Evening star., 1928-12-08
COL. GRANT is APPOINTED
INAUGURAL GROUP CHAIRMAN
viii Lose No Time Getting
Machinery in Motion
for Event.
Selection Comes as Surprise
and Understood to Be at
Hoover'S Wishes.

With the appointment of Lieut. Col
| Z. S. Grant, Sd. u. S. A., Corps of
Engineers, officer in charge of public
building and parks, as chairman of the
committee TO arrange for the celebra-
ton of the inauguration of Herbert
Hoover as President on March 4 next,
plans for that great occasion will now
quickly take definite form.
The selection of Col. Grant, whose
distinguished grandfather had two of
the most colorful inaugural celebrations
in history was announced by DR.. Hubert
Work, chairman of the Republican
national committee.
The first step taken by Col Grant
incident to mapping out the inaugural
committee work was to confer with
Chairman Work in the latter's office and
meet five members of the Republican
State committee for the District. near
ly all of whom have been prominently
identified with planning inaugural cele-
bratlonS in the past. In the latter
group were William T. Galliher, who
was chairman of the inaugural commit
/ tee four years ago; Edward F. Cola
day and Mrs. Virginia White Speel, the
Republican national committeeman and
committeewoman for the District of CO.
lumbia c. c. Glover jr.. vice chair
man of the State committee, and I.
Lincoln Townsend, secretary Of the
committee Samuel j. Prescott, chair
man of the State committee. was unable
to be present on account of illness,
Cable Sent to Hoover.
Immediately after this meeting, Dr.
Work sent a message to Mr.. Hoover
asking his ideas as to what the program
should be.
The delegates assured Col Grant and
Dr. Work that the Republican State |
committee as an organization and they |
as individuals could be depended upon |
to cooperate to the fullest extent in |
making the Hoover inaugural a COM |
plete success. Suggestions were made |
to Col. Grant in the matter of arrange |
mentS and individual views as to the |
scope of the celebration were offered. !
Col. Grant did not commit himself. |
One idea advanced during this discus |
sion was to the effect that in the event |
that inaugural plans do not include an |
inaugural ball, it would be highly ap- |
propriate and popular to have ball of |
a selni-offlcial nature that could be |
held in the interests of charity, which |
undoubtedly would serve to add to the |
pleasure OF the many visitors who will |
be in the Capital at that time.
Col. Grant intends to lose no time |
starting in motion the machinery to ar |
range for the celebration He said today |
when questioned as to the possible scope |
OF the inaugural celebration, that while |
he personally had any number of ideas |
ne had not yet worked out any, |
thing of definite nature. He stated |
that whatever is decided upon will con-
form with the wishes of the President |
elect so far as possible. He added in this /
connection that he understood Mr.. /
Hoover preferred a more or less simple |
celebration, such as marked the in |
augurals of both President Coolidge and |
President Harding. He said, however,
that he had been given no instructions
officially in this respect.
Col. Grants first undertaking will
be to select the personnel of those who
are to assist him in this work. It is
his intention to submit a tentative plan
to the President-elect for his approval
before going ahead.
Headquarters Plans.
1t is Col Grants expecta ton to ar
range for centrally located headquar-
ters for the committee He said that
the Willard Hotel probably would be de-
cided upon as headquarters for the
forthcoming inaugural
Col. Grants selection is understood
to have been made by Mr. Work in ac-
cordance with the personal wishes Of
PreSident-elect Hoover. His appoint
ment came as distinct surprise 1t has
been very generally the custom in the
past to appoint some civic or political
leader of the District of Columbia as
chairman of the presidential inaugural
committee. Col Grant also was taken
wholly unawares when DR.. Work prof
fnr tNf %txn i
the offer was not made until yesterday
afternoon.
ColOrful Affair Seen.
Appointment Of Col. Grant has given
rise to feeling on the part of many in
the city that very colorful and in
tereStlng celebration may be looked for
by the citizens of Washington There
are some among those who have been
advocating what has been referred to
as an old-fashioned celebration of a
gala nature, who, because the new
chairman happens to be a military
officer, are hopeful that the scope of
the celebration arranged under his di-
rection will be of the magnitude ac-
cepted here in the sense of an old
fashioned affair.
Speculation today in this respect ad-
vanced the suggestion that probably
President-elect Hoover had this in mind
when he selected man of the military
for this work
There was no inaugural ball to fea
ture either the Coolidge or Harding GEL
ebrationS, and it is thought very un-
likely there will be one in Mr. Hoovers
honor. The latter is reported to have
expressed himself very definitely in op-
position to an inaugural ball. Whether
or not there will be more reviewing
stands erected along the line of march