“’Executive Board American Legion of Liberty authorizes you to advocate before the St. Louis Convention as part of the Americanization program, that the organization bring its influence to bear throughout the United States to secure enactment by Congress of laws making it possible to deport alien slackers who avoided military service by renouncing their citizenship and signing affidavits that they would return to the country from which they came.  A bill providing for their deportation introduced by Senator Jones of Washington failed to pass the last session of Congress because the demand for its passage from the State of Washington was not backed up by other States.  Demand upon senators and representatives from their own constituents that a law should be passed to deport these slackers would probably result in action by the special sessions of Congress of nearly three hundred aliens who escaped military service in Seattle by renouncing their right to become citizens.  Twenty-seven per cent, were shown to be I.W.W.’s of the thousands who thus escaped military service.  Throughout the country a large percentage are probably of the element which is seeking to undermine American institutions.  They still remain despite their affidavits that they would leave the country and there is no existing law under which they can be deported.  The first move towards making this country one hundred per cent.  American should be the elimination of aliens who are opposed to our Government and institutions and who poison the minds of others by their teachings.  Every senator and representative should be urged to back legislation for the elimination of this element and we hope that this work will be adopted by the convention as part of the national program.

  “’(Signed) American Legion of Liberty,
  “‘NORMAN E. COLES, Secretary.’”

When Sullivan finished reading, he began one of the most stirring addresses made before the convention: 

“Now let’s not be afraid to put the cards on the table and say to the Congress of the United States that we are not afraid to trample on the toes of the diplomats of these alleged neutral countries who do not want legislation of this kind to pass,” Sullivan plead.  “We have the interest of the man who donned the khaki and the blue and when the ships bring the boys from over there, they must take back these alien slackers.  We would be derelict in our duty to the boys who gave their all when they went over the top; we would be untrue to ourselves and the institutions and principles for which we fought if we did not see to it that these people were sent back.

“I was born in the State of Massachusetts and I was taught that citizenship meant something.  As a boy I went out West where I learned that American citizenship meant something to the people of the West.

“To-day we are here from all parts of the country.  We are not from any section alone, because we are all Americans, This is an organization of Americans.  This should be a country of Americans and if our citizenship means something, the swine who come from other countries should be taught that it means something like what McCrae said: