thanks to Colonel Roosevelt and Colonel Clark and other gentlemen who
have been associated with them and to the chairman of this association
and his able assistants who have brought this convention to such a
happy and successful close."

At the mention of Colonel Roosevelt's name departing delegates tarried
and when Mr. Weinman of Louisiana moved adjournment, the house stood
and with one accord began to cry, "We want Teddy," "We want Teddy."

Colonel Roosevelt walked to the center of the stage and raised both
hands seeking silence.

"I want to say just one thing," he said. "I have never been so much
impressed in my life as I have been by the actions of this caucus,
actions of the various committees and in the way this caucus thought
for itself and acted for itself. For instance it would receive
resolutions from the Resolutions Committee, would think them over,
would re-decide on them and would re-decide them right. I want to say
in closing that the only thing I regret is that my father could not
have been alive at this moment to see the actions of this body of
Americans."

Mr. Healey of the New York delegation obtained the attention of the
chair. "I make a motion," stated Mr. Healey, "that before this great
caucus adjourns we should remain standing in one minute's silence as a
tribute to the greatest statesman that this nation has ever
produced--THEODORE ROOSEVELT."

CHAPTER XIII

WHY THE AMERICAN LEGION?

As I glance back over these pages I am impressed with the fact that
only the preface of "The Story of the American Legion" has been
written here. When the reaches of the years shall gather to themselves
the last of the men of the army, navy, and marine corps of the United
States during its war against Germany that story may then be
faithfully told. So the truth of the matter now is that history is in
the writing so far as the American Legion in its relation to the
United States of America is concerned. That statement isn't in reality
as platitudinous as it seems at first thought.

We have arrived at world importance in history. We have come to that
as the result of our part in the world war. Our isolation is over. We
are the cynosure of all eyes. Uncle Sam is the dominant world figure;
his hands control the reins that are driving the world. He has the
enemies which all the successful have. There are those who had, and
haven't, and there are those who never had, and want; all desiring,
all envying t