Part 8 (1/2)
THE LEGION AND THE BOLSHEVIKI
The second session of the caucus began at half past two o'clock Friday afternoon. Like its predecessor it started with a bang. Nominations were made for the third vice-chairman who was to be selected from the marine corps. The first nomination was a wounded man, at the time in the Walter Reed Hospital at Was.h.i.+ngton and who had won the Distinguished Service Cross at Chateau-Thierry. Then came the name of Sergeant Woolley of Utah, quickly followed by the name of P.C. Calhoun of Connecticut, put up by Mr. Black of Louisiana; the name of Major Leonard of the District of Columbia also was put in nomination and then the slate was closed.
True to the spirit of the previous meeting the caucus was soon in an uproar of applause for each of the four candidates, three of whom were marched to the stage. Calhoun was elected, with the result that his ardent brother delegates from Connecticut treated him like a football hero by placing him on their shoulders and performing a snake dance.
Marines are no more garrulous than sailor men, for Calhoun's speech of acceptance was just about as long as Humphrey's. While Calhoun was being bombed by flashlight cameras Mr. Smoot of Utah moved that a vote of thanks should be tendered to Colonel Roosevelt and other Legion members who had been active in the preliminary work which insured the success of the caucus and this was seconded by Major Wickersham of New York. One of the most rousing ayes of the entire caucus carried the motion.
Cries of ”speech” brought Colonel Roosevelt before the footlights. His remarks were just about as long as Humphrey's and Calhoun's. To be specific he said: ”Gentlemen, it is going to be a short speech because I think we have got a lot of business to do. Thank you.”
Just about this time the committee reports began to come in, the first of which, that of the Credential Committee, brought the question of Bolshevism to the floor of the caucus. The report read as follows:
”We recommend that all delegates to the American Legion selected and now functioning from the various States, districts, and territories, be seated and accredited with full vote, and that all organizations organized and having delegates here be allowed one vote with the exception of the Soldiers and Sailors Council, which delegation the Credential Committee recommends shall be excluded from the caucus.”
S.H. Curtin, the representative of the Soldiers and Sailors Council of Seattle, pending the action of the Credential Committee, had been accorded a vote at the previous session on all questions that came up before it. The fact that Colonel Wood, the Secretary, took this action was in line with the general spirit of fair play, which was the keynote of the caucus. The Credential Committee's report elicited shouts of approval. Chairman Lindsley after bringing the house to order again said:
”I understand that the delegate from the Soldiers and Sailors Council is here and asks to be heard. Gentlemen, the members of the Committee, I a.s.sume, had full knowledge of facts which warranted that report, but there are men here who have not that knowledge. Shall we hear him?”
This statement aroused mixed emotions but Mr. Curtin came to the platform. Word having spread through the theater that he represented the ”real Bolshevik outfit” in Seattle, a great many of the delegates began to hoot, jeer, and make cat calls.
”Give me a square deal, give me a hearing,” Curtin shouted.
”Give the man a hearing,” echoed Colonel Roosevelt, who sat with the New York delegation. ”Yes, give him a hearing.” shouted the majority of the delegates and when the chair had procured order, Curtin made his plea.
”I wish to say, by way of introduction, that though I come from the State of Was.h.i.+ngton, I am not a member of the Was.h.i.+ngton Delegation,”
he said, ”I say that out of deference to the members from that State for the reason that I wish to prejudice n.o.body here against the Was.h.i.+ngton Delegation. I am not an I.W.W. I never have been and I never intend to be I never have shown any Bolshevik tendency and I defy any man present to prove to the contrary. If you've got proof that Sherman H. Curtin ever was an I.W.W. or made a Bolshevik statement, say so?” He paused here but none answered him to the contrary
”It is true that the organization which I represent has had in the past some I.W.W.'s, and it is true that there are some I.W.W.'s in it now,” he continued; ”but I am in that organization for the purpose of throwing those I.W.W.'s out. I got in there for the purpose of kicking them out and I want your help.”
Here he was interrupted by applause.
”At the present time, we (when I say we, I mean the particular conservative element which I represent in that organization) have control of the Board and practically all except one office of the organization. We are doing everything in our power to make that a one hundred per cent. American organization, and one of the things that I came down here for was to see that the Legion had in its const.i.tution as a preamble that we pledge ourselves to the principles of democracy as set forth in the const.i.tution of the United States of America.
”I, personally, was the man who rewrote the const.i.tution of the Soldiers and Sailors Council. It was written wrong when I got in there so I changed it. I want you men to stand behind me and help me make this fight. My organization did not give me permission to come here and join this, just as I presume some of your organizations did not give you permission, for the reason that they did not know what this was going to be; but I can see from the spirit that this organization has, that so far, it is on the right path and I am with it and I want you with me.
”I am already only and wholly for the purpose of doing what good we can for the elimination of I.W.W.'s and Bolsheviki. If you are against that, I am with you and if you are with me, I am with you.
George Pratt of Louisiana rose.
”With your permission,” he said to the chairman, ”I would like to ask the gentleman one question.” ”Sir,” turning to Curtin, ”is it or is it not true that you re-wrote the const.i.tution now in effect for your organization, and is it not true that it is so worded that American Army and Naval officers or former army and navy and marine officers of the United States are not eligible? Is that true?”
”I will answer that question and I will answer it in a fair way,” Mr.
Curtin replied.
”Say yes or no. Is it true?” Mr. Pratt demanded.
”Yes,” shouted the crowd. ”Say yes or no. Is it true?”
Then pandemonium broke loose in the meeting. The cat calls and boos were renewed. ”Put him out!” ”Put him out!” ”Shut him up!” the crowd demanded. And here I want to pause a moment to say that the enlisted men present gave a mighty concrete sign of the approval of their officers by this denunciation of the const.i.tution of Curtin's outfit.
”I am not here for the purpose of being persecuted,” Mr. Curtin shouted. ”I am not asking no or yes to anything. But I will say to the gentleman who questioned me that while it is true in letter it is not true in spirit.”