Evening star., 1923-05-23
D. D.C.FEELS IMPACT
OF SHR|NER THR0NG
Crowds to Increase Between
Now and Iune 5-Cara-
vans Reaching City.

All dressed up like Sahara sheik.
Washington began to feel today the
hrst real impact of the camel hordes
that are due to descend upon TINS city
in swarms between now and June D.
when the forty-ninth annual conven-
ton of the Ancient Arabic Order. No
bles of the Mystic Shrine. is to be
formally convened.
With more than $1,000 convention
guests already comfortably settfea
here and there. the question of caring
for the 400 900 visitors that are ex-
pected began to assume paramount
proportions al Shrine headuarters.
From now on the advance guard Will
be augmented by thousands more. all
firmly believing in the provero that
the early bird catches the best room.
On the highways and byways'
from the Pacific to the Atlantic
camel caravans are now en- route
TO this city. Most of those now on
the road are coming by automoplle,
although many have been compelled
TO make early starts. In order TO
obtain railroad accommouations OF
any character. The Shrine commit-
tee here was informed today that even
on the distant Pacific coast every
pullman and tourist car berth avail
able on trains bound east has been
sold from May 80 10 June z
thousands Coming in Cars.
The automobile caravan from Cali.
fnrnia which has grown to ABOUT
500 cars, was reported this morning
to be crossing the Mississippi. Chug-
gine along other trails from the
north. south and west are smaller
1eplicas of that band. Th California
motorists are due to arrive In Fred
erick. Md, June and will arrive
at the zero mile stone on the Elilpse
exactly at noon June l.
From Saturday, June 2. to tuesday,
morning, June 5, more than 20o spe-
cial trains arS due to arrive at Union
Station. in addition to the hundreds
of regular trains which arrive here
daily over the various roads Ihe
specials will come from every section
OF the United States. and Will bring
O. crowd estimated at close to 2oe,ooo
persons. Each train will be compos-
ed of at least ten cars.
Committee to Meet.
To complete Arrangements for
handling this tremendous tralnc
problem, the Shrine transportation
committee. composed of the passen-
ger traffic agents of every trunk Nne
railroad in the United States. Will
meet i'm the Homer building at IL
member of the committee will be as
signed definite task. and 1t is be
lieved that their work VIII prove 20
be the greatest demonstration OF
traffic management in the history OF
railroadins.
'Washineton. not to be caught by
early crowds or found mapping with
inexperienced traffic squads. has al
ready begun the regulation Of vehicu-
lar and pedestrian traffic at every
busy corher. Throughout the city
policemen are on duty at heretofore
unprotected crossings or intersections
that were guarded only during rush
hours. A blue-coated director ex-
traordinary now remains on duty
throughout the day, however: and
will continue TO do so until the
camel guests have silently folded
their tents and stolen away.
Boys Direct Motorists.
Although the posts along all roads
leading into Washington have been
carefully Misunderstanding the way in
brilliant colors--the Shrine commit
tee is taking no chances of having
some OF the camel go astray route
youths Masonic organization, Is on
duty daily at Hyattsville directing
Shrine motorists how to reach the
city over the best route and in the
duty on other roads the visitors are
likely to use.
The problem of disposing of seats
In the srandstands has become a seri-
Gus question. It was announced this
morning that until reservations for
the visiting temples have been COM
pieted It will be impossible to place
on sale the seats for any but the
stand in front of the Botanic Gar
den. These will be offered for sale
tomorrow at tho Office OF the Globe
Wernicke Company, 1918 F street
northwest. Announcement of other
spaces available to the public will
likely be made the latter part of the
week.
sConside rable complaint has been re-
ceived that some OF the seats in the
stands are completely surrounded by
the shrubbery of trees. The commit
tee in charge of the stands announced
today that all such reports are being
carefully charted an6 the tickets de-
stroyed so that no person will be
asked to pay for seat that does not
afford an unobstructed view Of the
Avenue. Scalping. too, will be COM
pletely eliminated by the statement
at Shrine headquarters that any
Shriner found selling his seat for
more than he paid for 1t will be
"booed" out of the order.