ention
comes together this morning ready to take up matters of importance and
leave off matters that should not be taken up, and to solidify this
body in a great spirit of Americanism that shall last for fifty years
as the greatest organization that the world has ever known."
(Applause.) "Now the keyword that I want to say in the beginning is,
at all costs we want to save this organization. We do not want
anything to arise to-day that will in any way mar the spirit of this
great assembly and the work that it is going to do in the future.
While you were deliberating here these past two days some of you
thought only of this hour and this moment, but, gentlemen, I had an
eye cast into the future and I was dreaming dreams and seeing visions
of the years that are to come and the wonderful work, the wonderful
influence, and the mighty power that this organization is going to
have and exert upon this nation and upon the whole world, and I want
you to think of it in these terms. This convention is a baby and we
must not choke this baby. You can't give a young baby a gallon of
castor oil the first week. It only requires castoria, that is all the
first week. It can stand with a little mother's milk, and I want you
to feel that way about it to-day." (Laughter and Applause.)

"Our first duty is beyond the shadow of a doubt to get this infant on
its legs, and once we get it on its legs, it will be like the mighty
Niagara Falls, there isn't anything in the world can dam it up. It
will be a power that shall be known, and with influence all over
America and for good all over the world. Let's be quiet and let's be
sensible to-day until we get this infant on his legs. He's just a
recruit, a raw recruit, and he has to be trained and we are going to
do that now.

"Gentlemen, I want to say just here, if you can only think about this
Legion--the chairman spoke of it last night to me--as the jewel of the
ages. I believe that is the best interpretation I know. I cannot say
anything greater than this: I believe God raised up America for this
great hour; I can say that the strong young man of the time is to be
the American Legion in this country and in the world.

"What the great seers of the past ages have dreamed and what they have
planned and longed for, the opportunity that they sought, have
suddenly been placed and in our hands. Are we going to be great men
and big men? Will we arise to the dignity and be worthy of the
occasion?

"I b