Evening star. [volume], April 14, 1947, Image 20

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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■» -^SOCIfTY AND GENE^L NEWS ftU»ltV.V S;J^ . WASHINGTON AND VICINITY
j| WjffWf^ c- JUvlUTly ^i(ll MONDAY, APRIL 14, 1947
_ ‘jU JLOi A JU
450,000 Attend
Blossom Fete,
Setting Record
100,000 Vehicles
Tour Tidal Basin
On Closing Day
The Cherry Blossom Festival to
day was acknowledged a “spectacu
lar success” by all of Washington
as estimates show that an all-time
record crowd of 450,000 jammed the
area around the Tidal Basin for the
two-day fete.
Sunny weather combined with
fully blossoming cherry trees to give
the throng of visitors and Washing
tonians" a perfect afternoon yester
day for viewing the blossoms and
the festival pageant reigned over
by the Cherry Blossom Queen, Miss
wancy Anaerson, 17, daughter of
the Secretary of Agriculture. \
Capt. Mark Raspberry, head of
the Park Police, estimated more
than 300,000 persons made their way
to the Tidal Bp. n yesterday. This
number, combined with the 150,000
who attended the opening festivi
ties on Saturday, brought the total
up to a record for the two-day cele
bration.
"It was by far the largest crowd
we have ever had for a festival,"
Capt. Raspberry said.
100,000 Vehicles Make Tour.
He estimated 100,000 vehicles made
the tour around the Tidal Basin
yesterday, the largest number ever
to converge on the area. Another
35.000 vehicles were there on Satur
day. ,
Edgar Morris, chairman of the
Greater National Capital Commit
tee, pronounced the festival a “spec
tacular success. I’ve never seen a
Cherry Blossom Festival click as has
this year’s, our first postwar fete,”
he said.
The attendance exceeded by far
that of 1941, the last previous festi
val year, and a previous record of
183.000 set in 19&8.
Thomas P. Morgan, general chair
man of the festival, welcomed the
visitors during both days of the
pageant, saying that “during the
past six years all of us have been
engaged in other activities which
have prevented our being as hospit
able as we like always to be in our
Nation's Capital."
Pageant is Repeated.
The repeat performance of the
festival pageant began at 12:30 p.m.
yesterday before the estimated 35,
000 persons who were able to get
close enough to see Miss Anderson
and the rest of the entertainment.
The pageant, which was over by 2
o'clock, was the same as that pre
sented Saturday with the exception
of the crowning of the Cherry Blos
som Festival Queen.
The program included a United
Nations presentation celebrating
“Peace. Under the Trees,” which
featured songs and dances of the
participating nations; selections by
members of the Columbia Light
Opera Co., American folk dances by
the Evelyn Davis Dance Playhouse
Group, a “Peace Tableau,” and the
singjng of the National Anthem by
the‘entire assembly.
After the festival pageant, cere
monies were held at the Jefferson
Memorial commemorating the 204th
anniversary of Jefferson’s birthday.
The observance was sponsored by
the District Society, Sons of the
American Revolution. Approximate
ly 35 patriotic organizations par
ticipated. A wreath from President
Truman was placed at the me
morial.
Concert by Navy Band.
A band concert by the Navy Band,
led by Lt. Comdr. Charles Brendler,
was given at the Jefferson Memorial
at 8:30 p.m., closing the day’s ac
tivities *
All-time attendance records were
made at the Jefferson Memorial
arid the Washington Monument.
The Jefferson shrine was visited
by 94,148 persons by actual count
yesterday. The previous record was
in April, 1946, when 69,000 persons
were counted.
Monument guards registered 5,520
persons who went to the top of the
shaft yesterday, 2,461 of them on
foot. This is twice as many as ever
climbed the stairs before in one day.
3,930 at Lee Mansion.
Another record was set at Arling
ton House (Lee Mansion), which
was visited yesterday by 3.930 per
sons. At the Lincoln Memorial,
where it was not a record day,
there were 32,812 visitors. In addi
tion to the memorials and Tidal
Basin all the rest of the District’s
pa.-k system was crowded, officials
said.
Although the traffic was the heav
iest ever seen in the Tidal Basin
area, park police reported no serious
accidents. At one time during the
afternoon streetcars, buses and other
traffic was backed up Fourteenth
street as far as Thomas Circle, po
lice said. Roads from Virginia were
backed up with traffic for several
miles.
Red Cross first-aid stations treat
ed a number of persons for falls,
headaches and blisters but. no spri
ous injuries were reported.,
Husband Kills Himself
In Presence of Wife j
By th* Associated Press
FREDERICK, M$.t ADril 14.—City
Police Sergt. Benjamin Phebus, jr„
reported that Otis W. Estabrook, 34,
a construction company safety en
gineer, shot himself to death with
a pistol in front of the Frederick
City Hospital Saturday night while
Mrs. Estabrook looked on.
The sergeant said the shooting oc
curred just after Mrs. Estabrook
got out of the family car to go
on duty as a nurse at the hospital
Mr. Estabrook had driven his wife
to work from their home near
Frederick, the policeman added.
Dr. B. O. Thomas, 1r.; county
medical examiner, termed the death
a suicide. *
Tuberculosis Group
To Hear State Official
“Sanatorium needs in Maryland"
will be discussed by Dr. LeRoy R.
Allen, actiftg deputy State health
officer, at the annual meeting of the
Montgomery County Tuberculosis
Associaton at 6:30 p.m. today at the
Rockville Presbyerian Church.
Dr. I. B. Lyon, acting superintend
ent of the Maryland Tuberculosis
Sanatorium, and Dr. Karl F. Welte,
tuberculosis director of the Mont
gomery County Health Department,
also are to speak.
^ ,
This was cherry blossom Sunday from the air. An estimated
100,000 vehicles rolled into the Tidal Basin area, and 300,000
persons viewed the blossoms yesterday afternoon. The two-day
festival attracted a total of 450,000 persons, an all-time record
for the event. The cherry trees ring the basin, and a throng
is gathered near the Jefferson Memorial for exercises com
memorating the 204th anniversary * of Jefferson’s birthday,
sponsored by 35 patriotic organizations.
—Star Staff Photo by Francis Routt.
.. ^ » - .- ■ -
oernesaa tommmee
Authorized for Study
Of Hospital Merger
The Suburban Hospital Associa
tion of Bethesda has voted to au
thorize its Board of Trustees to
appoint a seven-member committee
to confer with a similar group from
the Silver Spring Hospital Associa
tion regarding a proposed merger
of the two groups to build a cen
trally located hospital to serve the
entire suburban area of Montgom
ery County.
The committee was directed to
explore the .possibility of such a
hospital and make a report of its
findings to the Suburban Hospital
Association before final action is
Arthur G. Lambert, president of
the Suburban Association, told
members at the annual meeting of
the organization in the Leland
Junior High School Saturday night
the proposed merger would entail
abandonment of the present Sub
urban Hospital. He said he would
name the committee an an earlv
date.
Hospital Is Leased.
The Suburban Hospital Associa
tion is under no legal obligation to
the Federal Government, which
owns the property, to carry on
operation of the hospital, Mr. Lam
bert stated. The association leases
the hospital from the Government,
which has the right to terminate
the lease at any time six months
after the war is officially ended, he
said.
Mr. Lambert noted it would be
some time before a joint hospital
could be built.
It was reported by Arthur B.
Solon, hospital superintendent, that
Suburban Hospital operated at a
$49,447 deficit for the year 1946, and
that a campaign to raise funds
through hospital association mem
bership has produced only $38.
338.52.
The deficit was attributed to char
ity patients for whom-Montgomery
County pays only $4 per day and
the Community Chest only $5 per
day. The Chest has recently raised
its payments to $6.
New Board Members Named.
The association amended its by
laws to increase the number of
board members from 15 to 30. The
following new members were elected:
For three-year terms — Francis
Hill. .Tamps T, TPplspr rc Poffo
Hufty, Preston C. King, jr.; Mrs.
Charles Hayes, Richard Barker, E.
Barrett Prettyman, Mrs. Louise
Granger, Mrs. William Sharon Farr,
James Miller.
For two-year terms—John Wheel
er, William Lebling, Mrs. C. M. Tip
ton, William Taylor, Mrs. Charles
O. Herron.
For one-year terms — Thomas
Somerville m, Mrs. George A.
Finch, Col. Hubert Schneider, C, S.
Duvall, jr., and C. Eugene Doyle.
Cumberland Weighing
Council-Manager Plan
By th* Associated Press
CUMBERLAND, Md„ April 14.—A
report recommending a council
manager type of municipal govern
ment for Cumberland was under
consideration today by the Mayor
and Council.
Suggested by the Chamber of
Commerce, the report is the result
of a study by Dr. Joseph M. Ray,
head of the University of Mary
land's Department of Government
and Politics.
Although Cumberland is “not
poorly governed,” Dr. Ray ex
plained, “there is room for im
provement at many points.”'
This was cherry blossom time from the ground. The crowd
that jammed the Tidal Basin area did not find much room for
moving around. Jammed elbow to elbow, this group was photo
graphed walking on the north side of the Tidal Basin.
John T. Shreve Dies;
Fuel Company Partner
John Thomas Shreve, 50, lifelong
Arlington resident and a partner
in the Robert Shreve Fuel Co., died
last night at Arlington Hospital.
He was a member of an old Arling
ton family.
Mr. Shreve, who was forced to
stop work last fall because of his
health, had been in the hospital
for about 10 days and underwent1
an operation a week ago.
With his father and a brother, j
Arthur, Mr. Shreve founded the
fuel concern before the last war.
The elder Mr. Shreve died several
years ago. Mr. Shreve served in
the Army during World War I.
Surviving are his widow, the for
mer Irene Jenkins; four brothers.
Arthur, Lewis E„ Ernest M. and
Wallace H., and four sisters, Mrs.
Thomas Corbin, Mrs. John Roun
tree, Mrs. Arthur Burkp and Mrs.
Elsie Butt.
Dr. Betts Will Edit Book
Under Guggenheim Fund
Dr. Edwin Morris Betts, associate j
professor of biology at the Uni-i
versity of Virginia, has beqn award
ed a fellowship by the John Simon'
Guggenheim Memorial Foundation1
to prepare an edition of Thomas
Jefferson's “Farm Book.’’
Dr. Betts edited “Thomas Jeffer
son’s Garden Book” and was the
author of “Thomas Jefferson’s
Flower Garden at Monticello.”
A total of 122 fellowships, repre
senting a cash value of $310,000,
were awarded in a list made public
today by the foundation.
•v
Virginia Oil Boom Under Way
With Dozen Wells in Operation
By the Associated Press
EWING, Va., April 14.—A dozen oil
wells in operation, plus another
dozen in various stages of drilling,
are bringing an unprecedented boom
to parts of Lee County, Virginia’s
first oil field.
Oil and gas rights to an estimated
60,000 acres of land, running down
the Powell River Valley across the
Tennessee line, have been leased by
a half dozen companies, speculators
and independent drillers.
Operators of the exsiting wells
have offered no figures on produc
tion, but local businessmen and
property owners who have watched
the drillings and pumping opera
tions estimated that the daily out
put is about 400 barrels.
Bethesda-Chevy Chase
YMCA Group to Meet
The annual meeting of the Be
thesda-Chevy Chase Area Commit
tee of the Montgomery County
YMCA will be held at 8 pm. to
morrow in the Chevy Chase Meth
odist Church.
A Management Committee will be
elected and refreshments served bv
Tri-Hi-Y girls.
Red Cross Chapter to Meet
A meeting of the Silver Spring
branch, Montgomery County chap
ter, American Red Cross, will be
held at 2 pm. tomorrow at its head
quarters, 921 Silver Spring avenue,
Mrs. Walter R. Crossan, branch
chairman, announced.
Robert Fulkerson, a Ewing pro
moter, said one of the top producing
wells is yielding at least 100 barrels
a day, worth $300 or more at the
spot.
The Rouge Oil Co., a Louisana
concern, which began operations in
this area year ago last February,
owns the successful wells sunk thus
far. Lester Trahan, Rouge repre
sentative in Ewing, said the com
pany is shipping Lee County oil by
truck to Middlesboro, Ky., $bout 20
miles away, for delivery to refineries.
Mr. Fulkerson said about 60 acres
of land has been bought for a re
finery if oil production reaches the
point where local refining would be
practical.
|Greenbelt Will Install
Jewish Center Officers
Charles E. Cormack, Greenbelt
community manager, will install
officers of the Jewish Community
Center tonight in the Greenbelt
School. Rabbi Morris A. Sandhaus
will introduce Mr. Cormack.
David Fisher, chairman of the
Nominating and Elections Commit
tee, is in charge of the program.
Arlington PTA to Meet
The Parent-Teacher Association
of the Charles A. Stewart Element
ary School, Arlington, will meet at
8:15 pm. tomorrow. M. C. Huppuch,
chairman of the recreational divi
sion, Arlington Community Council,
will apeak.
Forensic Winners
Named in Virginia
By the Associated Press
FREDERICKSBURG, Va., April
14—Winners in District 2, Group
2, Literary and Forensic Meet at
James Monroe High School were
announced here after competition
among 70 students from 10 Vir
ginia high schools.
The winners:
Debating—best affirmative, Mount
Vernon high, near Alexandria. Best
negative—Glenn Allen (Raymond
Taylor, Bobby Cross and Paul San
ders.)
Boys’ public speaking — Osbum
High, Manassas; girls' public speak
ing—Edna Canthron, Varina High.
Boys’ prose reading—Mount Ver
non High; girls’ prose reading—
Mount Vernon High.
Poetry—Osbum High.
Spelling—Helen Beadles, Varina
High.
The winners will compete in the
State contest at Charlottesville,
April 26.
■ ■ ■ - — ■ »
De Molay in Virginia
Plans Richmond Meeting
By the Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va., April 14.—The
State conclave of the Order of De
Molay will be held here Friday night
and Saturday, A. Douglas Smith,
jr„ member of the Grand Council
for Virginia, announced yesterday.
The honorary degree of Legion of
Honor will be conferred on Roger
Sullivan, city treasurer of Alexan
dria.
Hearing in Fairfax
On 8 Rezoning Pleas
Set for Wednesday
Eight applications for rezoning
will be considered at a public hear
ing by the Fairfax County Board oi
Supervisors, at 10 a.m., Wednesday
Included is a request from King’s
Kitchen, Inc., to have rezoned from
suburban residence district to gen
eral business district, a portion ol
the Greer Tract, Lee boulevard, near
Falls Church. The applicant plans
to erect a shopping center and hotel,
Other applications include:
Max Stein, to rezone from urban
residence to rural business, a parcel
of land on Little River Turnpike,
near Alexandria, to build a grocery
George C. Landrith, to rezone
from suburban residence to general
business, a parcel in New Alexan
dria, to build a shopping center.
M. A. Moore, to rezone from sub
urban residence to general business
a tract on Fort Hunt road, to erect
ft c.omrrmnit.v Rhnnnfrux nenFor
Mary C. Lewis and A. E. Simp
kins, to rezone from suburban resi
dence to rural business, a tract ir
Lincolnia, to erect an auto repaii
service.
Floyd B. Tilley, to rezone from
suburban residence to general busi
ness a parcel in Groveton, to build
a hardware store and apartments.
Joseph C. Geraci, to rezone from
suburban residence to general busi
ness a tract at Groveton, to erect
an apartment building.
John E. Ellison, to rezone from
rural residence to rural business
a tract in Centerville, to erect a
service station.
Arlington Schedules Test
On High School Completion
The State high school completion
examination will be held in Arling
ton on May 2, the County School
Department announced.
The examination is for persons
who have finished or are finishing
courses in ptiblic or private non
accredited high schools or who have
acquired the equivalent of a high
school education through means
other than high school classes.
Successful candidates will be given
certificates of completion of the
equivalent of a high school course.
Subjects covered by the examina
tion will include English, social stud
1 AC _.1 m
-* wv, uiwviibutaviu}, auu X\JX"
eign language. Applications for the
examination must be received in
the office of Schools Supt. Fletcher
Kemp by April 20.
Domestic Cases Rise
38 Pet. in Arlington
Juvenile cases decreased 40 per
cent and domestic relations cases
increased 38 per cent in Arlington
County Juvenile and Domestic Re
lations Court in February and
March as against the same period
in 1946, Judge Hugh Reid reported.
In February and March, 1946,
there wpre 49 Juvenile cases com
pared with 29 in the past two
months. For the period last year
domestic relations cases totaled 21
as against 29 for the 1947 period.
Budwesky Returns
To Desk in Alexandria
Alexandria City Manager Carl
Budwesky returned to his desk to
day after a six-weeks leave of ab
sence. Mr. Budwesky spent his leave
in Florida.
Originally scheduled to be back
April 1, he was granted to two
week extension by City Council.
J. W. Ferguson
Gets Revenue
Post in Fairfax
Deputy Collector
Named Successor
To J. U. Kincheloe
John WoodviUe Ferguson, 42, of
Clifton, Va„ today was appointed
commissioner of revenue for Fairfax
County by Circuit Judge Paul E.
Brown. Mr. Ferguson succeeds
James U. Kincheloe, 68, of Fairfax,
who died unexpectedly Friday.
Mr. Ferguson is a former member
of the Fairfax County Democratic
Executive Committee and a former
president of the Young Democratic
Club.
For the last seven years he has
been employed as a deputy collector
of internal revenue, working out of
the Richmond office.
Heeld Internal Revenue Post
For three years during that period
he was head of the social security
division of the Internal Revenue
Service for Virginia.
The new commissioner of revenue
is the son of Dr. and Mrs. James H,
Ferguson of Clifton. Dr. Ferguson
is one of the oldest practicing phy
sicians in the county.
Prior to his Government service,
Mr. Ferguson was a farmer, and he
still operates his father’s farm at
Clifton. He is married and has a
son, James Breckinbridge, 7, and a
daughter, Mary Frances Ferguson, a
rfn/lnni — 4- Iff. _ . ••
-- Ab iiai *
risonburg, Va. Another son, John
W. Ferguson, jr„ a Coast Guards
man, was lost during the war while
serving in the Pacific.
Was Candidate for Sheriff.
Mr. Ferguson is expected to qual
ify before County Cleric Thomas P.
Chapman, jr„ within the next few
days.
The new commissioner was an
unsuccessful candidate for sheriff in
the Democratic primary in 1939.
Mr. Kincheloe, who had served as
Commissioner of Revenue for Fair
fax County since 1920, was stricken
while addressing a meeting of the
Mount Vernon District League of
Women Voters Thursday night. He
died of a cerebral hemorrhage sev
eral hours later at his home.
Hearing Tomorrow
On Arlington Taxes
Arlington residents will express
their views on a proposed 10 per
cent increase in the county tax rat*
tomorrow night at the annual bud
get hearing of the county board at
the courthouse.
The proposed budget, which must
be acted on by the county board by
April 30, amounts to $5,352,371, in
cluding $1,693,179 for schools. The
current tax rate of $3 per $100 of
assessed valuation, includes $1.75 for
general county purposes and $125
for schools.
Any tax increase would be used to
make “necessary capital improve
ments,” according to the public
notice of the proposal made by the
Doara. me notice states the board
will consider increasing the rate
from $3 to (3.30.
County Board Chairman Basil M,
DeLashmutt said the proposed bud
get contains slightly more than
$100,000 for "major items of capital
impravements.”
The board chairman said certain
capital improvements might not be
provided in any bond issue au
thorized later this year. A public
hearing will be held on the night of
April 22 by the board on a bond
issue, tentatively set for $5,000,000,
for capital improvements.
Budget estimates for the coming
fiscal year are based on an assessed
valuation of $111,528,923.
VA Urged to Name Hospital
For Arlington Soldier
A suggestion that the Veterans’
Administration Hospital to be built
in Arlington on the Nevius tract be
named the “MacDonald General
Hospital” in honor of Lawrence R,
MacDonald, Arlington resident who
was killed in the Battle of the Bulge,
has been adopted by the Fort Myer
Heights Citizens’ Association.
The association also indorsed the
Civic Federation’s request that the
1947-48 county budget include $31,
500 for 15 additional policemen; $22,
000 for two new pieces of fire equip
ment and funds for three additional
public health nurses and a fulltime
central registrar for voters. The
group voted to oppose any tax in
crease.
The association instructed its
Safety Committee to confer with the
acting county manager regarding
large sewer openings in several areas
into which a child or animal might
fall.
300 Expected to Attend
Richmond Retail Session
By the Associated Pros
RICHMOND, Va., April 14.—More
than 300 Virginia businessmen and
educators are'expected to attend a
retail personnel conference here
Friday.
"Building more productive em
ployes” will be the theme of the
meeting, which is sponsored Jointly
by the State Department of Dis
tributive Education, the Virginia
Retail Merchants Association and
the Virginia State Chamber of
Commerce.
Martin Plant Union
Votes Strike Notice
•y Associated Press
BALTIMORE, April 14.—Members
of local 738 CIO United Automobile,
Aircraft and Agricultural Workers
employed by the Glenn L. Martin
Co. voted unanimously yesterday to
file a 30-day strike notice, union
officials reported.
Unionists said the principal griev
ances were seniority pr vileges. job
reclassification and wage increases.
The factory employs about 17,000
persons.
Izaak Walton Group to Meet
The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chap
ter of the Izaak Waltsn League will
hold a dinner meeting at the Field
Trials Club house on Burdette
road, near Bradley boulevard, at
6:30 pm. Wednesday.