“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 constitution as a preamble that we pledge ourselves to the principles of democracy as set forth in the constitution of the United States of America.
“I, personally, was the man who rewrote the constitution 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 constitution 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 constitution 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.”
At this juncture Mr. Simon, of the Washington delegation, said that in all fairness to Sergeant Curtin he wanted to say that during the recent demonstration of Bolshevism in Seattle, Curtin commanded a machine gun company on the side of right and law and order.
“I do not speak for his organization,” Simon said, “but I speak for a clique in it, headed by Sergeant Curtin, who went into that organization to clean it up, to make it a fair and square one hundred per cent. American organization.” The applause of Simon’s remarks had scarcely died down when General Moss succeeded in gaining the floor.