Speeches and Elections

The annual congress of the Daughters of the American Revolution was held at Washington. At the opening session speeches were made by President Harding, Secretary Hughes and Mrs. George Maynard Minor of Connecticut, retiring President General of the organization. Patriotism and opposition to radical tendencies were the keynotes of all the speeches.

Said the President: " Never has mankind faced difficulties of so varied a character or on so huge a scale as is now propounded to it. ... I think it is no unseemly boast to say that America is one of the governmental models of the world--the highest type of democracy on earth! "

Among the other speakers were the French Ambassador, M. Jules Jusserand; the British Ambassador, Sir Auckland Geddes; the Belgian Ambassador, Baron de Cartier; and General Lord, Director of the Budget. General Pershing was expected to speak but did not appear.

The most exciting event of the congress was the election of officers. There were three candidates for President General--Mrs. Anthony Wayne Cook, Vice President General from Pennsylvania; Mrs. G. Wallace W. Hanger of Washington, wife of the vice chairman of the United States Railroad Labor Board; Mrs. William Gumming Story of New York, former President General of the society.

The excitement began when anonymous letters were circulated among the delegates attacking the war record of Mrs. Cook's son. Mrs. Cook made a direct denial of the charges, as did the Pennsylvania delegation. On the night of formal nomination Mrs. Hanger received a great ovation-- three minutes of applause and two minutes of cheering. Mrs. Cook's ovation lasted for three minutes, total. Immediately after Mrs. Story was nominated, she rose on a point of personal privilege and withdrew her nomination, releasing her delegates and asking them to vote for Mrs. Cook. The reason she gave was that she would not take part in any campaign which was carried out by defamation of character. Amid the uproar Mrs. Cook jumped to her feet. "I see no reason why Mrs. Story should withdraw in my favor, and am perfectly willing to share the [Story] votes with my opponent [Mrs. Hanger]."

A wild demonstration followed, lasting three minutes.

At nine the next morning balloting began. Excitement ran high. The 1.800 delegates in their eagerness to vote broke through the rope that held them back. Policemen and firemen were summoned to restore order. At eight in the evening the polls closed. At eleven the count was not completed and the convention adjourned till the following day at ten a.m. The tellers were closeted counting the ballots till the early hours of the morning. Gradually news leaked out that Mrs. Cook was ahead.

When the official count was announced it ran: Mrs. Cook, 940; Mrs. Hanger, 779. All on Mrs. Cook's ticket were elected except the nominee for Chaplain General. Mrs. Thomas A. Edison of New Jersey carried that office, 871-746, although she was not able to be present at the congress. Following the announcement of her election, Mrs. Cook made her first speech as President General. She came forward " in a becoming costume of blue moire silk and georgette crepe with an ankle length skirt. Her hat was of blue satin with a bandeau of white roses." Said she:

" I feel proud that I have been called upon to fill so high an office. If I should feel proud in the wrong way, the sight of that waving before me (pointing to a huge American flag suspended from the ceiling) will keep me steady. "