The Cordova daily times., 1923-02-26
WASHINGTON IS T0BE MECCA SHRINE IN JUNE Thousands of Mobiles Expected in Nation
 Capital PREPARE FOR 100 TEMPLES Hope to Outdo Gigantic Fete Put on by San
 Franciscans
PREPARE FOR 100 TEMPLES

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.-Nobles of the Mystic Shrine from four corners of America, will fold their tents like the Arabs'-and-no, not silently, but ,, with the blare of bands and the din of the caravan-sweep over the hot sands of the desert toward Washington in June for the annual convention of Ma sonry's great social order. Every one of the 100000 Shriners expected in the national capital for the great assembly knows what it is to swing "onto the rope" as they cross the desert in the wake of the camel led caravan of Nobles dusty, foot scorched, but happy in the anticipa- tion of the revelations and joys which await them at the oasis-the journeys end.
 Many Nobles Expected Alamas Temple-the host to the 1923 convention-has alreadw made reservations for more than 100 Shrine temples, and it is expected that within three months practically every tenn pie in America will have arranged for delegations of from ten to 5000 Nobles.
 Washington Shriners are going to outdo the efforts of Sau Francisco's gigantic entertainment of Shrinedom last year. To do this they have raised fund of $3O0,00O and have commit tees numbering hundreds at work on the preliminary arrangements. Wash ington will truly be a Mecca for the fez-capped delegations, making up the most picturesque of all national con- ventions staged in the United States. Among the most noteworthy of the caravans will be one of automobiles, which will come from the temples of California A pilot car from San Fran cisco has already traversed the route and is preparing map of the best roads to be followed by the Nobles
 
 Alamas Temple is preparing parking spaces for the 35,000 automobiles ex- pected from various temples. Practi- cally every vacant lot in the capital will be filled with automobiles, while already space for $50 Pullman cars to l bring other Shriners has been laid out. Plan for Great Crowd | Hotels are preparing to handle Washington's biggest crowd. Several new structures are being rushed to completion in anticipation of the event. With provision in private homes, it is believed the capital will be adequate to take care of the thous- ands of Shriners.
 Alamas Temple will devote over $7O,O0O to decoration of the city. One of the monuments to greet the fez- wearer will be a gigantic Sphinx at the Treasury end of Pennsylvania avenue. The Sphinx has a peculiar significance to Shrinedom, being, as it is, an inha bitant of the dusty desert and accustomed to the roaming cara vans which pass by in search oi Mecca.
 An estimate by Joseph s. Edgerton fixes the value of daily food consump tion of the convention at $3,00O,OO0. He said to feed all the visiting Shriners and, whit it was not so declared other authorities insist the roar of this hungry throng as they hurriedly put away the camel fodder would ere ate an echo that would be heard in every section of the civilized world
 Elaborate Parade
 The Shrine parade, featuring one day of every national convention, will be the most elaborate event of the kind ever held in Washington Miles and miles of black-tasseled fezes will pass down Pennsylvania avenue, as a representative throng of the nation looks on.
 Several hundred Shrine bands will be present. Committees are arrang