Evening star., 1927-10-02
PRESIDENT GUEST
OF ARMY At SHOW
Success of Sham Conflict
and Other Features at
Barracks Is Marked.

day battle at Madeleine Farm, in a
blaze of searchlights and glaring gun
flashes that gave to the scene all the
realism of night combat.
While the President missed the best
part of the show, the splendid spec
tacle that only the darkness can
afford, he saw something yesterday
that visibly thrilled him. neverthe-
less AS the sham battle ragged at its
height, Army airmen. with a natural
criss-crossed the f1eld in
roaring, downward sWoops that caused
to hold their breath. Just
as it appeared they would crash onto
the ground, the machines would right
themselves and soar away over the
heads of the crowd with a mighty
roaring.
Arrival of President.
AS the hour of o'clock approached,
a salute Of 2I guns doomed the arrival
of the presidential party, and military
guards cleared a way through the
surging crowd to the comfortable tent
provided In mid.field for the honored
guests. Under that canvas were more
dignitaries and high Army and Navy
officers than even the average WASH
ingtonian has seen assembled. There
was the President, er.tnchlef
Of the armed forces Of the United
States. There were Secretary of war
Davis, Secretary of the Navy Wilbur.
Mai. Gen. Charles p. Summerall, CHIEF
of staff of the Army; Admiral Edward
w. Eberle, chief of naval operations;
Mai. Gen. John A. Lejeune, COM
mandant Of the Marine Corps. ana
score Of lesser Army and Navy
officials. Everett Sanders, the Presl'
dents secretary, accompanied the
President and Mrs. Coolidge.
The high dignitaries of the Nation
were accompanied by their wives anu al,
social circles were no
orally represented among the spec
tators.
The President and his party were
ushered onto the grounds just before
tho silent drill Of the picked com
nany from Fort Washington gave It's
amazing exhibition.
Because OF the intense heat. even
where the President sat shelterd from
the press of the curious, who We're
held back by polite but persistent
guards, a bevy Of young deoutantes'
in gypsy costumes. passed TO ana ITO
between the chairs, handing out cool
ing liquids and ices.
Opening Of Battle.
As the advanced scouts started OF
the battle of Madeleine Farm. tne
feature event of the day, the Presi-
dent comfortably slipped iced tea. Al
times. however, he was so ABSORBED
in the progress of the engagement,
when the machine guns got IN tneir
bloodless work, that he was unhlnu-
full of the inviting GOODNESS so easily
within his reach.
The President Enthusiastically enjoyed
the Armv show, and when the time
had arrived at the end Of the VIC
torious battle to leave the grounds'
exhibits Of rare interest diverted MIN,
and he came back t oexamine as many
of them as he could, remaining on the
grounds for an hour.
When the President and MS party
left the shelter of their tent, crowos
over the exhibition grounos
to catch a glimpse of his departure.
Then came an order to clear the
snace. Scores of mounted cavalrymen
rode their prancing steeds through
the crowd, trying to turn the specta'
tors back, and no one seemed 10
know what 1t was all ABOUT: Ihen.
finally. the word was passed apou.
that the President had not departed
and was going through the various
exhibition booths. The long space was
kept cleared as the President and mrs.
Coolidge. accompanied by off1cials,
watched with deep interest the bak-
ing of Army loaves and the operation
of field shops. and stopped to inspect
the pan.American flight planes tnat
shared in the general attraction.
Enthusiastic Over Success.
officers of the Army Relief Society.
for whose benefit the huge military
carnival was arranged. were enthusi.
astic last night over the success OF
the affair. which promises to become
an annual event. More than 2o,ooo
persons attended the final two per:
formances and yesterday was great
day for the school children OF the
city. They thrilled to the daring Ieats
Of Capt. Serene Brett, who was blown
up for his nineteenth time yesterday
afternoon. BY hundreds, the boys
and girls dashed across the parade
ground to see IL the rash captain had
survived the blast of INT wnlcn
blew his tank skyward for several
feet. And they saw the captain chmp
out Of his iron cage with broad grin
on his face and shake the dirt from
his face and shoulders.
1t was a great treat, and the young
aters enjoyed it even more than capt.
Brett.
The youngsters were determined to
make q great day Of 1t, and hundreds
welt home happy with empty car
tridges as. souvenirs Of the b.oodless
cattle Of Madeleine Farm.
The performance yesterday aiter'
noon was the same as previously given
with exception that the air features
were augmented by triple parachute
jump from an Army Fokker three.en'
gined monoplane. piloted by Lieut..
Peter Skanse.
Scrgts. Roy Hooe and r. Langston
and Corpl. Emil Rastoony. leaped
from the Fokker simultaneously.
Sergt. Hooe. however. was carried by
a wind. which shifted at the last mo-
ment before the jumpers went over the
side, and landed in the river, about
five feet away from the sea wall. Ho
wore n IFS -preserver Jacket. which
Lieut.. Skanse insisted on before the
men went aloft, and from the air the
pilot was able to determine that Sergt.
Hooe was not In danger.
Given In Rapid Succession.
The other numbers on thJ aeronaut-
ical program were the sam as those
given Friday. An unusual ature OF