SEPTEMBER- 1937 Nineteenth National Convention • New York September 20-23 Copyright 1937, Liggett & Myers Tobacco Co. — We ll B e SeeingYou By D I A City of New York is proud New York is itself a city of superla- United States and that here Washing- THEand happy to welcome The tives. We New Yorkers who have at- ton took the oath of office for the American Legion on the occa- tended national conventions of the Presidency under the Constitution sion of its Nineteenth Annual Legion are certain that our fellow whose century and a half of existence National Convention. We invite all townsmen are going to learn a good we are celebrating this year. Some Legionnaires, Forty and Eighters, deal about the Legion that they can- of the places you should visit will be Auxiliares and Sons of the Legion to not possibly know now. That march fisted in the booklet you will receive come along and partake of Father up Fifth Avenue will itself make when you register. Along with the Knickerbocker's hospitality. We sure history. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Mu- will try to give you a good time. seum of Natural History, Aquarium, The cosmopolitan character of New \\ 7"HILE you are with us you will Parks, our City Hall, and other points " York City has been stressed for a * come under the scrutiny of men of interest acclaimed by world travel- century or more, and it is our boast and women whose opinions, expressed ers, I would like to extend to you a that nobody that comes to us need be in syndicated newspaper articles, in special invitation to visit the Museum lonesome. Whether you are from the magazines, over the radio and in the of the City of New York, where you West or the South or New England, newsreels command the respectful at- will get some idea of the way people there are people here who keep green tention of the nation. They have the lived up to the time when we, as the memories of an old home town normal American love of fair play. youngsters, saw kerosene and the that is your home town, and who will The Legion Convention will be big horse car go the way of the spinning be glad to make your acquaintance. news, and the activities incident to it wheel and the ruff collar. I am told that the reunions of war- will be given sympathetic, co-opera- New York remembers reverently time outfits planned for the four days tive attention. the days when you came through the of the Convention have set a new If you wish to make an American port on the way to the A. E. F., and record. I am looking forward to see- historical pilgrimage a part of your remembers joyfully too the thrill of ing many of my buddies and it is visit with us you will find here me- your return in 1919. All of our certain that more members of the great mentoes of the Dutch and English citizens join me in the hope you will Legion family will be our guests than colonial days and of the Revolution. come by the hundreds of thousands. any other city has entertained. That, I need hardly remind you that New You will never regret it—and we will of course, is quite right and proper York was the first capital of the always remember you! SEPTEMBER, 1937 — ; (fforQodandcountry , we associate ourselves togetherjor thefollowing purposes: (7o uphold and defend the Constitution <-fofthe United States ofAmerica; to maintain law and order; tofosterandperpetuate a one hundredpercent (Tlmericanism to preserve the memories and incidents ofour association in theQreaiTWar; to inculcate a sense of"individual obligation to the com- munity, state andnation; to combat the autocracy ofboth the classes andthe masses; to make right the master ofmight; to promote peace andgood will on earth ;to safeguardand transmit to posterity the principles ofjustice.freedom and democracy ; to conse- crate andsanctify our comradeship bu our devotion to mutual helpfulness.— Preamble to the Constitution ofThe American Legion. n~he JImerican September, 1937 Vol. 23, No. 3 LEGIONMAGAZINE Published Monthly by The American Legion, 4$; West zid Street, Chicago, Illinois EXECUTIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING OFFICES Indianapolis, Indiana if West 48th St., New York City CONTENTS can almost count the min- that a model of the fair can be in- YOU THE KEY TO THE CITY Cover utes now— in fact, you can spected at a special exhibit in the Em- (See also page 44) count them by the application By Forrest C. Crooks pire State Building . Put Radio of a little simple atithmetic—to Sep- WE'LL BE SEEING YOU 1 City on your list—half a dozen tours tember 20th, or even to September By F. H. LaGuardia available, depending on how much LOST IN THE NAVY 6 21st, the day of the Big Parade . time you can give to it . The By Thomas F. Woods The Up Fifth Avenue Parade, we Illustrations by J. W. Schlaikjer United States Lines will hold open mean, in case it had slipped your mind MY BIT FOR BAKER 9 house on the Washington, largest By Thomas McMorrow . Quite a lot about the affair in merchantman ever made in America Illustrations by Raymond Sisley this issue: Greetings from the Mayor THE OBJECTIVE: FIFTH . The Queen Mary will be at her of New York, last minute notes AVENUE 14 pier for inspection September 21st. from Bob Condon, Forrest Crooks's By Robert E. Condon . While the Normandie will un- IT BE IT'S cover (by the way, turn to page 44 CAN DONE— BEING fortunately be at sea during the days DONE 16 and read about that cover) . Con- By Judge Richard Hartshorne of the convention, other ships of the siderable, too, about the France- Illustration by Will Graven French Line will be ready to welcome Italy invitation pilgrimage: Bernhard OUR POST IS DIFFERENT 18 Legion visitors . The Rex, pride By Bernhard Ragner Ragner on the activities of Paris Post, of the Italian Line, will come right {The City Eternal 20 Captain Ambassador Suvich and By Fulvio Suvich in and go right out again, pilgrimage Huntington on Rome . Oh, yes, bound, but arrangements will prob- we almost forgot to mention Wally's The City Progressive 21 ably be made for other of the line's By Capt. C. H. Huntington two-page spread . Wally isn't too ships to be inspected. Ask your STATESMEN OF TOMORROW 22 that you're accurate in his intimation By Sam H. Cobb Department Delegation Headquarters supposed to keep off the grass in Cen- EDITORIAL: what is this legion? 25 for details on these ship inspections tral Park, but as he wanted to make NEW YORK SAYS "COME AND —you'll want to see one anyway, GET IT" 26 a special joke out of it we've let it whether you make the pilgrimage or By Wallgren . you've got . stand Buddy, your THE HOME IN OKLAHOMA 28 not. The Polish veterans want nose in the heaviest-advertising- By Boyd B. Stutler the pilgrims to come to Warsaw . revenue issue of this magazine that SERVICE-STRIPE OLYMPICS 32 By Minott Saunders ever was . First place, up to feature of the French trip that PAID IN FULL 34 ONE now, had been held by the October, sounds pleasant is a special trip By John J. Noll 1928, number, which now drops A REPORT TO STOCKHOLDERS 42 to Cognac—there are still several down one place to make room for By Harry W. Colmery, National A.E.F. veterans who don't appreciate Commander September, 1937 . Give a thought the fact that the well-known fluid was BURSTS AND DUDS 46 advertisers in a to those once while Conducted by Dan Sowers named after a town . Floyd Bennett they make this magazine possible . Field, New York's municipal airport and the home of Floyd Bennett Post, THE figure on advertising rates in will offer hangar privileges at re- the National Commander's article PLEASE REPORT duced rates in case you're thinking may startle some readers . There's CHANGE OF ADDRESS of flying your own ship to the con- going to be a World's Fair in New vention ... Of course the France- to Indianapolis office, including old and York in 1939, but it isn't expected new addresses. Allow five weeks for Italy pilgrimage will be the biggest that many Legion National Conven- change to become operative. An issue al- thing of its kind since the Second ready mailed to old address will not be tion visitors will stick around for it. A.E.F. of 1927, and that was the forwarded by post office unless subscriber ... lot will come back, though. biggest thing of its kind ever . Con- A sends extra postage to post office. Notifying . What we were going to say was this magazine well in advance of impending ventionnaires in (Turn to page 74) address change will obviate this expense. The American Legion Magazine is the official publication of The American Legion, and is owned exclusively by The American Legion. Copyright 1957 by The American Legion. Entered as oe;ond class matter Sept. 26, 1931, at the Post Office at Chicago, 111., under the act of March 3, 1879. Harry W. Colmery, Indianapolis, Ind.. National Commander, Chairman of the Legion Pub- lishing and Publicity Commission; Members of Commission: John D. Ewing, Shreveport, La.; Philip L. Sullivan, Chicago, 111.; William H. Doyle, Maiden, Mass.; Jean R. Kinder, Lincoln, Neb.; Phil Conley, Charleston, W. Va.; Frank N.