MARY A. McGAULEY LOUISE W. WILLIAMS LOU ELLA ALLEN FLORENCE M. CLARK BETTY BASSETT MARIE C. WILLIAMS ELSIE H. NEWELL OLIVE M. RAVENS ETHEL CUMMINGS LULU J. SHAKESPEARE HATTIE B. TRAZENFELD MAMIE B. SCHMIDT BERTHA M. FINKE IRMA HILL VOGEL NORA V. EVELETH Past President, Roosevelt Aux. 1, unattached, Honolulu, Hawaii t EHEL BENJAMIN ALABAMA Department President Mary Emma Houk Past Department President Vivian Pair iDelegates Ada Sutton Velma Sheppard ARIZONA Department President Cora Johnson Past Department Presidents Anna Bruce Edith Mattocks iDelegates Clara Vix Mary Armstrong Margaret Carr Eileen Pauly 109 ARKANSAS Department President Mattie Trice Past Department Presidents Mary E. Benedict Emma Wright Emma Hoeltzell Effie Long Maude Foley Pauline Hoeltzell Mattie Watts Ethel Carroll Ethel Lee Scott Bertha Collins iDelegates Elizabeth Herndon Lillie Eschleman Ida Lorraine Martha Vaughn Jackson Letha McFann Annie Atwood Clara Fawconer Laura Tudor Nellie Nevins Florence Hamilton Martha Buchanan CALIFORNIA Department President Christina Graham Past Department Presidents Lucy Addington Clara Fowler iDelegates Charlotte Clicksman May Letteau Helen Church Esther Tillitson Eva Jolly Lillie Brill Myrtle Rice Laura Henderson Lavinia Jackson Lillian Woodbury Lydia Diamond Jenny Ayres Charlotte Lahamier Alice Dlavis Ethelda Platek Edna Hooten Georgia Tiffany Edith Fitzwater Zdenka Jones Freda Strickland Dollie Morgan Helen Jorgensen Mary E. Landis Cora Brown Georgia Kratzer Madiline Rybolt Eliz. Mari Sophie Martin Emma Smith Josephine Long Dollie Packard Nora B. Flint Ethel Williams Edith Morrison Ida J. Peet Mabel L. Alger Gertrude Griffin Pearl Carter COLORADO Department President Josie B. Mackey Past Department Presidents Calie Lewellyn Delia Curtis Florence Blunt iDelegates Margaret Taylor Dorothy Soerry Theresa Erickson Celestine Whittaker Christiana Anderson 110 CONNECTICUT Department President Mary Sebas Past Department Presidents Mary S. Stewart Inez Batson Lucretia Bunel Lillian Curtis Elizabeth Holland Alma McElroy Delegates Susan Conner Anna McBriarity Mary Warren Therese Finance Madelyn Carr Margaret W. Hunt Rose Simberland Anna Wood Catherine Murphy Nellie Hughes Wilhelmina Ward Harriet Orvis Nellie Vollmor DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Department President Madge Ryce Past Department President Carrie L. Flaherty Ethel Finn Mary C. Lipscomb Pauline A. Thompson M. Gertrude Keyes Beulah M. Cope Gertrude E. Miles Kathryn M. Lynch 'Delegates Louise E. Freeland Sophia B. Lewis Milded Flecker Geraldine Henkel Anna M. Palmer Lillie O'Neill Albertine Lockner Jennie Rhodes Alfreda Kripp Dorothy Alford Agnes Tennyson Margaret Griffith Rose Osterman Helen Grissam FLORIDA Department President Effie Jones Past Department Presidents Delia Neal Cora Searing Anna Guste Olde Delegates Rose Stieger Julia Boggs Lillian Dickerson Mae Emmons Nellie Shreffler Lillian McClure Matilda Schmidt Lilly Springer Millie Hulsiger Grace N. Smith GEORGIA Department President Minnie J. Capps Past Department Presidents Lottie B. Simons Mildred V. Rhodes Katie E. Green > 111 Delegates Elizabeth Eberhardt Anna Simmons Susan Bell Carrie Bell Mattie McCormick Belle King Neca Flood Juareen H. Simons Daisy T. Watson Edwina Cameron Hobart Kay IDAHO Department President Birdie Middendorf Past Department Presidents Sylvia Seelos Tamora Parrott ILLINOIS Department President Gertrude Schumann Past Department Presidents Louise B. Korber Mary Wyman Grace Bugard Ada Duffy Delegates Agnes Sinke Margaret Miller Lillian Hurley Mae Johnson Mary Deinlein May Hashman Mabel McVey Irene Claypool Delia Jensen Mary E. Knight Viola Neureither Jennie Fischer Helen Willman Grace Stewart Nonie Cox Anna Thole Mildred Ashcroft Rose B. Bell Edith Musgrove Gertrude Whitney Martha Krueger Louise Peterson Catherine Gerwin Anna Dettman Delia Arndt Nina Jensen Mary Hoffler Lorraine Dixon Martha Kepner Jane Nunam Emma Milne Lillian Hasting Clara Ailing Goldie Sulbach Minnie Wood Ethel Flocke Mary Kelley M. Burma Hannah Dowdle Clara Ackerson Gertrude Roth V. Headenburg Gertrude West Josephine Bodden Mildred Smith Baldwin La Vena Rentsch Anna Weiland Mae Taylor Marion Gunsolas Sue Hamilton Faye Wells Daisy Sharp Ida Sack Myrtle Randle Minnie Russell Charlotte Brethauer May V. Sommer Henrietta Johnston Franc Morrison Mary Woley Carrie Hoffman Helen Koten Maude Hagerman Minnie Post Evelyn Gill Emma Holland 112 INDIANA Department President Anna Nation Past Department Presidents Merle Hunter Ella Bell Louise C. Berridge Lucy M. Colvin Josephine Hanna Jane Kreke Bertha McNaught Delegates Nannie Love Bertha Trickle Elizabeth Farrow Phyllis Pirtchard Elizabeth Gwinn Margaret Macy Meta Knaebel Clara I. Odell Cassie Lilly Louise Van Blaricom Ggrtrude Lewis Eva Stewart Susie Hopkins Eva Lancaster Jennie Vermillion Grace Knowles IOWA i Department President Esther Wheeler Past Department Presidents Elizabeth Artus Elsie McMichael Marie Meyers Xenia Patterson Clara Hollnagle Delegates Mollie Carlson Mary Winslow Lulu Ashmore Ella Herbsleb Rhoda McKim Grace Pederson Mae Anderson Mable Story KANSAS Department President Louise Odle Past Department Presidents Sally Kimball Ida Heacock Baker Nora Darby Anna Elson Daisy Foster Myrtle Glunt Margaret M. Hopkins Elizabeth Jennings Grace Pagett Cora Riney Elma Schoenborn Grace Steward Minnie B. Walker Emma Warren Gertrude Shanafelt Delegates Mayme Johnson Vera Stanfield Martha Beard Bessie Eiker Sarah Maltby Ella Vaughn Amy Hill Nellie Cox Ocy Grace Morrison Martha Limbird Anna Timmons Opal Jansen Lillian McClintock Mary Colgrove Mrs. Crumley Anna Reist Effie Teete Hattie M. Taylor 113 Florence Graham Mamie Zimmerman Ethel Herring Eva McDonald Bertha K. Laurence Rose Simpson * KENTUCKY \ Department President Virginia Morton Past Department Presidents Lila Wilson Mary R. Truman Nelia Brown Matilda Lyons Pearl Reister Edna Rogers IDelegates Audra Ehrhardt Clara Uhlen Mae Veale Myrtle Wilson Edna Rogers Francis Williams Bertha Mallory Mary Latham Olive Strunk Sallie M. Cartmill Catherine Gullion Margaret Alexander Bonnie Benton Elmer Hoskins Margaret Case LOUISIANA Department President Augusta Marullo Past Department Presidents Jennie V. Smith Mamie Arnett Lucy Favrot Carrie Walsh Beulah Inge Gertrude Mackie Delegates Lucille Rimes Mary Neel Julia Nicholson Clara Y. Gebhard Elizabeth Loyd Lillian Hernandez Minnie Mangham Lillian Deibler Mabel Overcash Teresa Turner Louise Rapier Bertha Grimes MAINE • Past Department President Margaret Barry Delegates Emma Brady Mary Hall MARYLAND Department President A. Carroll Cottingham Past Department Presidents Betty Miller Emma Von Lindenberg Delegates Martha Woolsey Anna Rassa Katie Nelson Grace Benser Katherine Schiffler 114 i MASSACHUSETTS { Department President Florence H. Hunt Past Department Presidents Ella M. Berg Gertrude F. Bond Edith Clisbee Alice McBournie Delegates Catherine Doolin Mary Gallagher Helen O'Connor Catherine Bly Agnes Weeks Anna Lynch Florence Smith Lulu E. Lombard Lillian A. Wood Mary E. Terwilliger Emma F. Welsh Louise M. Kennedy Eleanor Tymechuk Grace Hartley Josephine Lyden MICHIGAN Department President / Mary H. Dickinson Past Department President Dollie Rankin Mae Nichols Louise Jacobson Delegates Julia Backhofen Josephine Darlington Minnie Dashner Nellie Bogart Mable Witfoth Mattie Garrett Catherine Shaw Elma Radloff Mayme Traster Mrs. Rivard Jennie Crandell Catherine Wyman Maude Searight Blanche Kincaid Florence Thompson Alice Boisman Elma Radloff Ruth Burhans Nellie Williford Myrtle La Fontee Mary A. Leer MINNESOTA Department President Caroline Loughrey Past Department Presidents Agnes Upell Boyce Mary Wirczorek Julia Emge Delegates Mabel Esetes Louise Braaten Alma Markley Lila Anderson Rose McLeer Lillian Clark Gertrude Kohner Magdaline Schmidt Alma How Mary Collins Edith M. Adams Sophie Zimmerman Anna K. McLeith Sadie Schroeder Treva Marks Past Department Presidents Florence O. Cox Lena Ice 115 MISSOURI Department President Geneva Bussard Past Department Presidents Anna Davis Louise Greenman Clara Hendricks Katherine Hoffman Maude Holmes Brydie Kerston Eva Pugh Margaret Samuels Jennie Q. Stitts Ida Reckleim Olive Durham Delegates Lulu Belle Simmons Maude Stoneman Anna Smith Ethel Dunbar Delia Finger Anna Roth Margaret Kohler Julia Burgoyne Etta Strain Elizabeth Boone J. Ella Hinds Adeline Jones Nettie Vickers Iva Bond Audrey Caldwell Eva Collins Charlotte Durnell Eva L. Carson Lula Yates Bessie Linhart Marie Humphries Anna M. Knbke Katherine Becker Henrietta Soutila Barbara Williamson Frankie McCullock Anna L. Brill MONTANA Department President Winnie M. Walters Past Department President Susie C. Bates Delegates Elizabeth Fransham Mabel Peterson NEBRASKA Department President Gurley Sandberg Past Department Presidents Belle Murdoch Anna Bowen Anne Crawford Mattie Schultz Emma Bohnett Mary Meier Delegates Anna Houser Fannie Shafer Blanche Benjamin Clara Hatfield Jennie Bueler Agnes Smrha Nettie Robbins Cora Withrow Gertrude Merriman Georgia Glenn Ora Henderson Bertha E. Barrick 116 NEVADA Past Department President Mattie Dominy Delegates Effie Conner NEW HAMPSHIRE Department President Leona Angwin ,• Past Department Presidents Irene Joyce Kearney Mary Gomeringer NEW JERSEY Department President Marie C. Cruise Past Department Presidents Mary Sloan Florence F. S. Bauer Delegates Eevelyn Orme Elizabeth C. Cahill Elizabeth Esrey Pauline Eckbold Marion Kohler Lelia O'Brien Mary Pavlik Kathryn Gordon Elizabeth Wittich Bernadette S. Parker Mary Tessier Anna Cooper Sophie Boertmann Margaret Flynn Sarah Haller Rose Marion Helena Scheurline Anna Watson Dorothy Pedrick Carrie Milligan NEW MEXICO Provisional President Bernice B. Jones [Delegate Lorena E. Gibson NEW YORK Department President Eva Lautemann Past Department Presidents Edith M. Gaffney Anna A. Meyer Charlotte Cameron Elizabeth Schaefer Emma B. Stobbe Emma Doorley Margaret Moran Delia Kinane Rose Gerlach Catherine Neu Josephine Berkery Ada Winkler Helen Hohenfeld Henrietta Hass Catherine Stieger Ella McHarg Rose Rausch Violla Osmond Amelia Murphy Hattie Burt Alice Weston Lillian Newton Margaret McConaty Elsie Van Vieck Rachel Miller 117 Margaret Gabriel Alice Albrecht Carrie Rand Elizabeth Kinard Eliza Cota Muriel Brady Lucy Edgerton Elsie Brownley Harriet Startup Ruthe E. Mayer Laura Noonan Rose Ehrmans Roberta Westark Anna Lion Lillian Hackett Gertrude Christman Helen Andrews Sue Webb Esther Ingham L. Haczmarek NORTH CAROLINA Department President Pinkney Merchant Past Department Presidents Love T. Hughes Edythe M. Price Delegates Josie Meadows Elizabeth Leavitt Georgia Nesbit Katherine Bryan Mary S. Elium Bessie M. Beacham OHIO Department President Frida Gruler Past Department Presidents Sarah Runkles Hattie Schmidtunser Mayme Hoecher Gertrude C. Fiebig Delegates Mae Oberle Belle Wirth M. Williamson Laura Birkenauer Elizabeth Fangmann Mildred Voll Flora Bollinger Maud Kroesen Lulu Stroh Eleanor Taylor Christine Cook Cleo Bernhard Ida Geil Flora Robey Este McGinnis Bertha England Mary Senne Margaret Sparling Mella Phillips Elizabeth Simpson Irene Wessel Florence Fodor Elsie McCracken Millie Straemer Nora Callaghan Lena Kluth Clara Lucas Lucy Mitchell Nellie Kintz Maude Truesdale Bessie Ury Addie Walker Mathilda Thoman Ada Havlin Elizabeth Lloyd Ada Knecht Lucy McStigall Elizabeth Gedecke Elizabeth Tucker Emma Wagner OKLAHOMA Department President Mary Smoyer 118 Past Department Presidents Delegates Evalena Lawrence May Ferguson Sallie Hughes Margaret McDaniel Mable A. Leffingwell Katie G. Stewart June B. Otjen Delegates Minnie Kay Ella Morrow Rose Bailey Mayme Wakefield Edna Murphy Jeanette Hoy Vella V. Johnson Anna M. Bakke Clay Brooks Ellie Chisholm Mary A. Vineyard Frances E. King Pearl Poole Ruth Varner Gladys Gozzens Anna M. Hulmes OREGON Past Department Presidents Irene K. Campbell Elsie McClung Zidonia W. Quick Delegates Lena Hildreth Natalie Wiliams Lois Simmons Rena Palmerton Henrietta Anderson Willow Evans Edna A. Morris Josephine Cheney Eleanor Wagner Belva Mitchell PENNSYLVANIA Department President Cora Mawhinney Past Department Presidents Mary V. McKinley Marie Black Ida M. Mittenzwei Maude D. Shroyer Ellen R. Hawk Delegates Irene B. S. Furlong Carolyn H. Martz Nettie Richards Annie Schwartz Mayme Touse Claire Marshall Ella G. Dillon Clara Kuhn Mildred Travers Esther Woods Sarah Brennan Margaret Megilligan Mary Englebach Mabel Slack Louise Bauer Ivis McFeatterfs Grace Grove Bessie Von Hofen May Downes Fredericka Trinkle Bessie Stickel Elizabeth Reed POTOMAC Department President Josephine Fisher Past Department Presidents Ella M. Gibson Bessie W. Taylor Delegates Edna French Cora E. Young 119 RHODE ISLAND Department President Mary McGovern Past Department Presidents May Thacker Marie Richter Margaret Higgins Rena Wade Dora Litzenberger Delegates Minnie Goggin Anna Kempf Lillie M. West Bertha Miller Eleanor Rogala Helena Luther SOUTH CAROLINA Department President Eleanor B. Stokes Past Department Presidents Josephine M. Black Eva B. Knox Clara E. Martin Florence P. Shillito Delegates Maggie Mayer Ella Gardner Alice Porter Lelia Viviens Mabel Nettles Letha Boyd SOUTH DAKOTA Department President Ivy Tillotson Past Department Presidents Carrie Flanders Augusta Nystrom Ivy R. Voegtle iDelegates Agnes Mavity TENNESSEE Department President Louise Patrick Past Department Presidents Tillie H. Klipsch Olive Hoover IDelegates Edna Wright Maude Sarver Leta Slade Bessie Lusby Mae Simon Antoinette Bursi Nannie Duncan TEXAS Department President Bessie Mae Stratton Past Department Presidents Carolyn Fallon Frances L. Brown Rosa Cramer Lottie Daughtery Julia T. Mueller Louise Richards 120 Delegates Agnes Peterson Cora Harry Clem Puthoff Willie W. DeGrassi Carrie Haberlin Nora Price Hattie Covington Olga May Hurley Alice Lubbering T. Downey Beulah Rule Lottie Hartman Bessie M. Smith Lulu B. Dickinson Hattie McCann Lovie Backhusen Edna E. White UTAH Department President Martha Crosbie Past Department Presidents Alice Sleater Elsie L. Austin Etta Cash IDelegates Lula Dickinson Effie Carr Jean Morshall Myrtle Roper VERMONT Delegates Affie Heald WASHINGTON-ALASKA Department President Nellie Hake iDelegates Alice Wallace Isa Riley Sadie Brown Alberta Curtin Mae McNeil Matilda Reed Maude Birtchoe Kathryn Starke Lena Liptack WEST VIRGINIA Past Department Presidents Florence McFarlin IDelegates Elizabeth Horner Estelle Kennedy Thelma Hodges WISCONSIN Department President Helen Mundt Past Department Presidents Ella Dunbar Vera Ebbe Ann Burton Sine Alice Jepperson Mildred Zerbel IDelegates Sophie Wright Eleanor Helburg Clara Slasky Martha Clark Sophia Platte Mary Dieman Ann Litturne Martha Quilling Gunda Jensen WYOMING Past Department Presidents Bessie De Fratis 121 1946-1947 ROSTER OF NATIONAL OFFICERS AUXILIARY, UNITED SPANISH WAR VETERANS National Headquarters, 40 G Street N. E., Washington 13, D. C. National President—Julia A. Kull, 40 G St. Washington, D. C. Home address, 84 Sherman PI., Irvington, N. J. National Senior Vice President—Pansy Denunzio, 429 Bloom St., Louisville, Ky. National Junior Vice President—Mary Ross McKay, 1239 Lake Rd, Avon Lake, Ohio. National Chaplain—Grace M. Alexander, 604 N. Third Ave., Phoenix, Ariz. National Secretary—Louise W. Williams, 40 G Street N. E., Washington, D. C. National Treasurer—Henrietta Lynott, 40 G Street, N. E., Washington, D. C. National Patriotic Instructor—Lillian Bauman, 209 DuPage St., Michigan City, Indiana. National Historian—Ruby Lyons, P. O. Box 715, Hot Springs, Ark. National Conductor—Anna Nugent, 519 Washington St., Miles City, Mont. National Assistant Conductor—Edna R. Summerfield, 3716 Jocelyn St. N. W., Washington, D. C. National Guard—Cecelia Johnson, 330 Owen Drive, Sunset Village, Madison 5, Wisconsin. National Assistant Guard—Margaret McDaniel, 415 College St., Blackwell, Okla. Parliamentarian—Elizabeth M. McNamara, 239 Upland Road Cambridge, Mass. Personal Secretary—Emma Kain, 245 N. Fourth Street, Newark, N. J. National Flag Bearer—Alfreda Kripp, Washington, D. C. National Standard Bearer—Margaret Grissam Rose; Albertine Lockner. National Musician—Vivian Petersen, 2119 Roosevelt, Clinton, Iowa. National Soloist—Edith Clisbee, 324 Copeland St., Brockton, Mass. 1946-47 ROSTER OF DEPARTMENT PRESIDENTS Alabama, Myrtle Watkins, 1157 Bay Ave., Mobile, Ala. Arizona, Fay Perry, 1990 N. Park, Tucson, Ariz. Arkansas, Ethel Lee Scott, 5124 W. Tenth St., Little Rock, Ark. California, Pearl Johnston, 3465 Third St., Richmond, Calif. Colorado, Callie Llewellyn, Route 2, Box 254, Pueblo, Colo. Connecticut, Alma McElroy, Grove St., Shelton, Conn. District of Columbia, Beulah M. Cope, 2147 O Street N. W., Washington, D. C. Florida, Anna Gust Olde, 453 Tenth Ave. South, St. Petersburg, Fla. Georgia, Katie E. Green, 501 W. Alapaha St., Fitzgerald, Ga. Idaho, Lillie DuFault, 806 Boyd St., Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Illinois, Mary E. Wyman,, 100 S. Harvey Ave., Oak Park, 111. Indiana, Merle Hunter, 312i^ W. Eighth St., Michigan City, Ind. Iowa, Clara Hollnagle, 924 Baltimore St., Waterloo, Iowa. Kansas, Sally Kimball, 834 S. Main St., Wichita, Kans. Kentucky, Elizabeth Beagle, 3921 Lincoln Ave., Covington, Ky. Louisiana, Carrie Walsh 1146 Hodges St., Lake Charles, La. Maine, Maude Libby, 191 Haskell St., Cumberland Mills, Me. Maryland, Betty Miller, 3125 Smallwood St., Baltimore, Md. Massachusetts, Alice R. McBournie, Ft. Banks, Winthrop, Mass. 123 Michigan, Lila Lacy, 2410 Norman St., Detroit 9, Mich. Minnesota, Marion G. Dockery, 609 State Office Bldg., St. Paul Minn. Mississippi, Mary Ellen Tate, Edwards Hotel, Jackson, Miss. Missouri, Olive Durham, 207N. Wood St., Neosho, Mo. Montana, Emma Brown, 703 N. 32nd St., Billings, Mont. Nebraska, Belle Murdock, 214 S. Maple St., North Platte, Nebr. Nevada, Fianna Beeghly, 198 S. Taylor St., Fallon, Nev. New Hampshire, Daphne Allen, 103 Main St., Newport, N. H. New Jersey, Florence F. S. Bauer, 5752 Cedar Ave., Merchantville, N. J. New York, Edith M. Gaffney, 440 W. 34th St.,New York City, N. Y. North Carolina,, Love T. Hughes, 122 Pennsylvania Ave., West Asheville, N. C. North Dakota, Katherine McCleary, 213 Second St. S. W., Minot, N. Dak. Ohio, Anna M. Spade, 776 Hall St., N. W., Warren, Ohio. Oklahoma, Evalene Lawrence, P. O. Box 384, Britton, Okla. Oregon, Zidonia Quick, 5743 N. Garfield St., Portland, Oregon. Pennsylvania, Florence H. Cranage, 4532 N. 18th St., Philadelphia, Pa. Potomac, Hattie M. Cotton, 1104 Green St., Portsmouth, Va. Rhode Island, May Thacker, 69 Winthrop Ave., Providence, R. I. South Carolina,, Gertrude Harrington, 94-B Queen St., Charleston, S. C. South Dakota, Agnes Grosvenor, P. O. Box 143, Huron, S. Dakota. Tennessee, Elizabeth Bowie, 609 Houston St., Chattanooga, Tenn. Texas, Carolyn Fallon, 611 Stevens Ave., San Antonio, Tex. Utah, Elisie L. Austin, 247 E. Third St., Salt Lake City, Utah. Vermont, Anna Dickman, 27 Volz St., Burlington, Vt. Virginia, Myrtle Wymer, 110 E. Thompson St., Stauton, Va. Washington, Nellie Tollinger, 121 N. 76th St., Seattle 3, Wash. West Virginia, Florence ,McFarlin, 224 N. 26th St., Clarksburg, W. Va. Wisconsin, Mildred Zerbel, 613 W. Franklin St., Appleton, Wis. Wyoming, Bessie DeFratis, Burns, Wyo. Provisional Division President. New Mexico, Bernice B. Jones, Casa Vieja, Old Albuquerque, N. Mex. PAST NATIONAL PRESIIDENTS Alice K. Burns (Women of the Legion of Spanish War Veterans), 53 Cook St., Newton, Mass. f*Mary A. Cooper (Women of the Legion of Spanish War Veterans). f*Mary S. Logan (Army and Navy Spanish War Veterans). f*Flora A. Lewis (Army and Navy Spansih War Veterans). *1903-1905—Isabelle Alexander, Cleveland, Ohio. *1906-1907— f Pre Amalgamation. •Deceased. NATIONAL COMMITTEES Advisory: All Past National Presidents. Executive: Julia A. Kull, National President; Pansy Denunzio, National Senior Vice President; Mary Ross McKay, National Junior Vice President; Bertha M. Finke, Past National President; Nora V. Eveleth, Past National Presi dent; Florence |M. Clark, Past National President; Martha B. Hart, Past Naitonal President. Finance: Elsie H. Newell, Past National President, 1043 S. Third St., Memphis Tenn.; Mamie B. Schmidt, Past National President; Mary A. McGauley, Past National President. Legislative: Nora V. Eveleth, Past National President, Chairman, 24 Dutton St.,Maiden 48, Mass.; Marie C. Williams, Past National President; Lulu J. Shakespeare, Past National President; Edith Bernhart, Past Department President, Maryland; Sue Brown, Past Department President, Virginia. Appeals and Grievances: Irma Hill Vogel, Past National President, Chairman, 768 Chicago St., Pontiac, 111.; Anna C. Jesmier, Past National Presi dent; Cora A. Thompson, Past National President; Lou Ella Allen, Past National President; Ethel Cummings, Past National President. Americanism: Lillian E. Bauman, National Patriotic Instructor, Chairman, 209 DuPage St., Michigan City, Ind.; Anna Bowen, Past Department Pres- dent, Nebraska; Elizabeth Jennings, Past Department President, Kan sas; Katherine O'Brien, Past Department President, Rhode Island. Hospitalization: Ann Burton Sine, Past Department President, Chairman, 2739 Cramer St., Milwaukee, Wis.; Olive Hoover, Past Department President, Tennessee; Ruth Sanford, Past Department President, Arizona; Lillian Curtis, Past Department President, Connecticut; Ellen Hawk, Past De partment President, Pennsylvania; Beulah Nelson, Past Department Pres ident, Michigan; Grace Hahn, Past Auxiliary President, Florida. * Child Welfare: Katherine Hoffman, Past Department President, Chairman, 5318 Murdoch Ave., St. Louis, Mo.; Teresa Buckley, Past Department 125 President, Maine; Leona Ritter, Past Department President, Nevada; Lot tie H. Simons, Past Department President, Georgia; Tillie Jones, Past De partment President, Mississippi; Julia Roach, Past Department President, New York. Essay: Helen A. Coolidge, Past Department President, Chairman, 2325 Delmar Ave., Granite City, 111.; Clair Y. Gebhart, Past Department President, Louisiana; Florence Conklin, Past Department President, Minnesota. Membership: Ethel E. Finn, Past Department President, Chairman, 1213 Doug las St. N. E., Washington, D. Cj Area Chairmen: Mary Gomeringer, Past Department President, New Hampshire; Catherine Stieger, Past Auxiliary President, New York; Mildred Whittaker, Past Auxiliary President, Virginia; Josephine Hanna, Past Department President, Indiana; Lottie Daughtery, Past Depart ment President, Texas; Xenia Patterson, Past Department President, Iowa; Anna Davis, Past Department President, Washington; Retha Tyson, Mississippi; Christine Bruns, Colorado. National Defense:..Ada L. Duffy, Past Department President, Chairman, 509 E. Main St., Salem, 111.; Mary Derden, Past Department President, Texas; Margaret Thomas, Past Department President, West Virginia; Katherine Bakke, Past Department President North Dakota; Katherine A. Cate, Past Department President, Colorado. National History On Spanish-American War: Ruby Lyons, National Historian, Chairman, P. O. Box 715, Hot Springs, Ark.; Isabelle Zullig, Past Depart ment President, Wyoming; Lura Hagler, Past Department President Idaho; Emma A. Wakefied, Past Department President, Vermont; Buena Hutta, Past Department President, South Carolina. National By-Laws: Olive M. Ravens, Past National President, Chairman, 512 W. Allegan St., Lansing, Mich.; Edith II. Bird, Past National President; Anna K. Juneau, Past National President. Pan American Study: Hattie W. Williams, Past Auxiliary President, Chair man, 497 E. Trigg Ave., Memphis, Tenn.;Carrie Flanders, Past Depart ment President, South Dakota; June Otjen, Past Department President, Oklahoma; Margaret K. Znmmerman, Illinois. Publicity: Harriet M. Warwick, Chairman, 77 Ampere Parkway, East Orange, N. J.; Delores Schaffer, Past Department President, Kentucky; Johanna Henry, Past Department President, Alabama; Bertha Stevens, Past De partment President, Montana; Gene Renouf Hill, Past Auxiliary Presi dent, California. Daughters of '98: Betty Bassett, Past National President, National Forts Chair man, Pleasanton, Calif. Department Counselors: Laura Hinkle, California; Carrie Irving, District of Columbia, Merle Cole, Illinois; Louella Porter, Indiana; Elizabeth Apel, Kentucky; Elizabeth Sanford, Massachusetts; Mary Kraiger, New Jersey; Emma Stobbe, New York; Hattie Schmidtunser, Ohio; Ida Mittenzwei, Pennsylvania; Bessie Lusby, Tennessee; Lillian Beal, Texas; Vera Ebbe, Wisconsin; Louise McCoy, Florida. Carville Hospital: Lucy Favrot, Past Department President, 602 E. Boulevard, Baton Rouge, La. Department President's Conference: Beulah Cope, Department President, Chair man, 2147 O St., N. W. Washington, D. C; Myrtle Moxley, Past De partment President, District of Coumbia; Carrie Flaherty, Past Depart ment President, District of Columbia. National Forts Captain: Florence Fodor, Cleveland, Ohio. 126 REPORT OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES 44th NATIONAL CONVENTION AUXILIARY UNITED SPANISH WAR VETERANS AUGUST 24 to 28,1947 KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI OFFICERS' REPORTS, 1946 - 47 NATIONAL PRESIDENT The reports of the Officers and Na As we gather at the Forty-fourth An tional Committee Chairman will give you nual National Convention which closes some idea of the work that has been done. this administrative year, my thoughts go In every instance the membership has back to August 8, 1946, a day which shall given their best efforts to the Auxiliary ever remain memorable in the life of this program. National President. This has been a legislative year. In It was on this day that the delegates January I attended the Legislative Meet to the Forty-third Annual Convention ing of the United Spanish War Veterans. elected me to the highest office in their It was decided that a Bill be presented power to bestow, the leadership of this for 20 per cent increase in the pensions great National Organization. of our Comrades and Widows. In return I pledged to you a year of my We have been very fortunate in having best effort to carry forward the program our Bill HR 969 favorably passed by of our Organization. I have tried to faith both the Sub-Committee and the Com fully represent you as you would wish mittee of the House, and on June 30th your National President to do, considering the Bill was unanimously passed by the always the best interests of the Organi House. The Bill, now HR 3961 has had zation and how we may best serve favorable action by the Senate Finance those for whom we are organized. Committee and on July 19th was passed We began our year knowing full well by the Senate and as this Report goes that the days would be crowded with to press we await the President's signa strenuous effort. However, the oppor ture. This will give the much needed tunity to add fresh pages to the records help to our Comrades and Sisters, and of our Organization was an incentive to our thanks is extended to the members go forward in the work outlined for us. who responded to the call. And our grateful appreciation is expressed to On returning to my State, I was very Judge Edward Matthias and the mem cordially received by the Honorable Her bers of his Committee for their untiring bert Kruttschnitt, Mayor of Irvington, efforts on our behalf. and later by Governor Alfred E. Dris- coll, at the State House in Trenton, N. J. In January we held the Department I was privileged to visit forty-five De President's Conference which was well partments. In these visits I had the oppor attended. tunity to meet and greet the members of Following the Conference we attended our organization who do the work, and the Womens' Patriotic Conference on because of their efforts we have been National Defense. able to accomplish so much. Our Organization was honored by the In each State I visited the hospitals appointment of your National President and I was proud indeed to receive the on the Advisory Committee. Ninty-seven compliments of the Commanding Officers Delegates represented the Organization. on the faithfulness of our hospital chair man. It would be difficult to record the In my visit to the Departments I was accomplishments, and my one regret is privileged to meet with the Daughters o/ that so many thoughtful acts have been '98. For sometime we have known thaf performed, money expended, good will the Daughters have not been entirely and kindness has been the sunshine scat satisfied with the rules of their Organic tered everywhere without record. zation. While visiting with them I tried to en was erected in 1902 by the Colonial courage them and have asked for their Dames honoring the services of all the loyalty to the parent organization. Our men who seived during the Spanish Daughters , have been sincere. I have American War. I placed a wreath. promised to help them. Also attended the Memorial Ceremony A special committee has been appointed of the District of Columbia Memorial and with the National Chairman of the Day Corporation at the Amphitheatre Daughters of '98 have reviewed the pre* and placed a floral tribute at the Tomb blems presented. Recommendations will of the Unknown Soldier. be brought before you on which we hope you will take favorable action. The memory roll this year will name many of our Sisters who we shall miss. I am happy to report to you that the Among them we record Elizabeth Beagle, Clara Barton Memorial Scholarship Fund President of the Department of Kentucky became active this year. By your gener who entered into eternal rest on Feb ous response to our appeal we have ruary 21, 1947. been able to award eleven scholarships of $250.00 each, thereby assisting eleven Our hearts were saddened in the un girls to start their training for the nurs timely passing of two of our Past Na ing profession. tional Presidents, Anna Nagle and Cora A. Thompson who have been called home Because of your help you are not only to rest awhile. building a living memorial to the memory of Clara Barton, but you are giving real assistance to "Humanity". "So the heart from the hardest trial .cains the purest joy of all The specal project this year, The Gen And from the lips that have tasted eral Leonard Wood Memorial Fund, for sadness, the sweetest songs will fall the eradication of leprosy. You have again demonstrated your interest and a For peace comes after suffering and desire to help humanity, a cause for love is reward of pain. which our Comrades fought and died. A substantial sum has been contributed. So after earth comes Heaven and We have not reached our goal but the out of our loss the sain." amount to be presented is proof of your willingness to be of service to our loyal friends and comrades in the Phillipines. In conclusion, may I express my grate ful thanks to the Department Presidents Dr. Perry Burgess will be at our Con the National Committee Chairman, Na vention to accept our contribution. tional Officers and Past Notional Presi dents for your help and guidance. My grateful appreciation is tendered to the members of our Organization, our The team work of you and the entire Comrades and friends who have made membership has made this a happy year. this presentation possible. To the Daughters of '98 and the Sons Throughout the year I have tried to of Spanish American War Veterans, 1 accept as many invitations extended to tender my thanks for all of your courte our Organization as was possible, always sies. remembering that I was representing you. One that I wish to note was the invita To the Commander in Chief John tion of the President and Mrs. Truman White my thanks for the courtesies ex for the Garden Party at the White house tended to me. for disabled service men. Comrade Kull To Quartermaster General Downey, and I journeyed to Washington to be thank you for your kindness. present. To Mr. Edward K.Inman, Editor of the I also accepted the invitation of the National Tribune, the publicity given our United Spanish War Veterans and the Organization is very much appreciated. Auxiliary Department of the District of Columbia to be present at their Mem< To my personal secretary, Emma Kain. orial Services at the Spanish War Monu Thank you for standing by and for yom ment on Memorial Day. This Monument loyalty. To Henrietta Lynott, National Treas aevonon to duty. urer, my appreciation is expressed for Would that time and space permitted your efforts and loyal cooperation in the to tell you of every visit, for each has work at Headquarters. been a golden link in my chain of memo To Louise W. Williams, National Sec ries. My watchword Loyalty and Co operation has been fully exemplified. retary, many fine compliments have been paid to you by the membership during My humble prayer is that some meas my visits with them for the service you ure of the happiness you have given to have so untiringly given to the Organi me will be reflected to each of you. zation, and the courtesies that have been Respectfully submitted, extended by you at National Headquar ters. Words fail to express to you my Julia A. Kull, National President. personal gratitude. Thank you for your NATIONAL SECRETARY It was with pleasure I accepted the Resume of the Department President's honor of serving again as National Secre Conference, General Orders, Two Spec tary. I was installed at National Head ial Orders, the Call for the National Con quarters by the National, President, vention, National President's Letter, Julia A. Kull. Having accepted this Legislative Letter and Telegrams in con solemn obligation, I have tried to fulfill nection with our pension legislation. my pledge. The appeal for the special project, the Our work is more or less routine. The General Leonard Wood Memorial Fund. daily mail brings inquiries and requisi The response has not been as generous tions for supplies. The Bonding Depart as we had hoped it would be, but a ment and Membership - at - Large also goodly sum has been contributed. bring inquiries that need attention. The Clara Barton Fund has been well We have tried to be prompt and give taken care of and eleven Scholarship efficient^ service. awards have been made. We have also tried to be helpful to Three applications have been approved our widows in securing pensions and by the Committee to be awarded by the working out problems in that connection. incoming Administration.. We have also helped those living in We are glad to report that there is no foreign countries to be reinstated. longer a shortage of jewels and pins. There is a good supply at National Head We have not kept an account of the quarters, and for the first time in several mail but we can honestly state that the years we are able to say all supplies work has been heavy. have been taken care of. We have replaced several charters that Your attention is invited to the Treas have been lost. Two Forts of Daughters urer's report, which shows a fine balance of '98 have been organized. besides a substantial amount of jewels Certificates of Merit have been issued on hand, to the amount of $4,747.45 all in connection with the membership drive. paid for, added to this the credits from July 24, 1945 to the amount of $1,963.24, Citations of award were issued for the advanced payments were taken care of Essay Contest. by the Administration of 1945-1946 and 1946-1947. The Call for the Department Presi dent's Conference and the Women's Pa We have been concerned regarding triotic Conference on National Defense. the membership of our Organization. The Semi-Annual Reports show many services of their distinguished member, members dropped from the roll. This a National President. Julia A. Kull. matter that should be taken care of and I was very happy to express for our more effort shoujd be given to retaining entire membership their thanks and appre members. We need every eligible per ciation for these lovely gifts. son and there should be sufficient interest in the work of our Organization for The year has been a happy one and our every member to wish to remain with us. labors have been lightened by friend liness and kindliness. We have been very fortunate this year to have added space to our Headquarters I wish to record my grateful appreci an extra room in which we now have all ation to Quartermaster General Walter of our supplies and where all requisitions E. Downey for his cooperation and his are filled. every-ready thoughtfulness. To Edward K. Inman, Editor of the We are indebted to the foresight of National Tribune, my thanks for your Quartermaster General Walter E. Dow kindly interest and for the publicity given ney who arranged it for us. our Organization. Other additions to our Headquarters is My thanks to the Department Officers, a Framed Picture, "Conquerors of Yel National Committee Chairman and Na low Fever", presented to our National tional Officers. It has been a pleasure President by Past National President, to serve you. Martha B. Hart, at the Department Presi dent's Conference in January. To my associate and co-worker Henri etta Lynott, thanks for your help. Your I was privileged to accept for our Na efforts are much appreciated ."Together" tional Organization a copy of Leslies we have worked for the best interests of Official History of the Spanish American our Organization. War, presented by Comrade and Sister To you, Madam National President, Sabins of the District of Columbia, at the my gratitude is extended. It has been a District's Convention on June 14, 1947. joy to work with you and for you. I On June 28th, I had the honor to ac have been sincere in my endeavor to cept for the Organization a Victor Micro to serve you and I hope that I have phone presented for our National Head merited your faith in me. quarters by the Department t of New Respectfully submitted, Jersey. Also a beautiful American Flag presented by Franklin Auxiliary No. 3, Louise W. Williams, Department of New Jersey, honoring the National Secretary, NATIONAL TREASURER Once more with grateful appreciation 30th, 1946 to July 10th, 1947. Also of the Honor I have had in serving as the Supplemental Report from June 30th to National Treasurer for the year, 1946-47, August 6th, 1946. I hereby submit a report of the Year's work briefly. Requisitions Finance Eight hundred and twenty Requisitions were filled. This year all Jewels were The Funds of the National Auxiliary sent under seperate cover and with the are on Deposit in the Liberty National mailing of unfilled orders 1420 parcels Bank, Washington, D. C. were mailed from these Headquarters. Four Seperate Banking accounts are 263,766 Carnations kept—General Fund—Bonding Reserve 232 Grave Markers Fund—Clara Barton Fund and National 14 Gold Onyx Rings with the President's Account. insignia of our Organization, have been sold. These supplies are ship Receipts and Disbursements are shown ped direct from our Manufacturers to in Auditor's report for fiscal year June Department or Auxiliaries ordering same. Bonding ories will remain for a long time to come. To the new Department Presidents and Department Renewals 44 Treasurers I wish for you a successful Auxiliary Renewals 457 Term of Office. To the National Presi Fort Renewals 10 dent, Julia A. Kull, I wish to express my New Bonds Issued 4 thanks for the confidence placed in me by my appointment as National Treas TOTAL 515 urer, and hope at the end of my year's work I have proved worthy and merit Conclusion your confidence. This Year has been a busy one, but as Last to my co-worker, Louise W. Will National Treasurer I have enjoyed the iams, National Secretary, I want you to Year's work. Cooperation has been our know it has been a pleasure to have Keynote and at the end of a busy year, shared the Duties at National Headquar- we can truly say the office affairs are in with one so conscientious, considerate fine shape and in well balanced condition. and efficient. I wish to thank all the Department Respectfully submitted, Presidents and Treasurers recently re tired for their splendid cooperation Henrietta Lynott, throughout this Past year, pleasant mem National Treasurer, NATIONAL FINANCE COMMITTEE Another year has come to a close and all times know our financial condition. it is time to render a report of the Fi nancial Policy of our Organization. Due The method of keeping the books of to the resignation of Past National Pres the Finance Committee has been system- ident Edith Bird, and in accordance with ized, and enables the committee to work our Rules and Regulations, I automati easier, and expedite matters in a more cally became Chairman to serve for two efficient manner. years, and it is with pleasure I give my We still have some time in front of report on the finances of our Organi us, that expenses will be coming in, so a zation. complete report cannot be given until after the National Convention. The Budget for the ensuing year was prepared and presented to the National As chairman, will say I am pleased President, and was approved by her. with the financial condition of our organi zation, and feel we have made some pro The Joint Committees, Executive and gress this year, which will benefit us in Finance in session approved the Budget. the future. Each month the vouchers in triplicate To the members of my committee, and have been submitted to the three mem the National Headquarters Staff goes my bers of the committee for their approval. sincere thanks for the help and splendid cooperation you have given me in the Forms No. 1 and 2 have been complet past year. ed each month and copies sent each mem ber of the committee, as well as the Na Elsie H. Newell, tional President, the National Secretary and National Treasurer, so they could at National Chairman, Finance Comm. U cO TO CO VO O i-H r-H NH co co *-H t^ 0\ ON o ssoq CM rj- CM T-t O 00 CM i-H co oo ^ ^r CM i-t CM d o zt6i 'oe IF V '-HCMTfOONOOOOVOiOONr-ioO^—"^Ococot^VOOONt^iOCM CMVOU-'JCMOOO'—lOWO'l-OO^vOiOfMriMTtK^iO^OrHVOro Suipumg pooQ uj VO CM VO ^J>» c^cc ^^ ^ r~lcxlc_ c'ir>N "° ^ ^ ^^^ T_l T_.c° *> w tC *-? »-* <0~ CM" H'I-T CM~CNf rH d K00,tNOr-i00f0T-iU)f0MMiO^'- d ^6i 'oe l« V VOr^rv.vOO\COVOOOOO\Tj-OOVOCMt^OCOt^VOVOONONCOCMC^l «-H T-(OS^-I(M CM *-• NiOMc^rtHH ITJTJ- t-% co T-H i—( J§uipu_;g poof) uj ssoq :pj\T_ P. p_pu_qsi@ O w p. pajnipsuj >* d 9^6i 'oe lF V v0t^r^V00\f0V00\O0\i00Nt^CMtN.OC0t^V0r^C0OC0CMCM Suipu_;g poof) uj r-H r-H ON *-• CM CM'-' N »0 (VJ CO H H H IT) t rH TH CO rH rH *-> o sU >, rt ITS 2 _t rt 3-~ 0'£ •Ad G : G JC rt O oJ tfi O ri rt ° h/i "> OT 2 S-i (73 5 rt cc £.;£ c r>> en jM C S a •"•8-8 _ _ §20 gS^ I §ccj •—1 H § l r-HfOiooo or^ONONTfTfosoor^vO'-H\oocovoo .0 a G V a a rH > < .rt, H rG O G H < *-4 T. Tf l-H T—1 VO CM 00 00 CO p\ rG «+H *ac o < (0 J-4 bo iOO\CONTti^i^O(MrH\0\OfV100aN^vOrHNNOO\0 •*-» G ^t^r-H CO CM CM 00 rH HHHf^ T-H rH 04 CO •G •3 G § 5rt < o in •d o o rt rH *T3 C rt rt rt O 'rt rv >i .5 rt _+•>3 G ixi 43 ifl g G jj O G *3 +3-? 0"rt OJO G o*S ~ ~ o *s G .5 > * * * " " (XI u INDEX LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL EXHIBIT A —Balance Sheet as of July 10, 1947 Schedule A-l — Schedule of Investments—Bonds, General Fund, July 10, 1947 Schedule A-2 — Schedule of Investments—Bonds, Bonding Reserve Fund, July 10, 1947 Schedule A-3 — Schedule of Investments—Bonds, Clara Barton Memorial Fund Schedule A-4 — Analysis of Bonding Reserve, July 10, 1947 Schedule A-5 — Analysis of Capital Account, July 10, 1947 EXHIBIT B — Statement of Income and Expenses, July 1, 1946 to July 10, 1947 ir~~ EXHIBIT C — Cash receipts and Disbursements, July 1, 1946 to July 10, 1947 Schedule C-l — Statement of Receipts and Disbursements for the Supplemental period, July 1, 1946 to August 8, 1946 COMMENTS ON BALANCE SHEET WM. GORDON BUCHANAN & COMPANY Certified Public Accountants Metropolitan Bank Building Washington, D. C. National Headquarters, Auxiliary, United Spanish War Veterans, Affiliate Members of the United Spanish War Veterans, Washington, D. C. We have made an examination of the books and records of the National Head quarters, Auxiliary, United Spanish War Veterans, Affiliate Members of theUnited Spanish War Veterans for the period July 1, 1946 to July 10, 1947 and submit here with our report which includes the exhibits and schedule listed in the index pre fixed hereto. In connection therewith we have examined or tested the accounting records of the organization and other supporting evidence and obtained informaiton and expla nations from the officers and employees. We have also made a review of the accounting methods and of the income and expense accounts for the period to the extent we deemed appropriate. In our opinion, the financial statements and supporting schedules described herein accurately present in accordance with accepted principles of accounting consistently applied during the period under review, the financial condition of the organization as of July 10, 1947 and the results from operations for the period July 1, 1946 to July 10," 1947. Wm Gordon Buchanan & Co. (signed) W. Carlisle Floeckher • Certified Public Accountant 10 H O n n o HH •"• nwo5 ntdo cl o £L< rt !3* w H _^ S* 2 2 2 3 3 P W 3 P p CL o> 0 » F 2--.. h!i!2.rj ^ 3 M o w3 P^H P ^ CfQ a -H o ~U H CO ~© c W P HH •- ^^ HH W P CO 5W"P c CO P.O __o _? rD o > W rt£ ^H * ! 2. w H £ CO co ^5. (H- CD rt 0 •• W w > w 4^ ON © ON © 00 4^. •vr t-L tO O Ui Cn OJ vr O O t— © Cn tO Cn O Cn H* a? got-, OO 4^ O O Cn OO o " CO vi WcoO 4^ dffiC © Cn 1H- ON o O NO NO H %*% O O O td n Withol d o Federa l Burea u C| r a Ba N . 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EL CO O HH c 3 > W H NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS AUXILIARY, UNITED SPANISH WAR VETERANS AFFILIATE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED SPANISH WAR VETERANS Schedule A-l SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS — BONDS GENERAL FUND JULY 10, 1947 Market Value Rate Maturity Par Value July 10, 1947 United States Treasury Bonds (1) 2V2% Dec. 15, 1949-53 $ 4,700.00 $ 4,850.87 2%% Mar. 15, 1955-60 11,900.00 13,235.18 3 % Sept. 15, 1951-55 3,200.00 3,432.32 United States Defense Savings 2%% May 1, 1954 1,200.00 1,251.12 Bonds Series G (1) '2V2% July 1, 1955 300.00 317.70 2V2% Dec. 1, 1955 300.00 317.70 2%% May 1, 1956 100.00 105.60 2V2% July 1, 1956 1,000.00 1,063.00 2y2% June 1, 1958 2,500.00 2,657.50 2V2% July* 1957 1,000.00 1,063.00 United States Savings Discount Mar 1, 1949 1,500.00 1,500.00 Bonds Series D (2) Basis July 1, 1949 1,312.50 1,312.50 $29,012.50 $31,106.49 FOOTNOTES: (1) Carrying Value (2) Cost Value—without any consideration to discount (interest) earned to date. Schedule A-2 INVESTMENTS — BONDS BONDING RESERVE FUND JULY 10, 1947 Rate Maturity Par Value July 10, 1947 United States Treasury Bonds (1) 2%% Dec. 15, 1949-53 $ 1,000.00 $ 1,032.10 United States Defense Savings 2M>% Mar. 15, 1954 1,500.00 1,563.90 Bonds Series G (1) United States Savings 2Vz% May 1, 1955 1,500.00 1,588.50 Bonds Series G (1) 2y2% July 1, 1956 1,000.00 1.063.00 2V2% June 1, 1958 1,000.00 1,063.00 2y2% July 1957 1,000.00 1,063.00 United States Defense Savings Bonds (2) Series D Discount Sept. 1, 1949 1,125.00 1,125.00 Series F Basis May 1, 1953 1,480.00 1,640.00 $9,605.00 $10,138.50 FOOTNOTES: (1) Carrying Value (2) Cash Value—Without any consideration to discount (interest) earned to date. 12 NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS AUXILIARY, UNITED SPANISH WAR VETERANS AFFILIATE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED SPANISH WAR VETERANS Schedule A-3 INVESTMENTS — BONDS CLARA BARTON MEMORIAL FUND JULY 10, 1947 Market Value Rate Maturity Par Value July 10, 1947 United States Savings 2%% Oct. 1958 $5,000,000 $5,315.00 Bonds Series G MEMBERSHIP DRIVE PRIZE GIFT —BOND United States Savings Discount Feb. 1956 $ 74.00* $ 74.00 Bond Series F Basis * Cost Value — without any consideration to discount (interest) earned to date. Schedule A-4 ANALYSIS OF BONDING RESERVE JULY 10, 1947 BALANCE, JUNE 30, 1946 $10,804.90 ADD. Supplemental Period — Bond Premium $ 58.25 Bond Premiums 1,022.70 Interest on Bonds 204.92 Proceeds—Sale of Bond 1,000.00 2,285.87 $13,090.77 DEDUCT: Cash Tansferred to General Wood Memorial Fund $ 2.25 Cash Transferred —Proceeds Sale of $1,000.00 Bond 1,000.00 Purchase of $1,000.00 Bond 1,000.00 Postage 125.00 Printing and Stationary 18.75 Bank Charges 2.60 Transfer of Cash to General Fund 1,000.00 3,148.60 BALANCE, JULY 10, 1947 $ 9,942.17 13 NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS AUXILIARY, UNITED SPANISH WAR VETERANS AFFILIATE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED SPANISH WAR VETERANS Schedule A-5 ANALYSIS OF CAPITAL ACCOUNT JULY 10, 1947 BALANCE, JULY 1, 1946 $41278 34 ADD: ' ' Supplemental Period $ 1.131.42 Transfer of Proceeds of Sale of $1,000.00 Bond from Bonding Reserve 1,000 00 Transfer of $1,000.00 Cash from Bonding Reserve 1,000.00 Operating Income 17,817.78 20,949.20 TOTAL $62,227.54 DEDUCT: Bad Debts Charged off Scholarship Loan Fund $ 330.00 Supplemental Period 4,150.48 Reserve for Depreciation Furniture and Fixtures 403.53 Operating Expense 14,462.37 19,346.38 BALANCE, JULY 10, 1947 $42,881.16 Exhibit B, - Sheet 1 STATEMENT OF INCOME AND EXPENSE JULY 1, 1946 TO JULY 10, 1947 GROSS INCOME FROM SALE OF SUPPLIES $17,377.37 COST OF GOODS SOLD: Inventory, June 30, 1946 $ 6,566.93 Purchases 12,257.26 $18,824.19 Inventory, July 10, 1947 7,417.91 11,406.28 Net Income from Sale of Supplies $ 5,971.09 OPERATING INCOME: Per Capita Tax $ 9,785.70 Dues — Members at Large 1,302.11 Charter Fees 18.00 Interest on Investments 686.88 Special Mailing Lists 54.00 11,846.69 Total Income $17,817.78 EXPENSE: Salaries * National Secretary $ 1,881.25 National Treasurer 1,773.75 Clerical 2,058.60 $ 5,713.60 Organization: National President $ 1,939.15 National President's Representatives 118.23 National President's Office 75.00 2,132.38 Office Supplies and Expense 534.45 Printing Stationary and Engraving 444.29 Building Upkeep, Post Office and Safe Deposit Boxes 561.00 National Committees 305.74 Taxes and Bank Charges 48.39 Postage, Express, Mail Insurance 375.06 Telephone and Telegraph 339.91 Tributes" 142.50 Department President's Conference 163.30 Past Administration 180.04 Insurance and Bonding 530.33 Women's Roosevelt Association 75.83 FORWARD $11,546.82 $17,817.78 14 NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS AUXILIARY, UNITED SPANISH WAR VETERANS AFFILIATE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED SPANISH WAR VETERANS Exhibit B - Sheet 2 STATEMENT OF INCOME AND EXPENSE JULY 1, 1946 TO JULY 10, 1947 Total Income -Forwarded $17,817.78 Expense- Forwarded , $ 11,546.82 Emergencies 120.00 Awards and Trophies 150.00 Legal and Auditing 27.50 National Convention, 1947 73.04 National Defense Council 259.50 Printing and Mailing Year Book 1,655.90 Federal Old Age Benefit Tax 45.48 Non-Salable Supplies 584.13 14,462.37 EXCESS OF INCOME OVER EXPENSE $ 3,355.41 exhibit C - Sheet 1 CASH RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS JULY 1, 1946 TO JULY 10, 1947 CASH ON HAND JULY 1, 1946: Liberty National Bank: General Fund $10,817.93 Bonding Reserve Fund 199.90 $11,017.83 National President's Fund 500.00 Petty Cash 25.00 $11,542.83. RECEIPTS —July 1, 1946 to August 8, 1946 2,225.86 $13,768.69 DISBURSEMENTS—July 1, 1946 to August 8, 1946 5,077.17 CASH RECD. FROM PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION (Schedule C-l) $8,691.52 CASH RECEIPTS, AUGUST 9, 1946 TO JULY 10, 1947: Sale of Supplies $17,522.82 Per Capita Tax 9,785.70 Members at Large - Dues 1,304.04 Postage and Insurance 132.64 Interest on Investments 780.63 Charter Fees 23.00 Special Mailing Lists 54.00 Leonard Wood Memorial 8,117.49 Refund Salable Supplies 71.25 Transfer from Bonding Reserve Fund 2,000.00 National Defense Council 221.50 Department President's Conference 202.50 Refund - National President's Fund 39.35 Bond Premiums Taken into General Fund 25.25 Bond Premiums 1,025.20 Interest on Investments 204.92 Proceeds, Sale of Bond 1,000.00 Clara Barton Memorial Fund: Donations $ 1,704.20 Interest on Investment 62.50 1,766.70 Total Receipts ,. 44,276.99 Total Cash to be accounted for — Forward $ 52,968.51 15 NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS AUXILIARY, UNITED SPANISH WAR VETERANS AFFILIATED MEMBERS OF THE UNITED SPANISH WAR VETERANS Exhibit C-Sheet 2 CASH RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS JULY 1, 1946 TO JULY 10, 1947 Total Cash to be accounted for - Forwarded $ 52,968.51 DISBURSEMENTS: . Salaries $ 5,713.60 Less Witholding Tax $ 634.27 Federal Old Age Benefit Tax 58.41 692.68 $ 5,020.92 National President - Organization 1,978.50 Insurance and Bonding 530.33 Telephone and Telegraph 339.91 Printing, Stationary, Engraving 444.29 Office Supplies and Expense 534.45 Postage, Mailing Insurance 507.70 Taxes and Bank Charges 48.39 Tributes 142.50 Reserve for Emergency 120.00 Building Upkeep and Repairs 525.00 Post Office and Safe Deposit Boxes 36.00 Salable Supplies 12,328.51 Non-Salable Supplies 459.13 National Committees 305.74 Past Administration 180.04 Printing and Mailing Year Book 1,655.90 Witholding Tax 519.37 F. O. A. B. Tax Withheld 45.48 F. O. A. B. Tax Expense 45.48 National President's Office Expense -. 75.00 Refund Charter Fee 5.00 Women's Roosevelt Association 75.83 Legal and Auditing 27.50 National Defense Council 481.00 National President's Representative 118.23 Interest Transferred to Bonding Reserve 93.75 National President's Conference 365.80 Refund Sales of Supplies 145.45 Refund Members at Large 1.93 Office equipment 55.00 Awards and Trophies 150.00 National Convention 73.04 Bond Premiums Payable • 25.25 Blood Plasma 175.30 FORWARD $27,635.72 $52,968.51 16 NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS AUXILIARY, UNITED SPANISH WAR VETERANS AFFILIATED MEMBERS OF THE UNITED SPANISH WAR VETERANS Exhibit C - Sheet 3 CASH RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS JULY 1, 1946 TO JULY 10, 1947 Total Cash to be accounted for—- Forwarded $52,968.51 DISBURSEMENTS: (Continued) Forwarded $27,635.72 Clara Barton Memorial - Scholarships 2,750.00 Clara Barton Memorial - Investments 5,000.00 Bonding Reserve Fund: Postage $ 125.00 Printing and Stationary 18.75 Bank Charges 2.60 Refund-Bond Premiums 2.50 148.85 General Leonard Wood 1.00 Proceeds of Bond Sale, General Fund 1,000.00 Cash Transferred to General Fund 1,000.00 Interest on Investments , 1.25 TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS 37,536.82 BALANCE JULY 10, 1947 $15,431.69 REPRESENTED BY: Liberty National Bank: General Fund $13,113.83 Bonding Reserve Fund 337.17 Clara Barton Memorial Fund 1,455.69 National President's Fund 500.00 Petty Cash '. 25.00 $15,431.69 Schedule C-l - Sheet 1 STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS FOR THE SUPPLEMENTAL PERIOD JULY 1, 1946 TO AUGUST 8, 1946 CASH ON HAND AND IN BANK, JUNE 30, 1946: Liberty National Bank: General Fund $ 10,817.93 Bonding Reserve Fund 199.90 $11,017.83 National President's Fund 500.00 Petty Cash 25.00 $11,542.83 RECEIPTS: Sales - Supplies $903.06 Less Refund 2.25 900.81 Per Capita Tax 18,25 Dues - Members at Large 174.00 Interest and Investments 28.75 Special Mailing Lists 4.00 Clara Barton Memorial 51.71 REFUNDS —NATIONAL CONVENTION: Mrs. Lynott $ 13.55 Transportation 74.53 88.08 Registration Fees 896.40 Refund - Insurance 3.36 Check Cancelled 2.25 Bond Premiums 58.25 $ 2,225.86 17 NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS AUXILIARY, UNITED SPANISH WAR VETERANS » AFFILIATED MEMBERS OF THE UNITED SPANISH WAR VETERANS DISBURSEMENTS: Salaries $ 468.75 Less Taxes: F. O. A. B $ 4.69 Witholding 53.10 57.79 $ 410.96 Organization - National President 13.50 Purchases - Salable Supplies 890.65 National Committees 418.62 National Convention 1,783.13 Auditing 210.00 Awards and Trophies 535.00 Printing and Mailing Year Book 245.00 Emergencies 244.00 Non-Salable Supplies 111.33 FORWARD $4,862.19 $2,225.86 $11,542.83 Schedule - C-l Sheet 2 STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS FOR THE SUPPLEMENTAL PERIOD JULY 1, 1946 TO AUGUST 8, 1946 Cash on Hand and in Bank, June 30. 1946 — Forwarded $11,542.83 Receipts and Refunds — National Convention — Forwarded $ 2,225.86 Disbursements - Continued $ 4,862.19 National President's Representative 24.00 Office Expense 92.45 Engraving, Printing, etc 45.55 Telephone and Telegraph 23.85 Tributes 16.40 Postage and Express 12.73 5,077.17 Excess of Disbursements over Receipts 2,851.31 CASH ON HAND AND IN BANK, AUGUST 8, 1946 $ 8,691.52 REPRESENTED BY: The Liberty National Bank: General Fund $ 7,908.37 Bonding Reserve Fund 258.15 8,166.52 National President's Fund 500.00 Petty Cash '. 25.00 $ 8,691.52 18 COMMENTS ON BALANCE SHEET CURRENT ASSETS: Cash on Deposit — Liberty National Bank: General Fund $13,113.83 Bonding Reserve Fund 337.17 Clara Barton Memorial Fund 1,455.69 National President's Account 500.00 Petty Cash 25.00 $15,431.69 The General Fund, Bonding Reserve Fund, Clara Barton Memorial Fund, each as shown on the books of record, were traced into the respective accounts with the depository and checked as to classification from duplicate receipt stubs. Cash dis bursements were made by check signed by the National Secretary and the National Treasurer upon vounchers signed by the National Secretary and the National Chair i man of the Finance Committee. The cancelled checks, except those outstanding were examined as to payees' names, amount, signatures and endorsements. Vouchers and supporting invoices or other evidence of indebtedness were examined as to amount and classification. The balance on deposit in the respective accounts was verified by direct communication with the depository and reconciled with the ledger balance. National President's Fund — $500.00 At the beginning of this administration, $500.00 was placed in the Liberty National Bank subject to withdrawal by the National President. It is replenished from time to time as vouchers are presented and turned over to the organization at the close of the convention subject to the withdrawal by the incoming National President. Cash on Hand (Petty Cash Fund)—$25.00 The Petty Cash Fund was verified by actual count. Inventories: Salable Supplies $7,417.91 Non Salable Supplies 879.58 $ 8,297.49 Salable and Non-Salable Supplies were inventoried by the office force under the supervision of the National Treasurer, priced at cost and certified as correct by the National Treasurer and National Secretary. INVESTMENTS: General Fund $29,012.50 Bonding Reserve Fund 9,605.00 Clara Barton Memorial Fund 5.000.00 $43,617.50 The National Headquarters, Auxiliary, United Spanish War Veterans, has from time to time invested surplus funds in United States securities. No changes have taken place in the General Fund. Investments in the Bonding Reserve Fund have been decreased by cashing one $1,000.00 bond on order of the Finance Committee, the proceeds being transferred to the General Fund. During the period under review $5,000.00 in 21/_% United States Savings Bond Series G were purchased by the Clara Barton Memorial Fund. Schedules A-l, A-2 and A-3 of this report reflect the present holdings at par value, carrying value and market value, which have been verified by examination. 19 ; r FIXED ASSETS: Furnitufe and Fixtures - $4,674.68 Less Reserve for Depreciation 4,438.84 $ 235.84 This account reflects the book value of the Furniture and Fixtures, being cast less depreciation at uniform rates. GIFT —$74.00 This account represents one $100.00 bond at cost to be given as a prize in a member ship drive. (Contra A) CURRENT LIABILITIES: Withholding Tax $168.00 Federal Old Age Benefit Tax 18.01 $186.01 The above amount represents taxes on employees salaries withheld to be remitted to the Bureau of Internal Revenue. CLARA BARTON MEMORIAL —$6,455.69 The above amount was transferred from the General Fund and a separate bank account opened in the Liberty National Bank, during the period under review. GENERAL LEONARD WOOD MEMORIAL $8,117.49 The above amount represents collections to July 10, 1947 for the purpose of erecting the General Leonard Wood Memorial. The funds are included in the General Fund in the Liberty National Bank. GIFT — $74.00 This account reflects the liability for Membership Drive Prize. (Contra A) BONDING RESERVE $9,942.17 Details of the Bonding Reserve are shown in Schedule A-4. CAPITAL ACCOUNT —$42,881.16 Details of the Capital Account are shown in Schedule A-5. 20 NATIONAL SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENT American flag. A Memorial Day parade Having been privileged to serve as was formed at the entrance of the ceme your National Senior Vice President for tery and in military formation marched the past year, I wish to take this oppor to the rostrum where a very impressive tunity to say I am deeply grateful for the service was held. I was on the Maine honor conferred upon me and the Depart Memorial program for a solo, "Sleep ment of Kentucky. Soldier Boy". I have kept busy with local and depart We had the pleasure of having our ment committees and social functions. National President, Julia Kull with us Was in attendance at the Department and her visit was enjoyed by all. As a Presidents Conference, and also the Wo guest of the Indiana Department Presi men's Patriotic Conference held in dent, during her Convention, I again had Washington, D. C. the pleasure of being with the National President as she was on her official visit I served on the committee for Mem to Indiana. orial Day excercises May 31st. The morning services were conducted by our Sisters, on the bank of the Ohio River To the Department Presidents and and was a tribute to Sailors, Soldiers, Ma Committee Chairman for their interest rine and Aviators, whose graves are the ing letters and General Orders sent me, waters of the world. Strewing flowers I thank you and sincerely hope I have on the waters by the neighborhood chil been worthy of your confidence. dren; placing a wreath, in middle stream, To the National President and her offi by United States Coast Guards and dur cers, my deep appreciation and thanks ing the service, a Civil Air Patrol Plane for the many courtesies. I am truly scattered rose petals on the Ohio. The grateful. afternoon services were at Cave Hill Cemetery under the auspices of our Com Respectfully submitted, rades and Sisters, and other patriotic or ganizations. Boy Scouts decorated the Pansy Denunzio ten thousand soldier's graves with an National Senior Vice President. NATIONAL JUNIOR VICE-PRESIDENT It has been a real joy to serve as wood Auxiliary I dedicated a Memorial your National Junior Vice President. I Plaque in Elmhurst Park Cemetery, to deeply appreciate the honor bestowed on "all Veterans who served, lived and died me and the Department of Ohio. for their Country". My heartfelt thanks to the Comrades and Sisters for this Attended the Department Presidents honor. Conference, the Women's Patriotic Con ference on National Defense, serving on Served as a member on the Clara Bar the Rules Committee, also the Joint In ton Memorial Scholarship Award Com stallation of William McKinley Camp, mittee. Sons of Spanish American War Veterans and Capitol City Fort, Daughters of '98, I also had the honor of representing held in Washington, D. C. our National President and extending her greetings to the Comrades and Sisters of When our gracious and beloved Na West Virginia at their Department Con tional President, Julia A. Kull made her vention in Wheeling and to my Depart official visit to Ohio, I had the joyous ment Convention in Columbus. task of assisting the committee in enter taining her Received reports from many Depart v ment Junior Vice Presidents, although* Memorial Day, at the request of Lake- there is no call for reports from these 21 officers. The reports were read with nesses and to all who have helped to keen interest and sincere thankfulness make this year of service a real pleasure. that an active interest in the welfare of our Organization and outstanding pro To my National President, Julia A. Kull gress has been made in many Depart with whom it has been a joy to work ments. with and for her many courtesies, thank you and may God's richest blessings ever Many thanks to the Department Pres abide with you and yours. idents and Sisters for their General Or ders, letters and cards, which have been Respectfully submitted, an inspiration and real help through the year, to the Staff at National Headquar Mary Ross McKay, ters for their courtesy and many kind National Junior Vice President NATIONAL CHAPLAIN As my year as National Chaplain draws new recreation ward to be built soon at to a close, I wish to express my deep Veterans Administration at Papago Park, appreciation of the privilege bestowed Phoenix; also conducted a Carnation sale. upon me to serve in this honored capacity. It is a matter of regret that this report Early in the year I issued a letter to cannot be a 100% accounting of the De Department Chaplains suggesting vari partments, only 36 reports having been ous ways in which they might help Aux received, one of them from the Chaplain iliary Chaplains to be of service. All of a Provisional Department and another during the year I have been in personal from an Auxiliary Chaplain where no contact with my Department Chaplains, department exists. One or two reports answering many inquiries and comment received were very meager. ing on beautiful memorial ,programs prayers and poems sent me. All reports show memorial services held at Department conventions, wreaths In January, I attended the Depart placed at monuments, flowers placed on ment President's Conference in Washing graves of Comrades and Auxiliary Sis ton, following which I acted as a dele ter's graves on Memorial Day, comfort gate from the Auxiliary to the Woman's given to the bereaved, and cheer to those Patriotic Conference on National De sick and in distress, by cards, letters, fense, serving on the Resolutions commit flowers, visits, and in many cases, by tee of that body. substantial aid; donations given to the General Leonard Wood Memorial Foun Upon the occasion of our National dation, which more properly belongs to President's official visit to the Depart that specific report, but I am sure that ment of Arizona, I journeyed to Tucson the Chaplains were behind that worthy to assist in welcoming her. I repre project urging donations. sented her at Arizona's Department con vention. It was my sad duty to conduct Regrettable is the fact that many Chap the memorial for Past National President lains failed to report figures, merely an Sister Anna Nagle, Kentucky"s Depart swering "yes" or "all members" where ment President Sister Elizabeth Beagle, numbers of members taking part was and one of my own auxiliary sisters. asked for, which makes it impossible to Word of the passing of Past National show a correct picture of the services President Sister Cora A. Thompson was rendered. Also 14 Departments failed not received until several hours after our to get their reports to me, some of the convention had adjourned. My Depart larger ones. Herewith is a tabulated ment President Sister Fay Perry, invited report insofar as figures submitted permit. me to accompany her on several of her official visitations. In my own Auxiliary, Departments reporting 36 I have filled a number of posts, not the Auxiliaries reporting 641 least of which being Hospitalization Auxiliaries holding services at chairman, in which capacity I laid the homes of departed members 238 groundwork for a substantial gift to a Auxiliaries holding services at 22 graves of departed members 253 Georgia 13 Auxiliaries draping charter at Idaho 7 meeting following member's Indiana 59 death 541 Kansas 16 Auxiliaries attending services for Iowa 24 departed comrades 1160 Kentucky 8 Members taking part in Louisiana 8 Memorial Day services 5076 Maine 11 Children taking part in Maryland 13 Memorial Day services 4558 Massachusetts 83 Soldiers and Sailors graves Michigan 31 decorated 24,454 Montana 5 Number of graves decorated for Nevada 4 members of Auxiliary 4923 New Hampshire 5 Auxiliary members attending New Jersey 31 Sabbath Memorial service 1188 New Mexico (Provisional Dept.) 1 Auxiliaries holding services New York 98 Unknown Dead 237 North Carolina 1 Auxiliaries holding services for North Dakota 2 those buried in Philippines 159 Oklahoma 8 Memorial prepared for Sailors Oregon 29 and Soldiers buried at sea 297 Potomac 6 Money expended by Chaplains South Dakota 4 in their work $19,906.46 Tennessee 9 During the year, the Grim Reaper has Texas 16 claimed 761 of our Sisters. Two of our Virginia 11 beloved Past National Presidents have Washington & Alaska 37 entered into Eternal Rest, Sister Anna West Virginia 5' Nagle and Sister Cora A. Thompson, the Wisconsin 35 Department President of Kentucky, Sis "We see but dimly through the mists ter Elizabeth Beagle, a number of Past and vapors; Department Presidents, and many, many Amid these earthly damps Sisters whose faithful, quiet service did What seem to us but sad, funereal much to further the work and standing tapers of our organization. The number as re May be Heaven's distant lamps. ported by Department follows: There is no death! What seems so Alabama 10 is transistion; Arizona 1 This life of mortal breath California 108 Is but a suburb of the life Elysian, Colorado 16 Whose portal we call Death." Connecticut 15 Delaware (unattached) none Grace M. Alexander, Florida 31 National Chaplain. NATIONAL PATRIOTIC INSTRUCTOR In appreciation of the honor bestowed cooperation, loyalty and efforts, in bet- upon me at the 43rd National Conven tering this past war era. tion held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Aug. 7, 1946, and in the fulfillment of the du Departments Reporting ties of National Patriotic Instructor and California Massachusetts Americanism Chairman, I obediently sub Delaware Maine mit the following report. Colorado Montana In reviewing the splendid accomplish Georgia Nebraska ments of the Department Patriotic In Illinois New York structors and the interest taken by all, Indiana New Jersey I can but extend my thanks for their Iowa North Dakota 23 North Carolina Virginia Gray Ladies of the Auxiliary helping Oklahoma -«,,-• in hospitals. rp Wisconsin Tennessee Utah Oregon Illinois: Sewing for Red Cross. Patriotic Days Observed Soldier entertainment in U. S. O. and hospitals. In Auxiliary meetings 927 Many service men entertained in homes With Comrades 384 of members. Public Programs 533 Iowa: Joinned with Others Presentation of wheel chair. Red Cross work. Observing other National events 39 Aiding many youth groups. Honoring other National heroes 68 Massachusetts: Flags Presented Presentation of easy chairs for Veterans. Red Cross work. In schools 187 New Jersey: In other public places 105 Attend rallies.. Americanism mottoes placed U S. O. Work. In schools 201 New York: Helping in Veterans Hospitals. In other public places 105 Also Red Cross work. New Citizens welcomed by giving Welcome talk 56 North Dakota: Flags 8 Sixty-two dollar expenditure for Amer Flag Pledges 5 icanism. Americanism cards 55 Oregon: Expended for Patriotic and Book markers and folders placed in Americanism work $5,105.79 schools. Patriotic books presented to the library. California: Attended Naturalization meetings. Flags were presented to Boy Scout Flags presented to schools. groups. Attended Naturalization classes. Virginia: One Auxiliary placed 180 bouquets on Presented Flags to Girl Scout Organi Veterans graves. zations. Lawn swings presented to Veteran's Replacing of stone marker on street. Home at Sawtelle. In closing this report, I would like to Participation in various health drives. convey my thanks to the Staff at National Headquarters for their courteous aid, and Colorado: to all who have abetted me during the Doing much Red Cross work. present year served. Course of instruction for children on Spanish American war. Respectfully submitted Georgia: Lillian E. Bauman, Doing Red Cross work. National Patriotic Instructor. NATIONAL HISTORIAN It has been a privilege to serve as in making this report possible. your National Historian the past year To the Department Presidents thanks. and I wish to express my sincere thanks to each of you for the honor. To our National President, Julia Kull, my sincere thanks, first for the two won Communications have been direct with derful days spent with her while in Ar the Department Historians and to them kansas, and for the honor she conferred I am most grateful for their cooperation upon our Department as well as myself 24 by appointing me to represent her at the Departments of Alabama, Arkansas, Ari Department Convention in Little Rock. zona, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Flordida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, In my Department, I served as Chief Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, of Staff, and installed the Officers of Mississippi, Missouri, Masschusetts, N. three Auxiliaries. I represented our De Dakota, Nevada, Nebraska, North Caro partment at the Official visit of the Na lina, Oregon, Oklahoma, Montana, Ohio, tional President of the Veterans of For Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Vir eign Wars Auxiliary, also the National ginia, Utah, Washington & Alaska, and President of che United Daughters of California. Confederacy. Auxiliaries reporting 708 I had the privilege of assisting the Number of meetings 6964 Past Department Commander Smith of Public Installations 320 Eldorado unveil a beautiful Monument on Joint Installations 352 the Court-House Square in memory of all Patriotic Meetings 293 Spanish War Veterans from Union Coun Auxiliaries compiling Histories 400 ty. This monument was placed by the Auxiliaries selling carnations 210 Baxter Herrin Auxiliary at the cost of Members gained 1682 $820.00 and a membership of only 14 and Members lost 834 they are to be complimented for their work. Transfers 889 Deaths 478 I attended all meetings and public Spanish War History read 465 affairs of our Auxiliaries in Hot Springs, Visitors entertained 5246 and in some of the other cities. Rules & Regulations read 509 Special meetings 21 Reports of Flags given in many public Delegates to Dept. Conventions 432 schools, History of the Spanish American Delegate to Nat. Convention 198 Wars placed in Public Libraries and some of the schools. Respectfully submitted, The following tabulated report was Ruby H. Lyons, compiled from reports received from the National Historian. NATIONAL CONDUCTOR In submitting my report, I wish to ex ed the work of having our Department tend my thanks and appreciation for the By-Laws printed and distributed. opportunity of service and for the reco Installed the officers of my own Aux gnition given my Department the second iliary, and served on the Carnation Day time, in my election. It has been an Committee. honor and a pleasure to serve this year. Attended Memorial Day Services as a Had the pleasure of motoring to Bill representative of the Auxiliary, and at ings, Dept. Headquarters to greet and tended the American Legion Dinner as a help entertain our National President, Gold Star Mother, also representing the Julia Kull on her official visit to our De Auxiliary. partment. Attended the Department President's At the invitation of our Department Conference and Women's Patriotic Con President I installed the Department Offi ference on National Defense held in cers and later the Department Treasurer, Washington, D. C. in January. who was unable to be at Convention. I wish to thank the National and De Also paid a visit with our Department partment Officers for the General Orders President to several of the Auxiliaries on and Circular letters received during the her official visits. year. They have been very helpful, and I had the great honor of representing inspiring. Also wish to thank National our National President, Julia Kull, at the Headquarters for their courtesies and Department Convention. Served as De cooperation at all times. partment Parliamentarian and Chairman Anna Nugent, of the Legislative Committee, and finish National Conductor. 25 NATIONAL ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR It is with much pleasure that the fol pressive memorial structure and the Na lowing report of the official activities of tional Auxiliary has participated in each the National Assistant Conductor during of the two services. Inasmuch as this the past year is submitted. is a new structure and many of you may not be familiar with its setting, perhaps The duties were not arduous in that I a few words might aid you in picturing considered it an honor to have been desig this most colorful ceremony. The mem nated by National Headquarters to place orial structure itself is circular in design, memorial wreaths as follows: open, but supported by huge circular col umns from base to dome; in the rotunda On October 27 a beautiful wreath was is a huge bronze full length statue of placed at the John Paul Jones Monument Thomas Jefferson mounted on a black in West Potomac Park, Washington, marble base. Leading from the front of D. C. These services are held annually the structure are three flights of steps on Navy Day to honor the memory of whcih lead to the Potomac Park Basin one of the first great American sea fight which is completely surrounded with Ori ers and not the least splendid in the long ental cherry trees. This year the trees line. All patriotic organizations partici were in full and beautiful blossom and pate in these services. about 25,000 persons were visiting Wash On February 16, 1947, a georgeous ington to view the trees. Here and there wreath was placed in the name of the in the colorful crowd one could see our National Auxiliary at the Shaft of the neighbors from the Orient in their native ill-fated Battleship "Maine" in Arlington costumes. The services were participated National Cemetery just across the Po in by nearly one hundred patriotic, civic tomac from Washington, D. C, at the and historical organizations and the pro services held annually by Department of cession of standards and banners to District of Columbia Aux. U. S. W. V. martial music furnished by the U. S. Navy These services are participated in by all Band with the georgeous setting of the local patriotic organizations on invitation cherry blossoms and the huge crowd, by the Department of the District of silent and attentive, was a sight that will Columbia Auxiliary. long remain in the memories of those present. At this service the wife of the On April 13, 1947, a wreath identical Commander in Chief, Mrs. White; the in design and equal in beauty to the first National Secretary Louise W. Williams; two wreaths listed, was placed in the Jef and Past National President Nora V. ferson Memorial on the anniversary of Eveleth were guests of honor. the birth of our third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. This Edna R. Summerfield, is the second time these commemorative National Assistant Conductor . services have been held in this very im NATIONAL GUARD My sincere and grateful thanks to each tion and clothing of two foreign children. and every one for the honor and This summer I am sponsoring a teen privilege of serving as your National age baseball team, a program in my city Guard this past year. to develop sportmanship and clean living Not having any special duties as Na in our boys. tional Guard, I have been very active in It was my pleasure to be present dur child welfare work in my own state. ing the visit of our National President Each summer I have conducted over in Wisconsin. night camp outs for girls in my city. I I served as finance chairman for my De am interested in the handicapped children partment and have been ready to serve and was instrumental in promoting a whenever called upon by my Department party and taking movies of those in my President and her staff. county. I have presented 5 flags to Boy Again, I thank you for the privilege Scout Troops.Have helped with enter of serving you. tainment in our Veterans Hospital and have been actively interested in veterans Cecelia Johnson, legislation. I am sponsoring the educa National Guard. 26 NATIONAL ASSISTANT GUARD In August of 1946, in the city of Mil Maine to be placed in the Administration waukee, Wisconsin, you elected me Na Building at the Veterans Colonization tional Assistant Guard, and to each and near Wilburton, Oklahoma. every one who in any way helped me to attain this office, I am deeply grateful. I have visited several Hospitals over the State, and attended the meeting for It has been an honor and pleasure to the entertainment of our lovely National serve as one of the Official family, and President, Sister Julia A. Kull when she I have tried to the best of my ability to made her official visit to the Department merit the confidence placed in me. of Oklahoma. I have served in several capacities in I wish to thank the present Department my local Auxiliary, served as Parliamen Presidents for their letters and General tarian to the 46-47 Department Presi- Orders and I especially want to thank ident and am serving as Chief of Staff the Past Presidents of 42-43 for their to the present Department President. letters and cards of congratulations. They I installed the present Department Offi were greatly appreciated. cers, and several Auxiliary Officers over the state. I have been happy in my work and I intend to work in the Auxiliary to the I was elected as the only woman on the United Spanish War Veterans as long as Board of Governors of the United Span I am physically able. ish War Veterans Colonization near Wil burton, Oklahoma. Presented a Plaque Margaret McDaniel, made from steel from the Battleship National Assistant Guard. COMMITTEES Judge Edward Mathias reported on the LEGISLATIVE REPORT mandate of the Milwaukee Convention. A 20% increase on all pensions across the board to meet the increased cost of life's To the National President, Officers and necessities. To make eligible for pen Members in Convention assembled: sions, those widows of Veterans of Span ish War, -the Phillipine insurrection and As National Chairman of the Legisla the Boxer uprising. This legislation re tive Program of the A. U. S. W. V., I fers to the widows who married after submit the following report. Dec. 31, 1937 also. Such widows must Pursuant to an order of our National have reached the age of sixty years at President, Julia A. Kull, I met with the the time of the veterans death. National Committee of the Commander in Chief, John White on Jan. 12, 1947. The program follows exactly the law enacted December 8, 1944, for Civil War The meeting was presided over by the widows who married after June 27, 1905. National Chairman, Judge Edward Ma thias. The National President, Julia A. On April 14, our Committee was ac Kull, National Secretary, Louise W. Will corded a full hearing before a sub Com iams, National Treasurer Henrietta Ly- mittee of the Veterans Affairs Committee nott, Past National Presidents Mamie to which the Spanish American War Schmidt, Mary McGauley, and Lou Ella Veterans legislation is referred for hear Allen were present at the meeting. ing and consideration. It also provides for pensions for certain widows who General Omar Bradley was present. married their veteran husband since Dec His address was interesting and inform ember 31, 1937. In that respect its pro ative in reference to the Legislation of visions are in conformity with legisla the United Spanish War Veterans and tion affecting Civil War widows, and their dependents. with like limitation. 27 Those who participated in the presen Another leader on legislation, Quarter tation of the bill were Commander in Master General Walter Downey, and Chief John White, Senior Vice Comman last but not least the U. S. W. V. great der in Chief H. M. Havner, Jr., Vice friend, Edward Inman, editor of the Na Commander in Chief Charles Barefoot, tional Tribune. When the Commander Auxiliary Nat'l. Chairman on Legislation in Chief is out through the country on Nora V. Eveleth, W. M. Floyd, Esq., his official business,, and the members National Commander Regular Veterans of the Legislative Committee return to Association, John Williamson, Esq., As their homes Walter Downey and Edward sistant Legislative Director, Veterans of Inman are the men that just haunt the Foreign Wars, Peyton Irving, Adjutant Capitol Hill watching our legislation. General, U. S. W. V. Walter Downey, We sincerely appreciate what they have Quarter Master General U. S. W V. Na done and will do. tional President, Julia Kull was on the West Coast on Organization business, To my National President, Julia Kull but sent a message read by the Nat'l. Thank you for the honor of serving in Secretary Louise W. Williams. this important work. I hope I have lived up to your expectations. The National Chairman, Judge Edward My wish to you Julia is—when Con Mathias, gave a splendid delivery on the vention convenes in Kansas City, you merits of the bill, in a very straight for will be able to say, "Isn't it just grand, ward and convincing manner. our Bill 969 is passed and is now a law". Immediately following the hearing, the Respectfully submitted, sub Committee approved the bill and re Nora V. Eveleth, ported it to the full Committee on Vet erans Affairs. That Committee on May Chairman, National Legislation. 7, 1947, unanimously approved the Bill and Note. Since the above was written, our reported it to the House of Representa Bill H. R. 3961 was passed by the House tives with a recommendation that it be of Representatives unamiously. The bill enacted. was unamiously passed by the Senate We hope for an early consideration Finance Committee and is now waiting and favorable action by the House of Senate action. Representatives and then by the Senate. Note No. 2. July 19. The Bill has passed All members of the organization have the Senate and waiting the President's been notified and requested to contact signature. their Congressmen and Senators. NATIONAL HOSPITALIZATION H. R. 969 is the number of this Bill, but a word of explanation of the change In September of 1946, I was appointed in the number of the bill is in order. National Hospital Chairman. With much appreciation I accepted this and served During the discussion of the Bill, it with pride. I more than feel grateful to seemed good to include in Bill H. R. 969 our National President Julia A. Kull, for a clause including the Civil War Veterans her gracious appointment, and hope I and their widows. Inasmuch as we have have met with her approval. followed the Civil War Legislation it seemed the proper thing. I have visited thirteen hospitals, and personally laid a program out for my So the number is now 3516. In writing own hospital work. Each week since to the Congressmen and Senators it is last September I have given a carton of well to use both numbers. cigarettes, and spent many hours in our own and other hospitals. This was a This is a condensed report, but the pleasure and I learned much about the members have been familiar with the fortitude of men and women. bill and are in touch with the merits and requests of the bill also. I have some extraordinary reports, but all are very fine. The work is being At this time may I express my admir carried on successfully in the twenty-two ation of a great leader in your Legislation states reporting. They have joined the program, Judge Edward Mathias. hospital boards on local basis as we have 28 on a National basis. Last November Amount of money spent on while in Washington D. C. I was asked Veterans not in Homes $592.00 be a guest of the National Board by Number of visits to Veterans Gen. Kerr—sat in at the meeting as a in hospitals 5,027 guest and then through the National Number of visits to Veterans Headquarters filed application to become in homes 3219 permanent members of this National Hos Number of cards and letters sent pital Board under Gen. Omar Bradley. to Veterans 14,003 This is almost a must as all major patri Number of parties for Veterans 411 otic organizations are members and con Amount of money spent on sisters sidering our age bracket it is essential in hospitals $816.00 that we have a finger on the pulse of hos Number of visits to sisters pital affairs. Being members gives our in homes 2,009 National President the right to attend Number of letters and cards all the meetings as it does our National sent to sisters 21,009 Commander. Number of visits to Veterans not members 329 I wish it were possible to tell all the Number of female relatives in wonderful things done in our hospitals community not members 277 by our women—it would make a book. Total Amount spent for Com New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Ore rades in Hospitals $26,590.18 gon, Tennessee and Wisconsin deserve Total number of visits to special mention; for outstanding work I Comrades 8246 mention the names of Loretta Balogue, Total amount spent for sisters .... $1,025.00 Elizabeth C. Schaefer, Alameda Mueller, Total number of visits to sisters 2825 Elizabeth Churchill. I liked the Pen Pal letters and gifts, the many bingo parties, Grand total of cash spent $19,017 the dances, the gay nineties parties, and the shows. These women have given a Grand Total of cash value $13,852 total of two thousand, five hundred per sonal hours to the service. Many others This report submitted in grateful appre have given in the hundreds of hours ciation to every State and Sister report brackets. ing. Thank you for a job well done. Ann Burton Sine, In speaking of the Sisters in hospitals and homes,, the service and love to them National Chairman. has run into many visits, many hours CHILD WELFARE and much money and is a growing service to our Auxiliary Sisters who are ill and Having been appointed National Child alone. Loneliness alleviated is a blessing Welfare Chairman, I have the honor to to the sister and a source of gratification submit the following report: to the sister whose good deed it has been. Two letters were sent to each Depart Another growing factor in the hospitals ment Chairman outlining the work of the this year has been the cooperation of Committee. I regret that only 17 De our workers with the hospital personnal, partment have sent in their reports to and the kindness given to the new vet date, and they are as follows: eran— our own G. I. boys and girls. Following is the tabulated account of moneys and services. Connecticut Michigan Georgia Missouri TABULATED REPORT Illinois Montana Iowa New Jersey Number of Veterans in Kansas Hospitals . 5960 Kentucky North Carolina Number of Veterans in Maryland Oklahoma Homes 2275 Massachusetts Tennessee Number of Veterans needing hos Minnesota Wisconsin pitalization and not receiving it .... 317 Amount of money spent on Veterans in hospitals $18,477.17 It would have been my extreme pleas Value of articles given hospitals .... $7,521 ure to render a more complete report Value of articles given homes .... $2,742.27 to my National President. 29 Several Auxiliaries sent in their re We should, as patriotic women reco port of money expended but did not gnize a further responsibility. No period specify how used. has ever faced graver problems and perils than the present time. To solve those Children assisted: wisely has become a matter of individual In own Homes 1026 and national life and death. Foolish op In Homes of Relatives 397 timism is as bad as foolish pessimism. In Childrens Hospitals 287 Indifference is the worst of all. In Local Institutions 143 In Foster Boarding Homes 89 We can, by every means of communi Families Assisted 478 cation, by word of mouth, by our vote, Amount Expended $52844.58 our opinions which we can make known, Hrs. of Nursing and Sewing that we the women want peace, we want in Hospitals and Homes 9200 common sense. Articles of Clothing given 4555 Additional Activities: Each of us lives in some locality, large or small. We have newspapers, we have These Departments report their Auxili committees, we have local politicians, aries have sent girls and boys to summer there are scores of mediums through and health camps. which we can express our hopes and desires. Out of our mouths come toler Helped a mother and four children to ance, hope or poison. enter a hospital. Our Governments, local, state and na An Auxiliary provided milk each day tional will do what we want if they know to a mother and her four children for clearly what it is. First we must think one year. and then act. Gave a radio, many records, two wheel chairs, two comfortable chairs for Chil This is an emergency. A human emer drens Hospitals, gave Easter, Halloween gency. Women should take an active and Christmas parties also to Blind Girls part in this emergency, each one of us is Homes. Gave pillows, wheel-chair throws involved. Each one of us must realize books of all descriptions for children, that hope for world peace lies in justice Layettes, quilts, box of dolls, jars of and equality for all and we as women fruit, candy, knitted sweaters and booties. can voice our opinion and will be heard. Engaged in legislative work for Child Reports were reveived from 33 Depart Welfare, influenced children to attend ments. There were 174 National Defense Church and Sunday School and many programs given, 34 Radio Broadcasts other activities. 350 libraries have books on National De My thanks to you, Madam National fense, 18 Departments report visits to President, for my appointment. It has schools contacting teachers. been a great pleasure working with you and the Official Family. Thanks to the Our members are still active in Volun Department Chairman whose reports I teer Service, 20,000 hours are reported in have received and thanks to my Co- Red Cross Service, sewing knitting, Nur Chairman and for the lovely letters ses Aide, canteen Home Service and other you have sent me. volunteer work, also disaster service. They are saving fats and buying Bonds. Respectfully submitted, $2,129.50 was expended for flags, medals, trophies and other awards, R. O. T. C. Katherine Hoffman, Chairman, Units and students, to Boy Scouts, Girl P. D. P. of Missouri. Scouts, Camp Fire Girls, this shows that our Auxiliaries are really working with NATIONAL DEFENSE the young people. Illinois presented medals to winners of National Defense, like charity begins awards in 34 Units of R. O. T. C. in the right at home. America as a Society Chicago area, and on February 12, when can be no greater than the homes which W G N the Chicago Tribune Broadcast rear our children. Our responsibility as ing Station recognized the R. O. T. C. patriotic women is to be responsible for Units throughout the Nation, a beauti the education of our citizen children. ful bronze trophy was presented to the 30 . Winning unit for outstanding accomplish well as a generous number to the Auxili ments by the Department President in ary sisters. the name of the Auxiliary to the United Spanish War Veterans. Wide publicity All departments were well equipped was'given our organization through this with material with which to begin their program of recognizing these Units and membership drive, as very complete lists these fine young men were happy to re of eligible widows were sent all depart ceive these medals. If possible one of ments last. The possibilities lying in these medals will be on display at the these lists have been not yet been ex Convention, be sure to see it. hausted. In addition each department has received during the past year a- sup The Departments report cooperation in plemental list. This latter list was for National Defense wTith the following or warded as soon as enough new names ganizations: Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and addresses of veterans' widows were Camp Fire Girls, Y. M. C. A., Y. W. C. A, available to make it worth while to list Catholic Action Guild, Civic Clubs, DAR, them. Daughters of Confederacy, Women's Re lief Corps,, American Legion and V.F.W. Altho not all departments have not sent the information requested regarding Two letters were issued, one in Novem members, deaths, and tranfers to other ber, the other distributed at the Depart departments, a number have done so and ment Presidents Conference. I personally this information has been entered prompt gave many talks to various organizations, ly to the card file maintained at National including several Auxiliaries in California Headquarters. A great deal of work has and my own Department. I have pre been done on this file during the year. pared Radio scripts and have answered It is now correctly alphabetized by states many letters. and more than 10,000 new cards have been added to those already on hand. It May I express my grateful thanks to should be explained that this does not our National President, Julia A. Kull, for mean an increase of 10,000 widows, for the opportunity to serve on this import in many instances the card represented ant committee, and to National Secretary a new address or a change in status. Louise W. Williams, for kindness shown. I have worked hard and sincerely hope I attended the Department Presidents some good has been accomplished. Conference in January and made a brief report at that time. Several of the sis m Ada L. Duffy, ters gave helpful suggestions for the National Chairman, work. A second letter was sent out shortly after the Conference to all De MEMBERSHIP partments. A letter was sent to all departments Since it is necessary that this report early in the year. This letter carried the reach National Headquarters before the names and addresses of the committee, closing of the contest, a supplemental who were to act as Area Chairman, report will be made at the National Con showed the needs for increased member vention, and the awarding of the prizes ship, and detailed the particulars of the will be announced at that time. It is contest for new and reinstated members, hoped that a substantial gain in member in both the Auxiliaries and the Daughters ship will be shown. of '98. I want to thank the Department Chair The Area Chairman were assigned a men, Area Chairmen, and all who have certain number of departments in their helped me this year. To them should go area and were to act as "Contact Men". much of the credit for the work done. They have all done splendid work, sent I consider this not only a very import out letters to their departments, and co ant committee, but also a most interesting operated in every way. I want to add one, and I appreciate deeply the privilege my personal thanks to that due them our National President accorded me when from the National Auxiliary. she gave me the honor of serving on it. It is felt that our Daughters should be Ethel E. Finn, Chairman, encouraged in building up their Forts and National Membership Comm. several prizes were offered to them as 31 PAN AMERICAN STUDY BY-LAW COMMITTEE It is a pleasure to submit a report of As Chairman of your National By-Law this interesting committee. Committee, I make the following report for the year of 1946-47. During the year, I sent three circular letters to each Department with suggest To this date, thirty-one have been ap ions and ideas of a possible nature to be proved—twenty-two for auxiliaries, eight carried through by the Auxiliaries. for Departments and for one District. Much interest is 'being shown all over Many were received that had to be the United States in our Latin American returned, before approval, because they countries. Even in Mexico a leading did not conform to our Rules and Regu citizen is publishing a series of article lations, Revised in 1946. in prominent magazines on how to co operate with us. Our Rules and Regulations contain valuable information that should be in Reports are in only from Georgia and corporated in all by-laws of Departments Oklahoma. and their Auxiliaries. Pan American week was well observed It is the earnest recommendation of throughout the country by Clubs, Civic of your Committee that special attention and Religious groups, Culture Centers, be given to all by-laws before they are Schools, Colleges, Commercial Associa submitted to National for approval. tions and our Government. Thanking you for the privilege of serv President Truman made a good will ing this year, we are, tour of Mexico where he was given a royal welcome. In return President Ale- Sincerely in F. P. and H, man came to Washington and was re Olive M. Ravens, P.N. P., ceived with loud acclaim. He visited Chairman, other States, my own State had the pleas ure of entertaining him. Edith H. Bird* P. N. P. Anna K Juneau P. N. P. Much depends upon us as individuals. As one writer said, "A week of legisla tion and diplomatic speeches by our rep ESSAY COMMITTEE resentatives—dressed in striped trousers, black coat, and white tie in Congressional halls—can be undone in an hour by a The Essay Committee has been much thoughtless tourist walking through the pleased with the interest shown in our colorful streets of some South American contest and with the fine response from city." the Department chairmen. • To my National President, I thank you 523 Essays were reported from 16 De for the honor of serving my organization. partments, the highest number, 203, re Only as the opportunity comes to us ported from New York, and the second can we give to you of ourselves. This highest, 82, from Massachusetts. has been enjoyable work, and how many All the Essays were of very fine qual times have I felt a personal thrill as I ity; one judge in turning in his decision, received cards, letters, circulars and news wrote, "I found it very difficult to make paper clippings from over my beloved a rating because they were all so good States. that there was little room for choice". I thank the members of my Committee The judges chosen were Frank Gunso- who served with me, Carrie Flanders, lus, Chicago, 111., Senior Vice Comman S. Dakota; June Otjen, Oklahoma; Mar der of the Department of Illinois; Judge garet K. Zimmerman, Illinois. Jesse Brown, Edwardsville, 111., a well Respectfully submitted, known after-dinner speaker and a compe tent judge of literary effort; and Walter Hattie M. Williams, F. Coolidge, Granite City, 111., Past Dept. Nat'l. Pan American Chairman. Commander of Illinois and a Professor 32 A of History for 40 years. The judges held no consultation but the winners of NATIONAL PUBLICITY first and second places were rated be tween first and fourth by all three. In submitting my report as National Publicity Chairman, I wish to express my The winners were: sincere gratitude and appreciation for the 1st William Donahue, Washington, D. C. high honor accorded me in this appoint ment by our National President, Julia A. 2nd. Allen Nunn, Little Rock, Ark. Kull, at the 43rd Annual Convention of the National Auxiliary, United Spanish 3rd. Edward Brennan, Amsterdam, N. Y. War Veterans, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Honorable Mention: in August, 1946. Angelo Puglise, Washington, D. C. Mindful of the great importance of this part of our organization work, I issued Elizabeth Garry, Sommerville, Mass. two Publicity Letters to the Department Chairmen, urging them to encourage their All awards and citations were sent out Auxiliaries to give publicity to all activi from National Headquarters during the ties and to make it as wide-spread as first week in May; it is hoped that their possible; to have advance notices of our presentation to the winners before their National President's visit to their respect school-mates may incite interest in next ive Departments appear in their local year's contest as well as favorable publi newspapers, and to be prompt in sending city for our organization. a written account of her visit and recept ion to the National Tribune. The subject for next year is, "What improvements in the field of medicine Letter No. 1 was mimeographed and are the result of knowledge gained from mailed from National Headquarters to the Spanish American War?" This was all Department Presidents for their sent in to National in February, was ap Publicity Chairman, and Letter No. 2 was proved and sent out to the departments distributed to each one who attended the Department Presidents Conference in in April. As we assume there will be Washington. little, if any, change in rules the usual complaint that information about contest It was my pleasure and privilege to at is too late in reaching Department Presi tend this Conference and the sessions of dents will not apply next year. The the Women's Patriotic Conference on Na Chairman would like to suggest that much tional Defense, also the official visits time could be saved if Presidents would made by National President in Connecti send in the names of their chairmen cut and New York, the McKinley Ban quet in Philadelphia,, Pa., and her wel promptly. This year only 14 names in come home reception in Camden, N. J. all were received directly from Presidents. I also accompanied her when she was officially received by May Herbert The Chairman has greatly enjoyed the Kruttsschnitt of Irving, N. J. and by exchange of letters with her department Governor Alfred E. Driscoll in the State chairmen and thanks them for their House, Trenton, N. J. faithful and efficient work. I have kept newspapers informed of the One Chairman sent in a suggestion activities of our National president and have been in contact with the Department that we think merits thoughtful consid Chairman during the year, acknowledge- eration, that the Chairmen of Spanish- ing their contributions to the National American War History cooperate with Tribune as well as the news clippings the Essay Chairman by inducing librar sent me from time to time of Mrs. Kull's nationwide tour of the Departments and ians, both school and city, to place books other items of interest taking place during and magazine material on their shelves her year as our leader, and I have enjoyed where ever students are interested in the the fine interest and cooperation of the contest. Department Publicity Chairmen and all others who have contributed such fine Helen Coolidge, Chairman. articles to the press. 33 I am deeply grateful to Mr. Edward K. started and generously donated to, during Inman* Editor of the National Tribune the 1945-46 Administration. The need and his staff for the generous space given and call for nurses was great, so the Com to the publication of the many articles mittee started this first year of scholar and photographs of our National Presi ship award by recommending these eleven dent on her trip throughout the States scholarships, but the number of scholar ships we will be able to give in succeed The interest and cooperation of the ing years, depends entirely upon the a- members of the National Publicity Com mount contributed each year to the Fund. mittee has been reflected in the splendid reports from their respective Depart We as a Committee have been very ments and I have been proud to serve happy to serve our National President, with them, and the assistance given by and to have had this small part in a the Staff at National Headquarters is most worthy project. gratefully acknowledged. Listed below are the names of the girls It has been a great pleasure to serve receiving scholarships and Departments my National President Julia A. Kull dur- recommending them. her term of office and my personal affect ion for her has made me very happy in Marie Mongin, Philadelphia, Pa. rendering this service. Department of Pennsylvania Harriet M. Warwick, Stella, Ann Gollobitz, Dubuque, Iowa. National Publicity Chairman, Fitzhugh Lee Auxiliary No. 1. Theresa A. Garguilo, Brooklyn, N. Y. CLARA BARTON SCHOLARSHIP Capt. Malcom Rafferty Aux. No. 55. Greeting's: Frances G. Salisbury, Portland, Me. Capt. M. E. Conley Auxiliary No. 5. The following report is submitted with a feeling of great satisfaction, knowing Jean D. Peterson, Salem, Oregon. that our Organization has made eleven Hal Hubbard Aux. No. 4. Dept. Or. young girls happy, in awarding them the Adele Huck, East Orange, N. J. Clara Barton Scholarship, for nurses Fitzhugh Lee, Aux No. 9, Dept. N. J. training. Georgia Ann Hunt, Oakdale, Calif. Twelve applications were reviewed, and Gen. Leonard A. Wood, Aux. No. 85. approved by your Committee, and eleven awards for the scholarship have been Elaine Harrison, Hattiesburg, Miss. made by this Administration. The twelfth Rice W. Means Auxiliary No. 13. application, which was received after the 10th of April, has been reviewed and ap Jean Johnson, Holyoke, Mass. proved, and award will be made by the Helen Fairgrieve Auxiliary No. 13. incoming Administration. All applicants furnished excellent recommendations, con Alice V. Layman, Lebanon, Mo. forming to rules on qualifications, as Old Glory Auxiliary No. 33. specified by the committee. Auxiliaries Joyce Kelly, Warren, Ohio. and Departments also cooperated with us Warren Auxiliary No. 46. when sending in applications. Respectfully submitted, Now that the Clara Barton Memorial has become a living reality, may we ask Bertha M. Finke, P. N. P. that it be kept alive by every member Chairman, contributing to its life. The fund was 34 DEPARTMENT PRESIDENTS ALABAMA untiringly to our Organization and his passing is felt greatly by his comrades. Serving this year as Department Presi Our hospital work is one of our largest dent, has been such a happy experience, projects as so many come to Arizona and so filled with Red Letter days. seeking health. Our hospital chairman has done a wonderful work. My visits to the various U. S. Hospi tals, and regular communications to our While the membership changed in the Veterans, have been an objective I fol Auxiliaries, I am happy to report that lowed through with the greatest pleasure. the Department membership stayed at the same figure of the previous year. Wre The visit of our distinguished National will try to increase it this year. President, Julia A. Kull. of Irvington, N. J. to the Department February 16 and National President Julia Kull made her 17, was recorded as a colorful one. On official visit in April. Tucson was head this occasion I was accompanied her quarters and we were very happy and through the world famed Bellingrath proud to entertain her for two days. Gardens, and for a ride on beautiful Mo She inspired us with enthusiasm for our bile Bay. work. National Chaplain Grace Alex- ender of Phoenix was also here during Another momentous affair in which I this time and helped us entertain Sister participated, was the dedication of Mag Kull. nolia Grove, the ancestral home of Rich mond Pearson Hobson, naval hero of the I attended the National Convention Spanish American War. On May 1, 1947 in Milwaukee and had the honor to nom the 112 year old mansion, located in inate National Chaplain Grace Alexander Greensboro, and dedicated to the memory of Phoenix to the office to which she of Adm, Hobson, became Alabama's third was elected. At our Department Con state shrine. • vention in May 1947 Sister Grace Alex ander was unanimously endorsed to go A grand Convention held in Montgom on up in office to National Junior Vice ery, June 1-3, climaxed a joyous year of President. service to the Organization. In closing this brief report, I wish to Myrtle Watkins, express my sincere thanks to the Nation Department President al officers for their great help in every thing I asked of them during my year. ARIZONA Fay W. Perry, Department President I respectfully submit the following re port from the Department of Arizona CALIFORNIA from May 5, 1946 to May 6, 1947. There were three General Orders and Having been installed as President of two special letters sent to my Auxiliaries. my Department May 22, 1946, I assumed I inspected all of the active auxiliaries in the duties of this office and proceeded to my Department and found true and earn carry out the duties of the office to the est workers in all of them. We responded best of my ability. liberally to the Leonard Wood Fund and the Clara Barton Memorial Fund. Most I am grateful for having had the privi of the Auxiliaries had carnation sales lege of serving our Organization in this which were very successful. capacity. Our Department was greatly saddened I inspected all % of our Auxiliaries, in April when death claimed Department and made many other visits. Commander Burk of Phoenix. He was I stressed Membership, Hospitalization, a comrade who gave time and strength Child Welfare and Publicity. 35 I visited various Hospitals and was Issued five Department Orders, three happy to have the privilege of presenting Department Letters, and four "In Mem- a check of $140.00 to each of three hos orium",two Past National Presidents and pitals for their Occupational Therapy two Past Department Presidents. work, this money being the balance of the Aide money after the $75.00 was taken Had the happy privilege of meeting out for membership prizes. and escorting our National President, Julia A. Kull to various luncheons and The Auxiliaries contributed $485.00 to receptions given in her honor while in Christmas Cheer. 1200 Veterans were the northern part of our State. We were remembered with individual gifts, aside happy to have Sister Kull with us on the from work done by the various Auxili days she gave to California, and enjoyed aries which was, money spent and value her inspiring talks and words of encour of articles given $5540.00. agement. A resolution passed at our 1947 Con I attended dinner and reception honor vention was that Department add $500 ing our Commander in Chief, Judge to the amount contributed by Auxiliaries, White and Sister White in San Fran for Christmas Cheer for 1947. cisco. Child Welfare work by Auxiliaries, Had the privilege of attending our Na money and value of articles given $13091. tional Convention in Milwaukee, meeting .62. many Presidents of other Departments. Membership, April 25, 1947, 7353; Transfers 73; Honorable Discharge 31; Thank you Sister Juliette for your Dropped 128; Deaths 134; New Members many cards and Orders. 293. Pearl Johnson, Clara Barton Fund, $428.73; Leonard Department President Wood Memorial, $507.49. Department gave $25.00, $15.00, $10.00 COLORADO as Essay contest prizes. Department gave five cash prizes I was installed Department President to Auxiliaries, for membership gain on of the J_tate of Colorado on June 6th, 1946, percentage basis, being $25.00, $20.00 at Gunnison, Colo. It gave me untold $15.00, $10.00, $5.00. pleasure to represent the Department of Colorado at the National Convention, I gave two $10.00, Auxiliaries, and two held in Milwaukee, Wise, August 4-8, $5.00 to members bringing in the most to meet the National Officers, the Depart new members during my year. Two ment Presidents of other States, and to $3.00 prizes to Auxiliary Hospitalization bring to Colorado the valuable message chairman for most outstanding work. of the Organization. To the project of Three $3.00 prizes to Auxiliary Child our National President, the Leonard Welfare chairman for their most out Wood Memorial our Department sent standing work. Two $3.00 prizes to Aux $90.20, and to the Clara Barton Fund, iliary Publicity chairman for most publi $18.25. All 19 Auxiliaries were inspect city articles, (in inches) sent in to De ed and found to be doing good work. partment Publicity Chairman. Depart Some of the Auxiliaries are small, but ment gave three 3.00 prizes to Auxilia respond to all calls made on them. At ries for most publicity (in inches) in the request of the National President, publicity book. I wired all Congressmen and Senators, asking that they vote for Bill H. R. 969, Money expended by Auxiliary Chap and each responded, saying they would lains, $1768.00 vote for same. Again I wired them on Held five schools of Instructions. H. R. 969 and had their promise of a favorable vote. I kept in touch with Presented eleven National Certificates each Department member, and thank of Merit. them all for their loyalty. Was happy to have the privilege of presenting a Scholarship for Nurses train Callie Llewellyn, ing from National, to a very capable Department President student, Miss Georgia Ann Hunt. 36 enrolled. $35 in prizes were awarded to CONNECTICUT Auxiliaries gaining most members and also for greatest net gain. We have six It is my pleasure at this time to ren Auxiliaries with 819 members. der a report of my year's work. We held 3 council meetings and 8 de I was elected at the 37th Annual Con partment meetings at one of which about vention at Bridgeport, Connecticut on 100 members of the Dep't. of Maryland June 7, 1946, and was installed by Past were entertained. There were 3 General National President Mary McGauley. Orders and 10 Department President's letters issued. Memorial services were Connecticut has twenty-three auxilia held on February 16th for all men lost ries, which I personally inspected. I in on the U S S Maine and on May 25th stalled the officers of fourteen auxiliaries. for all men lost at sea in the service of Held three council meetings, and issued our country. Joint memorial services three General Orders, and two Presidents were held with our Comrades on May 30 letters. at the Spanish War Monument in Arling ton and at our Department. Convention I attended the National Convention at on June 13th. Three prizes totalling $10 Milwaukee, the Department Presidents were awarded to Department Essay Con Conference and the Patriotic Woman's test winners, 13 essays being submitted. Conference in Washington, D. C. There were 30,000 carnations made to place on graves of veterans in this area Extended the greetings of the Depart on Memorial Day. ment to several encampments of Allied Patriotic Organizations. Scrap books were made for hospital children's wards and $25 was given to On September 29th was present at the the Infantile Paralysis Foundation. We presentation of a Hiker Plaque to the contributed $172 to the Leonard Wood Newington Veteran's Hospital by Past Memorial Fund and $29.60 to the Clara Dep't. President, Elizabeth Holland. Barton Fund. Official visits were made Visited Veterans and State Hospitals to all Auxiliaries in the Department, the and Rocky Hill Home. Helped to give Daughters of '98, and the Sons of Span packages of cheer to all veterans. ish American War Veterans. BeulahM.Cope During the year outstanding work has Department President been done by our Hospital chairman Lillian Curtis and her committee. FLORIDA To the Officers and members, I wish to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the loyal support and I was elected unanimously and installed many courtesies shown me during the as Department President by Past De year. To my successor, I pledge my partment President Alice Watson at St. help and cooperation and wish for her Cloud, Florida, May 9, 1946. and her staff a most successful admini I attended the Department President's stration. Council and the Woman's Patriotic Con Almo McElroy, ference in Washington D. C. Department President All Auxiliaries were inspected. Four General Orders, three circular letters DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA and one special letter were issued, and all of the Veteran's Hospitals were visited. I hereby submit my report for the year 1946-47. This year we stressed hospital We had the honor of entertaining our work and increased membership. At National President; Julia A. Kull at St. least one visit was made each month to Petersburg, Miami and Jacksonville. Soldier's Home Hospital, taking maga zines, books, puzzles, etc. and each Aux I attended the National Convention in iliary was assigned a hospital to visit at Milwaukee, Wisconsin.* When our Pen Christmas. A one per cent net gain was sion Bill H. R. 6900 passed the House, made in membership, 56 members being telegrams were sent to Senators Pepper 37 and Andrews of Florida at the request of my knowledge and understanding. of Nora V. Eveleth, National President, urging their support. I want to express to you my sincere thanks and deep appreciation for the I installed the officers of my own Auxil privilege of having been given the oppor iary, General Leonard Wood, No. 8, and tunity of serving this splendid Organi encouraged the support of our major zation and the Comrades of the U. S. projects this year, The General Leonard W. V. Wood Leprosy Fund for the research of leprosy and the Clara Barton Living Past Department President, Maude B. Memorial Fund to educate nurses. Dygart's General Orders No. 2 and my General Order No. 1 were combined and At the Department President's Con sent out in Sept. 1946. ference, I presented our National Presi One Council Meeting was held June 15. dent with an Honorary Membership I have sent out three Dep't Presidents Card in the "Mocking-Birds Club", as I Letters and with the help of my secre have named my Auxiliary Presidents of tary have mailed 150 letters and cards.. 1946. On July 29th, 1946, I attended a joint We have made a gain in our Depart picnic of Camp No. 2 and Brayton S. ment this year and have lost by death Bennet Camp and Aux. No. 9 at Sand- forty-five members. point, Idaho. Anna Gust-Olde, On July 31st in company with my Department President Treasurer,, C. Dorothy Merriam and Comrade Carl Gustafson started for Mil GEORGIA waukee, Wis. to attend National Con vention. Issued four General Orders; nine- During the month of August, official monthly letters; several special letters; visits were made to nine Auxiliaries. I written 1211 letters and postals; sent want to thank all nine auxiliaries for Christmas, Easter, Birth, Birthday, Get the many beautiful gifts presented to me, Well and Sympathy cards; visited five which shall always be prized very highly. hospitals; traveled 6640 miles; enter In January I had the pleasure of in tained National President; secured pro stalling the Officers of Major John J. per housing for War Relics; accepted O'Brien, Aux. No. 8. the donations of two new Flag Standards On March 19th shared in the honor and a Bible for Department; held three and pleasure of entertaining the National Council of Administration Meetings; ex Commander in Chief John White and changed many Letters and General Or Wife at a luncheon in Elizabeth Ann Tea ders with other Department Presidents; Room in Coeur d'Alene. That evening contributed to Clara Barton, Leonard went to Spokane to attend the banquet Wood and Scholarship Funds; presented given in Nat'l. Commander White's hon Hiker's Plaque to Comrades at Depart or by Gen. Chas. A. Kings Camp, and ment Convention; joined Womans Relief Auxiliary. Corps, American Legion Auxiliary, Vet erans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, U. D. C. I have exchanged General Orders and D. A. R., and held programs and Services Dept. President's letters with many States on all Patriotic Days, Memorial Days, and have found them most helpful. and in special Drives for cancer, polio, To the Auxiliaries of the Department, T B. and special community work and I wish to thank you for your fine cooper research. ation during my year as your Depart ment President. Kate E. Green, To the Department Commander and Department President Comrades for their kindnesses extended IDAHO to me—Thank you. On June 24th of last year, I was hon To my Secretary, Nora Furlow and my ored with the highest office the Depart Treasurer, Dorothy Merriam a sincere ment has to give. I have keenly felt thank you. the responsibility of this office and have Lillie B. DuFault, tried to discharge its duties to the best Department President 38 ILLINOIS ican study but has also given many fine talks on the Leonard Wood Memorial Foundation. I hereby submit a report of my activi ties and of the work accomplished during Three General Orders, two Circular the year. letters, one Chairman's bulletin, two spec ial orders, one in Memoriam, one Depart Fully appreciative of the honor con ment Aide letter, one Child Welfare let ferred, I have endeavored at all times to ter, one Essay letter, three letters of en impartially guide and direct the affairs dorsement and 225 rosters wer sent out of the Department. I have tried to serve from Headquarters, besides 400 personal to the best of my ability. It has been a letters. service gladly rendered and a privilege I shall always cherish. Was privileged to be present at the Installed the officers of several Auxili Department Presidents Conference and aries and attended many other installa the Woman's Patriotic Conference for tions at which I was the guest of honor. National Defense. I was very happy to accept the invita tion of Theodore Roosevelt Fort No. 4 Had the honor of entertaining our Na and General Fred Funston Fort No. 41, tional Prseident Julia A. Kull in March Daughters of '98 to be their honored and our National Commander in Chief guest at the Installation of their officers. John White in May. Thirty auxiliaries were personally in Sadness has come to the Department spected by the Department President. this past year in the death of Past De The inspections of the other fourty-four partment President Margaret H. Henry. auxiliaries were made by Past Depart Sister Henry was a loyal and faithful ment Presidents and Department Officers worker and her passing is a great loss in the localities of the Auxiliaries. to the Department. Attended nine District meetings, four I wish to express deep appreciation Council meetings, made numerous visits to the staff at National Headquarters for to the Veterans Hospitals and the Widows their kindness and fine cooperation. Homes at Wilmington and Maywood. The Veterans and Widows were remem Mary E. Wyman, bered with gifts at various times through Department President out the year. The following awards have been made, INDIANA two $50.00 scholarships to students at the State University. Essay prizes totall ing $70.00 and the Membership prizes In June, 1946, was elected President totalling $52.50. The Department con and after being installed by P. N. P. Marie tributed $300.00 to the Leonard Wood W. Williams, my first official act was to Memorial Foundation. take the greetings of the Department to the Department Convention of the Vet The Educational and Child Welfare erans of Foreign Wars Convention, and Committee has enlarged the scope of its tothe National Convention of the G. A. R. work. As a special project this year a and affiliated Women's Organizations. combination radio and record player with seven albums of records was given to I attended the National Convention in the State School for the Blind at Jack Milwaukee in August and the Depart sonville. ment Presidents Conference and Defense Conference in Washington, D. C. in Jan Was privileged "to present the beautiful uary. trophy in the name of the Department to the Lake View High School Platoon, I accompanied the Hospitalizati o n petition. Much publicity was given our Chairman on her visits to the Hospitals winners of the R. O. T. C. Platton com- at Christmas time. organizaiton on this occasion. Was joined by National Senior Vice The Pan American Study Chairman has President, Pansy Denunzio, when I made worked untiringly this year. She not my inspections in the southern part of only stressed the necessity of Pan-Amer the State. 39 I attended the graduation exercises at What Ways Did The Spanish American Knightstown Soldiers and Sailors Chil War Help To Improve The Army and drens Home. Was also entertained over Navy Of Today?" the 'week-end of April 19-20, along with other Auxiliary and Camp Department I gave Muster Day obligation to three Officers, as the guest of Colonel and Mrs. auxiliaries and also installed the officers Ray L. Robinson, Commandant of the of several auxiliaries, and am serving State Soldiers Home. as treasurer of my auxiliary. I joined with Soldiers Home Hospital We were sorry to suspend Centerville, Chairman in giving a May Day Party for Iowa, and call in their charter. Spanish War Women at the Home. I had the privilege of presenting the I visited the Daughters of '98; person Clara Barton Scholarship Fund Award ally inspected 55 Auxiliaries; issued 4 to Stella Ann Gollobitz of Dubuque. General Orders; held 3 council meetings; attended meetings of all 5 Districts; in I attended all services for our departed stalling officers in all of them; installed comrades, and attended memorial ser officers in 7 Auxiliaries, and took part vices at the church Sunday preceding in two Radio Broadcasts. Memorial Day Services, also Memorial Day Services. The Department was very happy and proud to have our National President The high light of this year was the and our National Senior Vice President official visit of our National President, as guests at our Convention in June. Julia A. Kull. Her message inspired each one of us to greater efforts, not Merle Hunter, only in our organization, but for all Department President, mankind. I have answered all personal letters IOWA performed all duties that the office of Department President required. I deem it a privilege to have served I appreciate the cooperation and cour as Department President this year and tesies that have been shown me during I thank my department for this honor. my term of office and, as I retire, will be just as loyal in the ranks as I have I have issued four General Orders and been in the past. two circular letters. I attended the Na tional Convention, held in Milwaukee, Clara Hollnagel, Wisconsin, the 52nd Iowa Picnic, held in Department President Webster City, Iowa and I also attended the Department President's Conference and National Defense Council in Wash LOUISIANA ington, D. C. I inspected twenty auxiliaries of the It has been an honor and a privilege twenty-four. Some of these auxiliaries to serve as Department President of meet only two or three times a year, Louisiana for 1946-1947. therefore one of their past officers in spected them and sent the inspection During my term of office, it was my report to the Department. pleasure to officiate as installing officer for three auxiliaries. My official visits I visited the Veterans Hospital in Des over the state were most pleasant. I Moines and talked with several of our found each auxiliary functioning accord Comrades there. Our Comrades and Wi ing to rules and regulations, and working dows in hospitals and Soldiers Home for the good of our wonderful organi were remembered at Christmas and zation—a wonderful fraternal spirit pre Easter. vailed. This year two pupils from Britt, Iowa, I was invited to make radio talks in won the Essay contest—first prize fifteen Monroe and Baton Rouge, Lousiana. My dollars and second prize ten dollars, subject was "Some Facts About the Span with the consent of the finance commit ish War Veteran and The War with tee. The subject this year was/ "In Spain". 40 I have forwarded to the different auxi taken to the Columbia Hotel. In the liaries all orders and information received afternoon we had a round table discusiiscus- from National Headquarters promptly. sion which was very interesting annd in- structive and a banquet held in the Louisiana Department made generous evening. The following day we visited contributions to Leonard Wood Memor the Veterans Hospital at Togus. ial and Clara Barton Scholarship funds. During the year I visited the Veterans Duringmy term of office I sent out Hospital at Togus five times, also the three general orders, four circular let Marine Hospital on one occasion. ters, and one special order. I sent out two General Orders and We were most happy and honored to one circular letter, and called two Coun have National President Julia A. Kull cil meetings. The Cheer Committee visit our Department. She was enter sent out many gifts for the Veterans at tained in New Orleans informally, her Christmas. official visit was in Lake Charles, La., where she was honored with an after Attended Memorial Services on Maine noon tea and banquet with officers and Day for those who lost their lives in the members from all over the State attend sinking of the Battleship Maine, also ing. attended Memorial Services and exer cises at the Soldiers Monument and also It was my pleasure to attend the Na church services. tional Convention in Milwaukee, and De partment President Conference in Wash- Ou June 6th and 7th, 1947, was a igton. guest of the Department of Connecticut and was very cordially received and hon My year as Department President shall ored by being placed at the head table, ever remain a pleasant memory. I pledge being the only visiting Department Pres my loyal support to my successor and her ident from the New England States. staff, and wish for them a most pleasant and happy year. Presented a Clara Barton Scholarship of $250.00 award. Donated $85.00 toward In closing, I wish to thank our very the Leonard Wood Memorial Fund. efficient National Secretary, Louise W. Williams, and National Treasurer, Hen I appreciate the cooperation of my offi rietta Lynott, for their prompt and cour cers and members and extend best wishes teous service at all times I wish also to to my successor. thank my Department Secretary and De partment Treasurer for their wonderful It has been an honor and pleasure to service with a smile. serve my Department as President. I have tried to fulfill my duties to the best It has been my earnest desire to per of my ability. form the duties of my office to the best of my ability at all times. My sincere thanks to my Secretary and Treasurer. Carrie Walsh, Department President In conclusion, I give my full support to the incoming President and her staff. MAINE Also to new Commander and staff. Maud B. Libby, I have made ten official visits and in Department President stalled the officers of four Auxiliaries. MARYLAND As our Auxiliaries are widely distri buted over this large State and Ihad to depend almost wholly on train or bus for I was duly elected, and installed De transportation, it was quite a task to partment President for 1946-47 by my visit them. sister, Mrs Emma L. Ernst, Past De partment President. I think it was a On November 2, the Department en great honor. tertained our National Auxiliary Presi dent, Julia A. Kull. On her arrival she Attended the National Convention at was met at station by the committee and Milwaukee. Held eleven department 41 > meetings, installed two Auxiliary Pres During the year we lost 83 members idents. Inspected each Auxiliary twice by death. One of them was Past Na during the year. tional President Anna Nagle who will be greatly missed by this Organization. Attended the Department President's Conference at Washington, D. C. Visited I attended all sessions of the National sick Comrades at Hospitals as often as Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I could. Attended the Department President's Conference in Washington, and the Na We entertained the National Presi tional Defense Conference. dent in May. It was a real pleasure to have her. It has been a great pleasure The Department entertained our Na to serve as Department President and I tional President in October. I assisted wish to thank each one who made it the Comrades to entertain our Comman possible for me to do so. der in Chief and Mrs. White. Attended a dinner to our own Department Com Many thanks to our National President mander George Wood. Brought Greet for her kinds words to me while here on ings and attended many Anniversary her visit. It sure made me feel good. Banquets, Testimonials and Installations God Bless each one of you as the years not only of our Organization but our go by. Allied Organizations. At a dinner given Betty Miller, to me by my own Auxiliary I was present Department President ed with a bill fold with a hundred dollar in it from them. MASSACHUSETTS May I thank you one and all who helped make this year the success I In Worcester, on June 16, 1946, I was feel it has been. Our National Officers elected and installed Department Presi have never failed me when I needed help. dent. I have tried to the best of my ability My Department Officers, you have been to serve you well and advance the wonderful too. To each and every mem interest of the Organization. ber, "Thanks a Million". I issued two General Orders and six Alice R. McBournie, monthly letters. Held three Council Department President Meetings, and Advisory Board Meeting and nine open Department Meetings. In MICHIGAN stalled three Auxiliaries. Inspected 56 Auxiliaries. Disbanded one as they felt that they coud not carry on any longer. I wish to submit a brief report of my The rest of the Auxiliaries I found year's activities. doing very well. I was elected at the 32nd annual Con The Annual Fair was held and $639.32 vention held in Grand Rapids in June was realized. Councilors and Aides 1946, and installed by Past Department raised $116.50 for the General Fund. President Louise Jacobsen. $41.00 was raised for the Clara Barton Fund. $160.25 was raised for the Gen During my term I visited the 46 Auxi- eral Leonard Wood Memorial Fund. liaires in the State and found them putting forth great effort to cooperate Massachusetts was awarded a Clara with the Department and National, and Barton Scholarship. are holding social meetings with the Com Members contacted their Congressmen rades, thereby creating good will. in reference to Bill 969. I installed the Officers of several 85 Essays were entered in a contest, Auxiliaries, and attended the installations three prizes were awarded by the De and social functions of a great many partment. The Chairman of the Member Auxiliaries and Camps. I visited the ship Committee presented a member $5.00 Veterans Facilities, and had the pleasure as a prize for bringing in the most mem of presenting bed side radios and card bers. Child Welfare and the Hospital tables to the patients at Dearborn Veter Committees did outstanding work this ans hospital. Our Department has spent year. over five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) on 42 \ hospital work, and contributed two hun MISSOURI dred and sixty dollars ($261.00) to the General Leonard Wood Fund for Lepro Was installed as Dep't. President, by sy Research. P. N. P. Bertha Finke on June 12, 1946. Held three council meetings, issued two Our Convention was held in Kalmozoo General Orders and three General Circu on June 15, 16, and 17th. lar letters. Made personal inspection of all of the thirty-three Auxiliaries in the In closing, I wish to thank the Na state, and consolidated two Auxiliaries. tional Officers for their cooperation, and Attended District meetings and four my own officers for their consideration. State District meetings, visited Veterans Hospital at Jefferson Barracks three Lila M. Lacy, times. Made two visits to Soldiers Home Department President at St. James, Mo. Presented six hospital tables to the Hospital at the Home and MINNESOTA a number of chair pillows donated by Auxiliaries. Installed the 1947 officers of fourteen Auxiliaries, also Barthelmas During my year as Department Presi Fort No. 5, Daughters of '98 and the dent, I have issued 3 General Orders, 4 Community Council of St. Louis. At Special Orders, 2 Presidents Letters, and tended the Department President's Coun One Special Order. Three Council meet cil at Washington, D. C. and was a dele ings were held. gate to Women's Patriotic Conference at Washington, D. C. Also visited the Have inspected all 18 Auxiliaries in the Department of Massachusetts, attending Department. the Department meeting in January, 1947. Presided at Installation, and conducted Placed a wreath on Memorial Staff in Muster Services. St. Louis and participated in Parade on Armistice Day. Had a committee make Was in attendance when bronze Mem new Department By-Laws. orial plaques were presented to the cities Entertained our National President, Faribault and Red Wing. Belated pre Julia Kull, at St. Louis during her offcial sentation were necessary, due to the war visit to our Department, also met her in when bronze was not available. Kansas City upon the occasion of her meeting with the Committee making ar National President Julia A. Kull made rangements for National Convention. her official visit to our city in March, Helped with two sets of New By-Laws and in April Past National President for Auxiliaries. Have established a bud Violet King was a guest at our Annual get system for the Department. Pre Reunion. We were happy and honored sented one check of $250.00 to an appli to have these Sisters as guests of our cant for nurses scholarship at Lebanon, Department. Missouri. Our Department has made nice contributions to both Clara Barton and All Patriotic Days were observed, and Leonard Wood Funds. Have also visited Christmas Cheer was carried to our Sol many Auxiliaries unofficially, and also diers Home, and to the Vetterans Hos have been entertained so graciously on pital. Cheer cards and letters were sent a number of occasions by the Daughters of '98. to our Comrades and Sisters. Wish to thank all Department officers Substantial gifts of money were given and Committee chairmen who so willingly to the Childrens Hospital and the Crip assisted me. To all Auxiliary Presidents pled Childrens Hospital, and other worthy and members who made it possible to have such a beautiful year and so har monious and constructive a convention. I have enjoyed my year as President. Also wish to thank Sister Kull and all All credit for my success, or anything National Officers for their many courte outstanding, that has been done, is due sies and assistance which they have ^ so to my officers, who were ever ready and graciously extended. It has been a privi willing to assist. lege and a pleasure to serve. Thank you all. Marion G. Dockeray, Olive S. Durham, Department President Department President 43 MONTANA Conference in Washington, D. C. in January. During my term of office I issued two General Orders and four Circular letters. I held my Convention in Omaha, Ne Inspected thirteen Auxiliaries, found my braska, May 3, 4, and 5, 1947. We had inspections most gratifying, all Auxili the pleasure of having our beloved Julia aries doing a splendid work. Child Wel A. Kull, National President, with us and fare, Soldiers Home, Hospital, Member my thanks to her for her great help to me. ship, Clara Barton Memorial and our National President's Project the Leonard The limited amount of words will not Wood Memorial, the outstanding work. permit me to make a further report on activities. I attended the National Convention in In conclusion, I have tried to perform Milwaukee, also Department President's the duties that have been bestowed upon Conference, and Women's National Pa me to the best of my ability. triotic Defense Conference in Washing ton, D. C. I wish to thank my staff of officers, the wonderful cooperation from the Na Entertained our National President, tional, Department and Auxiliary officers, Julia A. Kull, with luncheon at noon and and especially to my Secretary and Treas banquet in the evening, arranged for a urer for their great help to me. broadcast over KGHL. My year as Department President has Entertained our own Montana National been one of great happiness and pleasure, Conductor Anna Nugent with a No-host and I will cherish the memories forever. dinner. Belle Murdock, Department President Emma M. Brown, Department President NEVADA It has been an honor and a pleasure NEBRASKA to serve as your Department President this year of 1946-47. I was installed as Depatment Presi dent by Sister Anna Crawford, Past De I wish to thank my Department offi partment President, at the 26th Annual cers and members for their fine cooper Convention held in Kearney, Nebraska, ation. Since being installed a year ago, May 5, 6, and 7th, 1946. I have tried to follow the principles of our motto. I wish to thank the Department offi cers and members of the Auxiliary for Visited all Auxiliaries, found them all their fine cooperation during my term of willing to help and work for the good of office. the organization. And to those who are so situated that their dues are their only I inspected all the Auxiliaries in my activity, they are helping the Department. Department, and stressed meeting reg You help to strengthen the organization. ular and to keep up their membership, Wish to thank every auxiliary for its for without members we can do nothing. contribution. Our finances are low to start with so it is a struggle for the De I held three Councils of Administration partment President. issued four general orders and wrote many letters and cards to Department and Auxiliary members I exchanged I held two Council meetings, sent out four General Orders and two Department General Orders with a great many and letters. Sent out all communications re received great good from them. ceived from National Headquarters. Sent I installed five Auxiliaries, including 3 telegrams in regard to legislative pro my own, visited the Veterans Hospital grams, helped with carnation sale. Can in Lincoln, Nebraska, and visited with report increase in membership. fourteen United Spanish War Veterans, which was greatly appreciated by them. Through the generous help of my Fal lon Auxiliary I was permitted to attend I attended the National Convention in the National Convention in Milwaukee. Milwaukee, also the Department Presi I derived a great deal of help and experi dents Conference and Patriotic Woman's ence for my year's work. 44 Am sorry to report death of one sister War, American Legion, American War during my term of office. Our sympathy Mothers, Disabled American War Vet is extended to her family. erans and Jewish War Veterans at their respective Auxiliary Department Con We draped our Charter for two Past ventions. National Presidents, Sister Anna Nagle and Cora A. Thompson. Attended all sessions of the National Convention held in Milwaukee, Wiscon I had the privilege of installing two sin. This has been an outstanding year Auxiliaries. Sent greetings to the Auxil inasmuch as our Department was highly iary of Veterans of Foreign Wars Depart honored by having one of our members, ment Convention. Was guest at dinner Julia A. Kull elected and installed as given in honor of Department President National President. A reception and of American Legion Auxiliary, in honor dinner was held in her honor at Milwau of Department President of Auxiliary kee. Veterans of Foreign Wars. I visited hospitals, sent cards to our sisters and Outstanding work has been accom comrades who were ill. plished b}' the Hospitalization, Child Wel fare and Ways and Means Committees. The visit of our National President was The Ways and Means Committees of greatly appreciated, her message was in North and South Jersey raised funds to spiring and helpful. The Department make possible a gift of a Microphone to has made contributions to the Clara be placed in National Headquarters in Barton Fund also to our National Pro honor of our National President. Under ject, the Leonard Wood Memorial Foun the work of Hospitalization, a ceiling dation. projector was placed in Tilton General Hospital, Fort Dix. Thanks to each Auxiliary for the lovely I attended the Maine Memorial ser gifts, corsages and their courteous enter vices at Camden and Newark. Together tainment in their homes during my visits. with our National President and Depart Andmy deep gratitude to my secretary ment Sr. Vice President, I visited Lyons and treasurer for their untiring and pa Hospital at Millington, Menlo Park Sol tient support in the service. And thanks diers Home and the New Jersey Memor to all my Committees and Chairmen. ial Home at Vineland. Have exchanged General Orders with Was a guest at dinner given by Frank all other Departments and to the Julia- lin Auxiliary, Presidents and Past Presi- ettes, thanks for the lovely cards at idents Club, Camden, Admiral George Christmas time and for my birthday. Dewey Camp and Auxiliary, John J. Our Auxiliaries are doing good hospital Brereton Camp's 48th Anniversary and work and giving to other worthy causes. Past Department Presidents Club. I There are not many of us, but lets live up aiso attended the Convention of the De to our Fraternity, Patriotism and Hu partment of Pennsylvania and several manity. other functions of that Department. Was Muster officer for Wildwood Aux I thank you for your support. iliary, Ft Mercer Auxiliary and the Wil Fianna Beeghly, liam McKinley Fort No. 30, Daughters Department President of '98. The Department entertained the Na NEW JERSEY tional President, Julia A. Kull. on her oiiicial visit to New Jersey. A luncheon in her honor was held on May 10 at the It has been and honor and a privilege Hotel Walt Whitman, Camden. On May to serve as Department President during 11, the National President was escorted the past year. to The New Jersey Memorial Home, Vineland. At this time, two radios we're During my term of office, I issued twTo presented to the Home by Hospitalization General Orders, four Department letters, Chairman, Marie Cruise. two special letters and Department Ros ter for 1946-1947. Four Council meet The National Auxiliary presented a ings were held and were very well at Clara Barton Scholarship Award of $250 tended. Greetings from our Department to Miss Adele Huck, East Orange, were extended to Veterans of Foreign Presentation made by the National Presi- 45 dent. In behalf of Franklin Auxiliary Attended National Convention held in No. 3, Catherine Gordon presented to Na Milwaukee, Wis. The Department Pres tional Headquarteds a beautiful large silk idents Conference, and Women's National American Flag, in honor of National Defense Conference in Washington, D. C. President Kull, who is a member of that Auxiliary. On May 21st, the Auxiliaries in Metro politan District received our National The Department of New Jersey do President, Julia A. Kull. After dinner nated $100.00 to the Leonard Wood Mem a reception was held in Council Chambers, orial Foundation Fund and donations to City Hall, May 23rd. She was a guest Auxiliaries and Camps sent to Depart of Lieutenant Joe R. Hanley at Luncheon, ment Treasurer was more than $700.00 then a tour through the State Capitol and Other donations sent direct to National after a sightseeing trip around Albany Headquarters are not included in this a Dinner and Reception was held in her report. honor at the Ten Eyck Hotel. On ail occasions she wras royally received and There has been splendid cooperation gave most interesting talks. from officers and members the past year and I wish to express my deep appreci Was proud to present 3rd Essay prize ation to all officers and members and offered by the National Auxiliary to a Committee Chairmen and to National student in grade school at Amsterdam, Headquarters for their fine cooperation N. Y. The Department of N. Y. also at all times. offered three Essay prizes, $15, $10, and $5.00. Florence F. S. Bauer, Department President Presented Silver Jubilee Citations to 10 Auxiliaries for 25 years of faithful NEW YORK service. Organized the Capitol District Council, I have fulfilled my mission to the best installing their Officers. of my ability, the work accomplished was fully supported by the members of Placed wreaths on Armistice Day, Nov. the Department and I received the whole 11th, Maine Day, Feb. 15th, Navy Day hearted cooperation of Department Com Oct. 27th and floral tribute on the grave mander Joseph Beaumont, Daughters of of our Past Commander inChief, Alfred '98 and Sons of Spanish War Veterans. J. Kennedy. Have issued three General Orders, two To the National President, Secretary Circular letters, and three Memorials on and Treasurer, my thanks for courtesies the death of the two Past National Presi extended to me through the year. dents Anna Nagle, Cora Thompson and Past Department President Jeannette Edith M. Gaffney, Lakestream. Held two Councils Meet Department President ings third to be held in Saratoga Springs before Convention. NORTH CAROLINA Personally visited all Auxiliaries in the Department, 74 having been inspected I respectfully submit the following re by December 1946. All Auxiliaries do port of my year's work for the Depart ing out standing work, visiting sick, ment of North Carolina. arranging parties at various hospitals, distributing gifts, smokes and magazines I attended all sessions of National Con to all veterans. I have accompanied the vention held in Milwaukee, Wis. and was Committee on many of these visits. accorded many outstanding honors. My tour through Oxford Home was I had the pleasure and honor of second most interesting. All members seem ing the nomination of Grace M. Alexander happy and comfortable. Each member for National Chaplain. I presented a having been adopted by some Auxiliary, large basket of roses in behalf of our therefore many cards and gifts are re North Carolina delegation to our Com ceived by them. mander in Chief Leavitt, from our city. 46 Wired pink carnations for sea cere Hospitalization work is carried on to monies to Senior Navy Chaplain in Wil the Comrades and Sisters in the follow mington for Navy Day. I attended these ing Institutions : Veterans Hospital at ceremonies held that day in our city. Fargo; the State Soldiers Home at Lis I bon; the Institution for the Insane at St. I have attended and presented greetings bon; the Institution for the Insane at to Veterans of Foreign Wars and Gold Jamestown, the Hospital for nsane at St. Star Mothers at their installation meet Cloud, Minnesota, a Nursing Home here ings. I have installed officers in two of my in Minot. Auxiliaries. Clothing and food have been sent to I made six official visits to six differ the foreign countries through C. A. R. E. ent auxiliaries. Receptions and lunch eons, which I greatly appreciated were Our Department is small but we have held in my honor. I was presented been busy in the Department. Contri many lovely gifts on these occasions. butions were given to the Leonard Wood Our Department Commander, A. B. Memorial Fund, the Clara Barton Fund, Frost, shared these honors with me. the Red Cross, and Community Chest drives. One district fellowship meeting was held at Shelby, Oct. 20th, over which 1 Made official visits to all auxiliaries in presided officially. Around 150 comrades my Department and held inspections. and sisters attended. I have presided over two Council of Administration meet 17,000 carnations were sold. Sent out ings. Child Welfare was the out stand three General Orders. ing project of my year. I have issued Wrote to the Senators and Represent two General Orders and one Circular atives of North Dakota urging them to letter, stressing cooperation on all Na support H. R. 351b. All members were tional projects. I have answered numer ask to write to their Congressmen. ous correspondence; attended Depart ment Presidents Conference and Women's . Due to the illness and death of my Patriotic Defense Conference. husband June 1st, could not preside at the Encampment held in Grand Forks One of the high lights of my year was June 1st and 2nd. The Senior Vice helping entertain our gracious National President Macconnel) presided. President, Julia A. Kull, in our city, on her official visit to our Department. Her Katherine McCleary, round table discussion and radio broad Department President cast were inspirational on the work of our beloved Organization. I presided over the eighteenth Annual Department OKLAHOMA Convention held in the city of High Point. Many distinguished guests hon ored us with their presence on this I was elected and installed Department occasion. Comrades and Sisters alike President, June 11, 1946. On June 25th gave every evidence of a happy and suc I was honored with a tea by my own cessful convention, love and harmony Auxiliary. I represented our Department prevailing. at the National Convention in Milwaukee and attended all sessions and social Love T. Hughes, affairs. I nominated Oklahoma's candi Department President date for National Office, and she was elected. NORTH DAKOTA In January, I attended the Depart ment President's Conference in Wash My report of my year of Department ington and was a delegate to the Wo President's work is as follows. men's Patriotic Conference I was installed Department President I have visited all twenty auxiliaries in of North Dakota by National President the Department, installed officers at three Nora V. Eveleth at Minot at the close of and found each one doing splendid work. the 1946 convention held in June. I thank all auxiliaries for their gracious reception of me and their splendid co Our membership is 147 members operation and loyalty. 47 I issued four General Orders, one Spec PENNSYLVANIA ial Order, two general letters, two special letters, and one special notice, and have One year ago, I was elected by the written hundreds of letters to officers Convention assembled at ,Gettysburg, and members and have sent many cards Penna. (June, 1946) to the office of De to sick Sisters and Comrades. partment President. For this honor, I I supervised the sale of carnations in have been very grateful, and have endeav the Department and from the proceeds ored to fulfill the obligations of my office. made a donation from the Department I deeply appreciate the confidence of my to the Leonard Wood Memorial Fund, Sisters and their cooperation during my and also presented gifts to Will Rogers administration. Memorial Veterans' Hospital, at Okla homa City, to Veterans' Hospital at I have issued two General Orders, Sulphur, and to Veterans Hospital at three Circular Letters, and have carried Muskogee, visiting each hospital in per out the orders of our National President son to present the gifts. Sister Julia Kull. I attended several special patriotic meet The Clara Barton Scholarship Award ings of auxiliaries, and have made visits of $250.00, contributed by the Department in company with Department Comman of Pennsylvania, was presented to Miss der G. M. Brooks to Camps and Auxili Marion Mongin, and she is now in train aries, and have joined with other organi ing at the Philadelphia General Hospital. zations in observance of patriotic events. Our Department contributed over $400 Our Department shows a gain of one to our National President's project, the member. Seven sisters have been lost Leonard Wood Memorial. by death in the Department. Hospitalization has been ably carried - A total of $325.00 was sent to the Na on by both our Eastern and Western tional Organization on the Leonard Wood Chairmen. Memorial Fund. Two Auxiliaries sent $51.00 direct to the Foundation. Auxili We have seventy-eight Auxiliaries in aries have reported a total of $808.00 good standing, each working for the fur spent on hospital work, besides giving therance of our Organization and carry many gifts, afghans and bingo parties to ing out the orders of our National Presi veterans in the hospitals. dent and Department President. As requested by the National Commit tee on Legislation, I sent telegrams to Again, I am grateful for the opportun Senators on behalf of pension legislation. ity of rendering service, as Department President of Pennsylvania, to our Organ National President Julia A. Kull was ization, and to my successor I extend my entertained by our Department April 28-30 best wishes for a most successful year. 1947. Her visit was an inspiration and we were most happy to have her. Florence H. Cranage, Our Department held a most success Department President ful Convention at Muskogee, May 4-6th. I thank my Department for the honor POTOMAC conferred upon me in electing me to this office. This has been a happy year, and I leave office with many cherished I have the honor to submit my report memories. I have enjoyed the general as Department President for 1946-1947. orders and letters received from the Juli Attended National Convention held in ette Sisters. My appreciation to my Milwaukee, Wisconsin, August 3-8, 1946. Staff of Officers for their hard work and This occasion was a memorable one, un loyalty. I thank the National President usual Memorial Service was sacred and and fier Staff for their many kindnesses. heart touching, scene. It has been a pleasure to serve with them. To my successor I pledge my support I held four Council meetings, issued and best wishes for a happy and success three General Orders, three President ful year. letters,, two Special letters and a great Evalina Lawrence, deal of individual correspondence re Department President, quired by the Auxiliary 48 1 Attended Department President's Con to my successor. ference in Jan. 1946 where I had the pleasure of meeting many of the National Hattie M. Cotten, Officers and Department Presidents from Department President, other States and bi ought back to my Department valuable information regard RHODE ISLAND ing the projects and objectives sponsored by the National. I was elected Department President of Rhode Island, June 22, 1946. Aug. 28, 1946, presented two certificates of merit from National President, Nora Attended the forty-third National Con V. Eveleth to Past Dept. President Ruth vention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. E. Cole of Virginia Berry Aux. No 6, honoring her loyalty in upbuilding the Inspected and Installed all Auxiliaries Organization in membership gain,, also except one. a National President's Citation to Pearl Smith of Perry Dobson Aux. No. 25 for Entertained our National President, new members gained. Julia A. Kull from October twenty-first to the twenty-third. She met our Gov Sent out letters to create interest in ernor, our Mayor visted our Soldiers' Leonard Wood Memorial Fund. All Home in Bristol and spoke over Station Auxiliaries have been inspected except WJAR, National Broadcasting System. two. Have exchanged General Orders Her visit proved to be very educational with most of the Dept. Presidents with and inspiring and helped us a lot. great profit and enjoyment. In December, National Commander, John White and his wife visited us, and Instrumentol in forming USS Maine I had the honor of serving on the com Fort No. 51, Daughters of '98 with 20 mittee. members enrolled. Entertained Depart ment President Mae Thacker of Provi Attended the Department President's dence, R. I. presenting the Daughters of Conference in Washington in January. '98 at that time. Extended greetings on forty-five occas ions, including Massachusetts, New York Through National Headquarters as De and Virginia. partment Project, assisted Elk Park Col ored School, Elk Park, N C. to finance Was extended two Testimonial din Lunch Room, Amount $38.50 was sent ners by my Auxiliary and Department to school. respectively. Observed Annual Memorial Service for Held five Council Meetings and pre deceased Comrades and Sisters decorat sided at our National Convention. ing graves Memorial Day with Flags. Lost by death 8 Auxiliary members. Mae Thacker, Department President I have tried to give out all information received from National Headquarters in SOUTH CAROLINA order to keep Auxiliaries informed at all times. Having been duly installed President I am grateful for the wonderful experi of- the Department of South Carolina, ence that has been mine as Department United Spanish War Veterans Auxiliary, President It has been a strenous year, June 15th 1946, by Clara Martin Past and I have not accomplished all I desired Department President, I respectfully sub or probably all that was expected, but I mit the following report. have done my best to conduct the affairs according to the Rules and Regulations Ten official visits were made to the in regards to the interest of this worthy Auxiliaries; initiated three new members Organization to promote Friendship, into Dwight H. Dick No. 6, Sumter Auxil Patriotism and Humanity and maintain iary. Peace and Harmony. Installed Officers in two Auxiliaries; I wish to thank the National Officers issued two General Orders, and six circu for the many courtesies shown me dur lar letters. Attended National Convention ing my term. I pledge my loyal support in Milwaukee, Wis. in August 4-8, 1946. 49 Made reports to all Auxiliaries on same. There was much sickness among them Visited Bramblett Springs where I had and several deaths (27) also in the fami the pleasure of visiting both Auxiliary lies; there was distress and four sisters members and Comrades. Sent telegrams passed on. to all Auxiliaries, notifying them of pas I attended the National Convention at sage * of Bill H. R. 969. at Milwaukee in August and brought back Sister Clara Martin kindly represented worth while ideas to my Auxiliaries, the department of the United Daughters which they seemed to enjoy, my thanks of the Confederacy at their Convention to them for the privilege of doing so. held in Columbia, October 15, 1946. Visits were made to all the Auxiliaries Attended Veterans Annual Banquet in except one who didn't care tohave us. Columbia at the Wade Hampton Hotel. We visited the State Home and Hos Had the privilege of representing Nation pital and also Battle Mountain V. A. at al at the Memorial Services for Veterans Hot Springs and found all doing splendid of World War II. Services were held work for all veterans. at Charleston NavyYard. The condition of the Department is good, although we do have a small mem Attended the Department President's bership compared to the other States. Conference held in Washington, D. C. I found all doing good work trying to in January. All Auxiliaries received hold together for our veterans sake. full report of proceedings. Helped en tertain our National President in Febru We took care of the legislation pro ary. Had the honor and privilege of gram by wiring our Senators Bushfield placing wreaths at the foot of the Cross, and Gurney on H. R. 969 which passed at Magnolia Cemetery, during Memorial and is now being enjoyed. I have writ Services, held May 30, 1947 in Charleston. ten and caused to be written several letters on Bill H. R. 696 being worked Contribution was made to General on at present. We donated to Clara Bar Leonard Wood Memorial Fund.. ton and Leonard Wood Funds and all lo We have compiled with all requests of cal drives. our National President. Much patriotic work was done, i. e., Held three Council Meetings. three flags were given to Young Veterans Auxiliary. I secured three Government In behalf of the Department Officers, grave markers for veterans; took care of I feel I can say we have had a harmonious 225 soldiers graves with flags and flow and pleasant year. We have followed the ers for Memorial Day and gave out routine procedure and tried to fulfill the much patriotic literature. Also took part duties set forth in the Rules and Regu in Red Cross, carnations and poppy sales lations. for children and veterans. Installed the To officers and members, I wish to officers of my own Auxiliary and of take this opportunity to express my Admiral Dewey of Sioux Falls. Ex appreciation for their loyal support and changed General Orders with other many courtesies shown me. States. To my successor I pledge mysupport We still retain our membership with and best wishes for a successful and a gain or two, and lost by death of four happy year. members. All correspondence was taken Gertrude Herrington, care of promptly as possible. Department President, We had a very good convention at SOUTH DAKOTA Madison, S. D., and I hereby express many thanks to my Department for their I was installed at Hot Springs by Past gracious kindness and loyalty, also my National President Nora V. Eveleth on National President Julia Kull and her June 11, 1946. I deem it a great honor official family at the Home office. To to have served our wonderful organization my Comrade Commander J . F. Broder and our Comrades in this capacity and ick, his official family and all the wonder and I pledged myself and my auxiliaries ful boys of '98. If we have helped you in to the welfare of my Department Com the least way, we are very happy. mander J. F. Broderick and his Com rades; for whatever we have done to Agnes L. Grosvenor, help and serve we are happy. Department President, 50 TENNESSEE Installed officers of eight auxiliaries. Visited jointly 33 Auxiliaries and Camps I was duly installed as Department with Department Commander and Mrs. Zeiss. President at Knoxville, Tenn., June 4, 1947, by Past National President Elsie Proudly received National President H. Newell. in February. During my year I have issued two Issued four General Orders, four De General Orders, two Department letters partment President's letters, six Coun and three Special Department letters. cil letters, one Special Order, one call I attended the National Convention in for nomination and election of Junior Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in August. This Vice President, annual Department Ros was indeed a privilege and honor that I ter and complete Auxiliary Membership will ever remember. Directory of entire State. In January I attended the National Exceeded past sale of supplies by a Patriotic Women's Conference and De hundred dollars. Increased member partment President's Conference in ship roll than one hundred excluding 55 Washington, D. C. which was very in dropped from rolls and lost by death. structive. Death included Department Senior Vice President, Department Historian and De It was an honor in February to enter partment Assistant Guard. tain our National President, Sister Julia A. Kull on her official visit to the Depart Attended Milwaukee National Encamp ment of Tennessee. Her message to us ment. Joyously witnessed Texas' own was very helpful. I installed the 1947 John White advance to Commander in officers of my own Auxiliary, Col. J. Chief and Julia Kull to National Presi Perry Fyffe. dent. Here I was elected president of Department Presidents Club known as I visited all the Auxiliaries in the the "Juliettes" honoring our namesake state except two. To them all I say, Sister Kull. "Thank you for everything." They were wonderful and I appreciate the many Concluded Administration by presid courtesies extended to me and my lovely ing at Annual Department Convention flowers and gifts. in Dallas, April 27, 28 and 29. On my trips I visited two Government Carolyn Fallon, Hospitals and was glad to give a word of Department President, cheer to some of our boys of '98. I have tried to give out all information UTAH received from National Headquarters thus keeping all Auxiliaries well informed I have the honor to submit the follow throughout the year. I have cooperated ing report for the period of June 1946 with National in the Clara Barton Mem to May 1947. orial Fund and also the General Wood Went to the V. F. W. Convention and Memorial Fund. extended greetings. Attended Flag Day I retire from my office with many hap services at South High, June 12, 1946. py memories. I have enjoyed the work Memorial Services at both City Cemetery and shall continue to do my part in the and Mt. Olivet. upbuilding of our Organization. Went to National Convention held in Best wishes to the incoming officers. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, August 4th to 8th For the honor of serving as your De 1946, at which time I attended all meet partment President, I thank you. ings; marched in All States Parade, at tending Banquet. Marched in Memorial Elizabeth Bowie, Services which were very beautiful. Department President, Made all inspections and visitations of TEXAS all Auxiliaries, having a wonderful turn out at all of them. Following is the abridged resume of my activities as Texas Department Presi Received greeting cards from the De dent. partment Juliettes and Ladies o/ the 51 Auxiliaries. Sent Xmas cards, Sick cards It was a great pleasure to entertain to those in the hospital and at home, and our National President, Julia A. Kull. To the Auxiliary members who so Sympathy cards. generously contributed to the Clara Bar Have issued three General orders, held ton Fund and the Leonard Wood Mem three Council Meetings (on account of orial Fund, I wish to express my appre nothing important to take up, did not ciation. think it necessary' to hold more than three). It gave me much pleasure to visit the Veterans Hospital and Soldiers Home. Attended Banquet of Commander in I wish to thank my Official family for Chief and his lovely wife. Met our Na their service and inspiration. tional President, Julia A. Kull, on April 6th. Entertained on Monday, taking her My year is ended, and I wish for my to Broadcast at KDYL. Tree planting sulccessor , much happiness and prosperity. in her honor at Liberty Park, under di rection of Sister Lilian Kemp. Round Anna Dickman, Table Discussion, and banquet in the Department President, evening, 97 being present. VIRGINIA I would like to thank Sister Martha Crosbie, Sr. Vice President, for coming to my rescue in entertaining Sister White I was installed as your Department and our National President, Sister Kull. President at Richmond Hotel, Richmond Also for the wonderful support I had at Virginia, June 1946. National Convention. I wish to thank My first General Order, had all com all of the ladies who have helped on com mittees on same, and hope they will mittees, entertainment, and all of my De have a fine report of their year's work. partment Officers who have worked so Sent out two General Orders, four hard in making my year a success. Letters to Auxiliary Presidents and mem bers. Sincere thanks to Department Com mander Knowlton, for his cooperation., I went to National Convention in Mil Also Past Department Commander Ut waukee, also National Defense Conference ter who helped out when our National in Washington, and gave reports on President was here. Commander Lorenz same at Council meetings following each. who took care of the Banquet tickets at our Banquet for National President. Have visited all auxiliaries in the De partment but three, No. 6, 8, and 17. And last, I want to say Thanks to my Secretary and Treasurer who have worked At this time I wish to thank all mem so faithfully with me. bers for their loyalty and best wishes to me this year, and to my Secretary and In conclusion, I pledge my support to Treasurer for their work that has helped our new President and new Commander. me to have a nice year. Elsie L. Austin, To my successor goes my best wishes, Department President, and to her, and her staff of officers I pledge my loyal support, and wish for them a happy and successful year. VERMONT Myrtle Wymer, For the past year it has been my privi Department President, lege to serve you as Department Presi dent. I have tried to live up to the WASHINGTON AND ALASKA obligations of the office. I am very glad that I was able to visit I was installed by Clara A. Fenoglia, all the Auxiliaries in the State and in Past Department President at the 46th stall the officers of two. Annual Convention at Spokane Wash ington, July 6th, 1946. I enjoyed the banquets and the gifts which were presented to me and I thank Attended all sessions of National Con you. vention in Milwaukee. 52 Issued three General Orders and two Because of the serious illness of my Circular letters. Held three Council husband, my activities were curtailed. I meetings. Attended four District Con wish to express my thanks to my Depart ventions and installed the Officers of two. ment Secretary and Treasurer for their help and loyalty, and my sincere thanks Made inspection visits to all twenty- to the members of the Department for seven Auxiliaries in Department, and their many kindnesses and encourage found all in good standing. Attended ment. Installation of five Auxiliaries and In stalled the officers of three. Florence McFarlin, Represented the Organization at the Department President Navy Day Memorial flower Service at Pier 91, Seattle, Washington. Visited WISCONSIN five Hospitals, and the Veterans Homes at Retsil and Orting. Attended all Mem orial Services with Comrades and Sisters. I was installed at Marshfieid, Wis. June 5, 1946. Presided at four Council Entertained our National President, meetings. Sent out four General Orders Julia A. Kull on her visit to our Depart and two circular letters. Attended four ment and all enjoyed her visit very much. District Meetings and installed their offi cers. Also installed the Officers of two The Department contributed $37.05 ;o Auxiliaries. Held muster service for my Clara Barton Memorial Fund, $182.40 to own Auxiliary. Sent out copies of reso Leonard Wood Memorial Foundation lutions adopted at Annual Convention in and $1159.11 to Department Cancer Re Green Bay, Wis. to all State Legislators search Project. protesting removal of Veterans Home at King, Wis. from veteran supervision to We had a very harmonious Convention State Institutional supervision. Inspect held in Tacoma Washington, July 17-18- ed 32 out of 35 Auxiliaries in my Depart 19th with the largest number of delegates ment. While many of the Auxiliaries and visitors in many years. are small, I found them for the most part Nellie C. Tollinger, quite active. Many of them are doing Department President fine work. I resolved at the beginning of my ad WEST VIRGINIA ministration to devote more time and at tention to the smaller Auxiliaries, and am I was elected Department President happy to say that I attended some very on June 11, 1946. After being installed, interesting meetings. Instructed the offi I held a Council Meeting. cers in their duties and ritualistic work whenever necessary. Have issued two General Orders and two Department President Letters. Have I attended the National Convention at sent get-well cards to the sick and sym Milwaukee, Wis., Aug, 4-8, 1946, and pathy cards to the bereaved. held a reception in the Pfister Hotel for the National and Department officers. Visited all Auxiliaries in the Depart I was also privileged to attend the De ment and found them doing splendid partment President's Conference and Wo work and holding interesting meetings. men's Patriotic Conference on National I was graciously received and entertained Defense in Washington, D. C. and I wish to record my appreciation for all the nice things that were done for me. Represented my Department and pre sented Greetings on several occasions, I attended the Banquet honoring the the last being May 31 at Oshkosh, Wis. Commander in Chief at the time of his This was a banquet in honor of the Na official visit and all social affairs that tional President, Edith Males, of the were possible. Am Vets Auxiliary. The Auxiliaries contributed $160.00 for I visited 3 Veterans Hospitals in Wis our Hospitalization. Contributions were consin, Wood, Resthaven, and King, and also made to the General Leonard Wood was shown every courtesy and consider and the Clara Barton Scholarship Funds. ation. 53 I We were so pleased to entertain our WYOMING National President, Julia A. Kull , on March 27 and 28 in Appleton, Wis., De I wish to submit my report as De partment Headquarters, while on her partment President of Wyoming during official visit to Wisconsin. She was so my term of office, 1946-1947. gracious and kind, she endeared herself to all. Attended the National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in August, 4-8, Much Patriotic, Child Welfare, and 1946. Hospitalization work has been done in our Department. Flags were presented Issued four General Orders, and two to schools and Scout troops, the National special orders Tribune was placed in public libraries, American mottoes were presented and The Department Commander and I pamphlets on flag etiquette were distri visited all the Auxiliaries in the State buted. A beautiful large American flag and found them all sincere in their efforts to carry on the work of the Organization. was presented to the convention city at Green Bay; a check for 42.75 to the We visited The Veterans Facilities in Veterans home at King, for the purchase Sheridan and Cheyenne, the Sailors and of a beside table and clock to the Soldiers Home at Buffalo; gave the Hos Veterans Administration at Wood. A pitals Jig-Saw puzzles for the patients. check for $300.00 for the purchase of two cabinets for storing equipment was pre Donated $110.00 to the General Leon sented to Camp Wawbeek (a crippled ard Wood Memorial Foundation, and $10 childrens camp) and $100.00 check to the for the Clara Barton Memorial Fund. Orthopedic School at Appleton for the We had the pleasure of entertaining purchase of a utility table for a playback our charming and gracious National Pres machine and a stationary bicycle. Money ident, Julia A. Kull. April 5th 1947. A for these two projects was raised through banquet was given in her honor; a very the efforts of the Child Welfare chair good representation from over the State man, Edna Ingraham. A check for $150 were present. was sent to National for the Leonard Wood Memorial Fund, and Essay prizes The loyalty and cooperation of the De amounting to$30.00 were given to three partment has made this a most success students. ful year. My year as Department President will I am deeply grateful for the honor be a cherished memory forever. conferred upon me. It has been a great privilege to serve so fine an organization. All good wishes to my successor. Mildred Zerbel, Bessie R. DeFratis, Department President, Department President, 54 (Received too late for classification.) our future citizens of the Spanish Ameri can War in its fullness. OREGON In March assisted with entertaining It has been a real pleasure and privi Commander in Chief, Judge John White lege to serve as Department President and Airs. White for three days, and in from June 26, 1946 to June 25, 1947, April was honored with official visit of and I herewith submit a condensed report our gracious National President, Julia A. of my years work. Kull, for two days. Her message was Attending all sessions of the National an inspiration to all who heard her. Convention held in Milwaukee, Wiscon On May 6th I was invited to speak sin, August 4th to 8th, 1946. through Station KLMB at LaGrande, Held three Council Meetings, issued where I explained to the air audience the five general orders and one special order, ideals and objectives of our organization. beside an enormous personal correspon The reports of all Committee Chairman dence pertaining to Department work. were most gratifying and the Child Wel Personally visited each of the twenty- fare Chairmans work was very outstand two Auxiliaries in the Department and ing, as was the Americanization. made repeated calls to several in most All Auxiliaries are in good financial remote areas which stimulated attendence standing and doing good work in their and kindled new interests. communities, by cooperation with other Served as installing officer for eleven allied organizations in civic matters. auxiliaries and as mustering officer for Our Department was deeply saddened three. on May 6th by the death of P. N. P. Participated in street parade with other Cora A. Thompson. She was my constit Patriotic and Fraternal Organizations on uent and friend. I pray that she may be Armistice Day and Memorial Day. able to look back and feel that I have lived up to her expectations. Represented our organization at sev eral social functions of other Patriotic Our Motto this year was Service and organizations. Extended greetings to I feel that our Department has benefitted five National Presidents and nine Depart therefrom. All have served in a spirit ment and District Conventions. of cooperation with fruitful results. I visited all Veteran facilities in the I am grateful to the National Organi State, including the Veterans Hospital in zation for honoring Miss Jeanne Peter Portland, also in Roseburg, and the sen with a Clara Barton Memorial award Barnes Hospital in Vancouver, Wash. through our Department. Also for the Made repeated calls to the Hospitals with helpful assistance, kind consideration the Department Hospital Chairman. Dur shown us always. ing the past year we presented 36 bed lamps at Christmas time, calendars to In conclusion I want to thank all every patient (about 600) with our in National Officers, Department Officers signia and greeting for New Years, spec and the Committees, and every member ial holiday menu cards decorated on of this organization for the splendid co special occasions, entertained with games, operation which made for me a memor talented entertainment, and served re able never to be forgotten year, you have freshments. Weekly calls were made been my friend. To my successors, I regularly to the hospital by the chairman wish continued success in the advance and the dependents were thought of in ment of our beloved organization. their homes. Zidonia W. Quick, Department President The Essay Contest was revived this year and I trust that it will familiarize 55 -#* ._.<>_* ]