Evening star., 1928-04-09

EASTER SUNSHINE
DRAWS THOUSANDS
Out Town Visitors Add to
City's Throngs in An
nuaI Promenade.

Bathed In warm sunshine and tinted
with the pastel shades of Spring. the
stately avenues and blossoming parks
of Washington furnished an inspiring
| background yesterday for another of
! the city's nationally famous Easter
| Sundays.
Thousands of citizens and visitors
| from out of town joined i'll the spirit
, of the day with round of obServanceS
devotional or otherwise~that ex-
tended from sunrise until nightfall
The afternoon, almost universally,
was turned over to a communion With
nature-the principal rites of which In
| volved a Saunter along the tree-lined
| boulevards and visit to the magniti-
| cent cherry blossom spectacle in Po-
| tomac Park.
Presidents Church Packed.
Although deprived of Its chief arbiter
| Mrs. Coolidge who was with her mother
| in Massachusetts. the annual i'm
promptu fashion parade was never more
| dazzling nor interesting than that of
yesterday.
President Coolidge made his way into
| the First Congregational Church. ac-
companied only by the White House
guests. Mr. and Mrs Frank w, Stearns
Of Boston. There he heard his pastor,
| the Rev DR.. Jason Noble Pierce. sound
| the deathless keynote Of the day--the
| story of the risen Christ.
| It seemed that most of WaShingtonS
throng of visitors had assembled in the
| vicinity of Tenth and G streets to get
| a glimpse of their President. and they
| had bedecked themselves with their
| best frockS and suits.
The church itself was packed to
| capacity. and more than 5000 persons
| had to be denied admission for lack of
! space The throng in the street and on
| the sidewalks in front of the church
was so dense that 1t was with some diff
| ficulty that the Presidents car reached
| the curb It was necessary for the
| police TO make lane for the Executive
| TO walk from the car to the church
| door.
| There was no disorder. More than
| 80 policeman. under the personal COM
| mand of Mai. HeSse, superintendent,
| were on hand and they were kept busy
principally in turning the crowds away
| from the steps leading to the entrance.
| The crowd was made up for the greater
| part by visitors.
Crowds at White House.
The Presidents Easter greetings were
| not confined TO the front Of the church.
| More than 1000 persons were stationed
| about the front portico of the White
| House to see him when he appeared on
| his way to church. and a still greater
| crowd was on hand TO cheer him on
| his return. Large crowds were gathered
about the gate leading from the White
| House grounds to Pennsylvania avenue.
In his Easter sermon DR.. Pierce
| stated that Easter Is the most Signih-
/ cant Sunday of the church year, be-
| cause it was commemorative OF the fact
| that those who believe In Christ shall
| never die" Recalling the sayings Of
| ST. Peter. he said, BY the grace Of
| God. am what am"
| Some time prior to leaving the White
| House for church the President went
| for a long stroll in the business section.
| Even at that early hour the streets
| were fairly well filled and he was kept
busy bowling and lifting his hat In re-
| Spouse TO greetings from passershy
| After dinner, which was at / clock.
| the President went for motor ride
through Georgetown and Arlington. He
! rode alone.
What appeared TO be Potomac Parks
greatest crowd participated in the
/ cherry blossom review yesterday after
noon. and the congestion of automo-
| biies that resulted taxed the resources
and tempers of all park police that
| could be marshaled.
Thousands of automobiles conVerged
| in the park filling the broad roadways
| from edge TO edge and at time over
| flowing onto the forbidden grass park
| wavs. Progress was by inches. due to
numerous Jams that could not be avoid
| ed at certain functions and over the
! tidal inlet bridge between East and
| West Potomac Parks.
AT the bridge approximately $4,000
| automobiles were counted IN the space
/ Of few hours, and ct the Fourteenth
| street entrance to the park a police es-
| innate placed the number Of passing
machines at $4,000. One motorist de-
clared it took him nearly two hours to
make the circuit OF Hams Point. A
number of cars exhausted their gas
supply and added to the congestion.
| Sunrise Services Held.
| Outstanding among the special Eas-
ter programs were the sunrise services
at Walter Reed Hospital and Temple
Heights. and the eyentide service In
the Sylvan Theater.
Some 1000 persons attended the I'M
pressive service at the Army medical
| center and viewed with awe the gigan-
tic living cross" formed by 500 uni
formed Red Cross workers, Army nurs-
es and men of the medical detachment.
Lieut.. Col. Edmund p. Easterbrook. the
new chief of chaplatns OF the Army.
made his first official appearance at
the services, delivering the Easter mes
sage. A sacred concert by the Army
Band opened the exercises. An officers
chorus of 80 voices. led by Maj. Lee
/ Tiilotson, and n childfens choir from
the medical center led in the vocal
program. Mrs. Walter X. Wilson. So
prano, sang "Hosanna." STAFF Capt.
Ernest II. Holz, divisional commander
If the Salvation Army. gave the scrip
ture reading and prayers were offered
by Rev. Daniel l.. Snyder, pastor OF
Emory M. Il. Church, and Capt A. q.
Oliver, lr., chaplain OF the medical
center.
| The services at Temple Heights were
under auspices Of the Federation Of
Churches. The message was delivered
| 10 Rev. DR. William 81. Abernethy
pastor OF Calvary Baptist Church. There
was responsive reading by Rev. II. G.
Reynolds, and prayers by Rev. J. r..
DufIleld and Rey. Dr. John q. Palmer.
Representative Kelly Of Pennsylvania
presided
70. NJ. parmenter, Assistant Attorney
General. delivered the principal address
at the services under the auspices oi
the District of Columbia branch Of the
National and international Community
Bible Readers League at the Sylvan
| Thcater. His subject was Easter"
More than 1000 persons attended the
exercises. which began at $40 O'Clock
and closed one hour later, Senator
Jones Of Washington presided. lie was
introduced by Mrs Louise Harding
EARL nreaidenL Of the DiaIricL OrRani-