Evening star., 1919-05-11
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
TO DISPLAY IT'S ACHIEVEMENTS
Exhibit of Activities In Peace and War
and It's Part In World Conflict
to Open May 18.

Peace and war activities of the
Department Of the Interior. illustrat-
ing the departments widespread ram
i6cations into the everyday life of the
people OF the United states in the
progress of the nation and the safety
of its people are presented in an ex-
hibit that is to be opened to the
public Monday, May 10, and to re-
main in place for two weeks.
Every bureau Of the great depart
ment is to be included in the exhibit,
which is to embrace an educational
display of war activities. normal and
military achievements of the various
bureaus reconstruction and readjust-
ment plans of the department, incicd-
ing it's Americanization movement
and the plan for providing farms for
soldiers and the elimination of slack
er acres by preparing them for utili-
zation by the men who have upheld
the honor of the country and the flag
in the world war.
Work of several bureaus of this
great military department in de-
veIopment of super-poisonous death
dealing gases to combat German
fendishness. with it's own weapon
vastly improved, is to be shown In
the exhibit, together with uncanny
devices for detecting the presence OF
the enemy and upsettirg his plans.
The public also is to be shown how
the department. through its connec-
tion with the mining industry. aided
in wrestling from tine earth hidden
frHHSnYeR deSner4teIy
needed to forge the engines Of de-
struction that spoke the only Ian
guage the Hun understood. Ingenuity
OF Americans is turning to peace
time uses a number of these devices.
such as the geophone. to be used in
future to locate men entombed In
wrecked mines, and the airplane.
which looms as an important adjunct
to the equipment of the topographer
in mapping the country.
Ingenuity Of American Inventors.
In connection with a unique display
Of the ingenuity of Americans in the
line of invention there will be shown
military devices that aided in winning
the war, including number of in
ventions that were held to be of such
Importance to this country that the
issuance OF the patents was withheld
under the ban of the strictest secrecy
until the declaration of the armistice.
1t may be said that there are still
other devices. the nature OF which
is known only TO special technical
committee. each member of which is
sworn to the utmost secrecy. and the
military Importance Of which is so
great that the patents will not be
granted until peace Us formally de-
clared-and perhaps not even then.
What the department proposes to do
IN aiding the soldiers to obtain farms
will be illustrated in various ways II
vii be shown that in earlier wars, in
which the country provided farms tor
soldiers, Grant, Sherman Sheridan and
garragut and other prominent nation
Al figures applied for and received
their land. Their original applications
and their signatures will be shown.
The construction of the Alaskan
railroad, the work of the departm
in educational matters, how the PEN
sion system works, the care of the
Indians. the great reclamation works
of the west, the beauties OF the ma
tional parks and the work Of the eiee-
mosynary institutions connected with
the department will AL BE- illustrate ted
There also will De. in addition 20 the
exhibits. a program every morning
afternoon and evening during the TWO
weeks, the mornings ana afternoons
being devoted to motion pictures ana
lectures or the work OF .ile d, partment
In the evening. Il IS expected there
will be representative sp4a kers in the
auditorium explaining she iarger iet-
lures of the problems OF the DEPART
ment. number OF demonstrations IL
Illustrative OF the most recent achieve
ments OF the department wi be gwen
by the men inspoGsibie for them
Owing TO the fact fhat tine depart :
ments activities cover such d wide
field IL is planned that certain rights
~ he q o y <s la for -ia. ~ -
a single topic, such as eng nee:ins, or
education. or the and cues. ION. on
such occasions me various societies
Interested VIII br invited to attend.
School Children to Attend.
!. also is planned to hS Re school
'sfhlldren attend. esps citliy tlos- from
esse higher grades. School authorities
wrA have had tha pan @ the expos:
tionNCutlined II thew r-cot~r.z" il as
an Ia usual edGc.4' o. ..Jncrt1 ii V
for tss children. = d, a. alr~ady
sstima3ed that - On - rheni viii he
dismissed FROM srh1Oi n re n. orri:: =
or afternoon 10 attend. opportunitie :
also will be afforded - The meiahers
of the Nationet Geosraal'c Sociejr To
attend in body or j certain evening
also the Society Of wash fneto't r.
xiueers. and the various - en- irt.' SO
cfeties and civic bodies Of the citv II
IL expected that the rs5ure Of the sx-
position will attract many r.s'es..
from other cities. as N contains "a. p
elements that ar" ma :onal In scope.
Not only the iuger io..s small 10" b,lt
thoughtful men and wcneu WIN be
amazed at the display OF the products OF
the grains OF the nation In the exhibit OF
the historical models OF epoch making
American inventions to he shown by
the department through the United
States patent Office Genera tions OF the
best American genius will he represent
ed in models depicting the early !nven-
lions in steam engineering. spinning and
weaving. telephony, teiegraphy, print
ing. typewriting. computing machines.
sewing machines and firearms that have
made the Yankee famous for inventive
conception.
It Is expected much interest will be
manifested in a number OF military IN =
ventions that greatly assisted the Hun in
making up his mind in favor OF an