Comrade STOBBE (New York). We are answering the question, just speaking in answer. Those of you, comrade, know that the Military Order of the Serpent did not go into session until yesterday. We concluded and closed after 6 o'clock and in order to show my respect for the United Spanish War Veterans we took part in the parade and put on our uniforms and went out in the parade.

Commander in Chief HERRICK. Comrade Stobbe, you will pardon me, but you are not speaking to the question. We understand that it was not put in

Comrade STOBBE (New York). But I would like to say, Comrade Commander in Chief

Commander in Chief HERRICK (interposing). Comrade Stobbe, you have presented the resolution. It is not necessary to discuss why you did not put it in before.

Comrade STOBBE (New York). I ask the same fairness that you gave the other comrade. I yield the floor to Comrade Johnson, of Alabama.

Commander in Chief HERRICK. I am not going to let you yield to Comrade Johnson for the purpose of explaining something that has no bearing on the motion.

Comrade JOHNSON (Alabama). I am speaking, Mr. Chairman, on the subject, excepting that I want to reply to one thing about orderly procedure. The Military Order of the Serpent handles everything in an orderly procedure and this matter came before our convention and was taken up in a regular and orderly way according to procedure. The Military Order of the Serpent is part of this organization

Commander in Chief HERRICK. Comrade Johnson, you are out of

order.

(The question was called for.)

Comrade PAYNE (Florida). As that resolution now stands, I am opposed to it. The only organization that exists that can tell the American people when to use the flag is our organization. Back in my home town in Pennsylvania we decorate the grave of a nurse who was in the Spanish-American War. That resolution would make it impossible for us to place a flag on the grave of that noble

woman.

Commander in Chief HERRICK. The question has been called for. Those in favor will say "Aye," those opposed "No."

The motion is lost.

Comrades, I am informed by the returning board that they will be ready to report in 5 or 10 minutes at the outset. I do not know if it will be necessary to take another ballot, but if necessary. I would like to take it and as soon as it is taken we can leave and return afterwards. If that is satisfactory I would like to entertain a motion to follow some such plan.

Is Past Commander in Chief Gihon in the hall?

Comrade BRANDON (Alabama). As commander in chief of the greatest State in this grand Union, I desire to move that this convention send its felicitations by telegram to the President of these United States and assure him that this body of men carry no flag that does not think of America's welfare and no banner that does not salute the civil authority.

Commander in Chief HERRICK. A similar telegram to that has already been sent to the President of the United States.

Comrade BRANDON (Alabama). Then I withdraw my motion. Commander in Chief HERRICK. We will now have the report of the enactment committee. Past Commander in Chief Gihon will present the report.

Past Commander in Chief GIHON. There are only a few enactments to be reported on. They are all very simple ones and there is nothing among them that would raise any question for debate, I think.

Commander in Chief HERRICK. Comrades, we will follow the same procedure as we did with the resolutions committee if there is no objection, and the Chair will declare the report of the committee to be the sentiment of the convention and their recommendations carried as made.

(There being no objection voiced, the above procedure was adopted.)

ENACTMENT No. 1

(Presented by Department Adjutant Coulter, of the District of Columbia.) Whereas the United Spanish War Veterans have at the present time no official station pictures representing the principles of our organization-freedom, patriotism, and humanity-and

Whereas such pictures representing these principles have been selected and are in use by Colonel James S. Pettit Camp, No. 3, Department of the District of Columbia, United Spanish War Veterans: Therefore be it

Resolved, That recommendations be made to the twenty-seventh national encampment of our organization, to be held in St. Petersburg, Fla., September 27 to October 1, 1925, that the station pictures as used by Colonel James S. Pettit Camp, No. 3, Department of the District of Columbia, U. S. W. V., he adopted as the official station pictures of the national organization, on such terms and conditions satisfactory to the national organization.

Action: Adopted by the Twenty-sixth Annual Encampment of the Department of the District of Columbia, U. S. W. V., held in Washington, D. C., June 20, 1925, and referred to the national encampment for its consideration. It is recommended that this be referred to the incoming administration.

Commander in Chief HERRICK. There being no objection voiced, the recommendation is adopted.

Past Commander in Chief GIHON, The next is as follows:

ENACTMENT No. 2

(Presented by Chaplain Edgar M. Lowell, Lieutenant Bedwell Camp, No. 28, Department of California.)

By direction of the above-named camp I am writing in the interests of all the members of our glorious organization. We are not going to be able to send a delegate to the national encampment this year and therefore must request some comrade to do that which our delegate would do if present. In the order of business used for the government of camp procedure at stated meetings there is no place where the state of health or of other condition requiring the action of the camp to give aid to a comrade in distress is called for by the commander.

We believe that there should be an additional paragraph added which should read, "Is any comrade sick or in distress?"

The committee recommends adoption.

Commander in Chief HERRICK. Hearing no objection, the recommendation is approved.

Past Commander in Chief GIHON. The next is as follows:

ENACTMENT No. 3

(By the Department of Massachusetts.)

Providing that there shall be added to the roster of department officers, section 155, Rules and Regulations, following "department historian," a department graves registration officer, and prescribing the duties of said officer in a new section of Article V, as follows:

SEC. 1732. Duties of department graves registration officer.-(a) He shall keep a full and complete record of the names, company, organization, or ship, date of death, and cause of death if desired for record, of all deceased veterans of the war with Spain, and its incidental campaigns, interred within the territorial limits of the department, together with the name and number of the camp, if any; the name and location of the cemetery in which they are interred, and the name and number of the camp having charge of their graves for decoration purposes.

(b) He shall settle all questions arising between camps in regard to assignment to cemeteries and decoration of graves, by holding hearings or otherwise, and his decisions shall be final, subject to the approval of the department commander and the provisions of the rules and regulations.

The committee recommends that this "ought to pass." Concurred in by encampment.

Commander in Chief HERRICK. There being no objection the recommendation of the committee is approved.

Past Commander in Chief GIHON. The next is No. 5 as follows:

ENACTMENT No. 4

(Presented by the Department of Washington and Alaska.)

Whereas national headquarters has adopted a new form of requisition for supplies, and the prices thereon are mostly net without discount to the departments and the same requisitions are sent to the camps and departments are obliged to furnish supplies to the camps at the same prices that they pay for them at national headquarters, thereby entailing a loss to the department for postage and shrinkage: Therefore be it

Resolved, That national headquarters provide two sets of requisitions, one set for the camps and the other for the departments, thereby enabling the department to make a profit of at least 10 per cent to cover the expense of postage and shrinkage in supplies.

The committee recommends that this enactment be referred to the incoming administration with power to act.

Commander in Chief HERRICK. Without objection, that action will

be taken.

Past Commander in Chief GIHON. The next reads as follows:

ENACTMENT No. 5

(Presented by the enactments committee.)

Whereas the U. S. W. V. is a patriotic organization pledged to uphold the principles of F. P. and H. and the honor and integrity of the flag: Be it Resolved, That we recommend to the national encampment a change in the by-laws that at every meeting or public function held under the auspices of the U. S. W. V. a pledge of allegiance be taken to the flag and for the country for which it stands, one Nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all, while standing at attention and with the right-hand salute.

Adoption of this enactment is recommended.

Commander in Chief HERRICK. There being no objection voiced, the recommendation is approved.

Past Commander in Chief GIHON. No. 7 reads as follows:

ENACTMENT No. 6

(Presented by the Department of the District of Columbia.)

Whereas the present past camp commanders' badges of our organization are rarely ever worn because of their large size, and deeming it to be to the best interests of the organization that a smaller emblem for past commanders should be adopted: Therefore be it

Resolved, That recommendations be submitted to the twenty-seventh national encampment of the United Spanish War Veterans that a past commanders' badge be adopted, consisting of the present bronze button, gold mounted, and suspended thereto shall be a gold medal of about the same size and general design as the button, on the front of which shall be stamped on the upper side "Past," through the middle "Commander," and below the letters "U.S.W.V.," with a place on the reverse side so that either the name of the comrade or the camp could be engraved thereon, the name of the past commander, camp, or other data as may be decided by the respective camps: Be it further

Resolved, That recommendations be submitted that this same design shall also apply to past department commanders, with the exception that the badges for past department commanders shall consist of a bar on which his name will be engraved thereon the words "Past Department Commander, U.S.W.V." and be suspended from the bar. That the same general principles shall likewise be followed for badges for past commanders in chief.

It is recommended that this enactment ought not to pass. Commander in Chief HERRICK. There being no objection, the recommendation of the committee is concurred in.

Past Commander in Chief GIHON. Enactment No. 8 reads as follows:

ENACTMENT No. 7

(Presented by Department of Florida.)

Proposed amendment to constitution.-Providing that Spanish-American War nurses be made eligible to active membership in the organization by amending section 2, Article III, of the constitution to accomplish the purpose.

The committee recommends that this "ought to pass."

NOTE.-Ratification of the foregoing enactment by the next national encampment will be required to make it effective. (See Article XII, constitution.) Commander in Chief HERRICK. There being no objection, the recommendation of the committee is approved.

Past Commander in Chief GIHON. Enactment No. 9 reads as follows:

ENACTMENT No. 8

(Presented by Hubbell Camp, No. 4, Department of New York.)

Whereas the method of balloting now in use by the national and department encampments is of an antiquated and cumbersome type and has inevitably caused unnecessary delay in balloting and announcing the results of each election and at times causing deadlocks and recourse to repeated ballots of the present type with all of the cumbersome and antiquated clerical work attached thereto; and

Whereas it is the consensus of opinion that steps should be taken to simplify the method of voting, to the end that the time and patience of members of the encampment may be put to better purpose: Therefore be it Resolved, That the rules and regulations be amended as follows:

Part 5, article 2, section 208, strike out present paragraph A and substitute: "All candidates for elective offices shall be nominated from the floor under the fifth order of business."

Strike out entire section 209 and substitute a new section as follows: "SEC. 209. Each member of the national encampment present thereat shall be entitled to one vote, but the vote of any delegate absent and not represented

No in

by an alternate may be cast by the delegates of his camp present. dividual, however, shall have more than one vote. The ayes and noes may be required and entered upon the record at the call of any five members representing five different camps.

"b. Voting shall be by roll call of departments as follows:

"Upon call of the chair, balloting for officers in order of seniority shall begin and the adjutant general will call the departments in alphabetical order, followed by the camps in the department in numerical order.

"c. Upon the call of camps, the comrade selected by the individual camp delegation shall rise and announce the vote of his respective delegation for the candidate selected.

"d. The vote shall be recorded on a blackboard in plain view of the delegates, so that errors may be detected and immediately rectified.

66

e. At the conclusion of the roll call of departments and camps a roll call of ex officio delegates, viz, national officers, past commanders in chief, and department commanders and past department commanders will be had and their vote recorded in a like manner.

"f. Upon the completion of the ballot the result will be announced immediately.

"g. At the conclusion of the second ballot, in the choice of candidate, where a majority vote has not been secured by the highest candidate. the lowest candidate will be eliminated and each succeeding ballot the low man will be eliminated until a majority vote is secured by the leading man.

"The provisions of the above method of balloting shall be adhered to in the conduct of all department encampments, as far as practicable and shall be the established procedure governing the balloting at all encampments, both national and department."

The committee recommends that this resolution ought not to pass. Commander in chief HERRICK. There being no objection the recommendation of the commitee is approved.

Past Commander in chief GIHON. The next enactment is No. 10 and reads as follows:

ENACTMENT No. 9

(Presented by the Department of Missouri.)

Under the provisions of section 7-e, article 6, page XXII and XXIII of the Constitution, Rules, and Regulations, United Spanish War Veterans, 1920, the following amendment and addition to section 8 observances page 6 part 1, which reads as follows:

"SEC. 8. Other days to be observed.-The camps shall observe flag day, and an annual muster day on the 21st of April in each year: Provided, however, that whenever a camp, owing to local conditions, is unable to observe annual muster day on April 21, said day shall be observed on the nearest convenient date. Departments and camps may be provided in their by-laws or otherwise, for the observance of anniversaries of events connected with the War with Spain and its incidental campaigns."

To be enacted to read as follows:

"SEC. 8. Other days to be observed.-The camps shall observe flag day, and an annual muster day on the 21st of April in each year: Provided, however, that whenever a camp, owing to local condition, is unable to observe annual muster day on April 21, said day shall be observed on the nearest convenient date, and the nearest Sunday to August 12 in each year shall be observed as the signing of the peace protocol day anniversary by all departments and camps. Departments and camps may provide in their by-laws or otherwise for the observance of anniversaries of events connected with the War with Spain and its incidental campaigns."

It is recommended that this be referred to the incoming administration with power to act.

Commander in Chief HERRICK. There being no objection, the recommendation of the committee is approved.

Past Commander in Chief GIHON. I have an enactment here which has come in too late to get to the committee, and unless you desire it to go to the committee I will present it to you now. I am