Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-28
washington FETE
PLAN IS OUTLINED
Secretary of BicentenniaI
Body Says Anniversary Cele-
bration to Be Solemn.


to perpetuate for generations to come
@ new exaltation of George Washing
ton and hold his life and deeds up to
these generations rs inspirations in
right living is the aim of the United
States Commission for the Celebration
of the 20oth Anniversary OF the Birth
of George Washington, William Tyler
Page, clerk of the United States House
of Representatives and executive sec
rotary of the bicentennial commission,
told members of the Washington Opt
mist Club at their weekly luncheon
meeting yesterday afternoon at the
Hamilton Hotel.
"If George Washington had not been
an optimist. we should never have. had
q Constitution Of the United States,
Mr.. Page declared.
Definite plans for the celebration
have not been formulated yet, although
an outline has been drawn and is ex-
pected to be adopted at a meeting to
be held shortly at the White House
with President Hoover sitting as chair
man of the commission for the first
time, Mr.. Page said.
Solemn Celebration.
'"The commission" Mr.. Page declared,
"realizes the tremendous task of ar
ranging a celebration which will COM
port with the dignity of the occasion.
1t is not to be gay celebration. but
rather, a solemn one. It is not to be
associated with expositions or exhibit
lions. The public is fed up with that
sort of thing. Rather it Is to see such
works created that will bring a new
conception, a new exaltation of the life
and deeds of George washington for
the inspiration of generations to come. y
He cited the plans of the National
Wakefield Association for placing q
reproduction of the birthplace of Wash
ington at Wakefield, where the Father
of His Country was born, and making
of the historic place shrine for pill
Crims seeking the benign influence "
George Washington upon their lives.
The Washington Mount Vernon High
way is another Of the great works which
the commission sees as fitting Tor Such
q celebration, he declared.
He also cited the pledge of the South
ern Scottish Rite Masons to raise
SI,OOO,0OO for a school of government
at George Washington University, fash.
Toned along Washington's own ideas OF
such a school, as the sort of thing that
should be done to honor the memory
of Washington.
Organization Explained.
The Bi-centennial Commission SeCre-
tary explained the whole organization,
which is making plans for the celebra-
ton, with its AZ State commissions the
insular possessions commission and
the District of Columbia, working With
the national commission as the hub OF
activities.
The District, he said, will be the hub
OF the celebration, by reason Of its close
association with the Washingtonians
of the hills and towns of Virginia.
The OptimistS unanimously elected
to membership in the club the following
and will initiate them at dinner meet
ing to be held Tuesday, December TO-,
which will supplant the weekly lunch
con of that week: Benjamin CaTow,
Earl E. Goss. Frank j. Wagner, Roland
z Reutlinger, Harry q. Harris, Samuel
Richards, George F. Hane, James A.
MacHale, Tracey K. Bruce, Harry M.
Watkins, Henry j. Horner, James Ray
mond Pope, Joseph B. Murphy, Paul
Easby-Smith, Carl w. Knighton, How
ard L. Sprague, Earl A. Nash and Lewis
Edwin Ryan.
The club voted to buy a new set Of
uniforms for two Optimist-sponsored
basket ball teams of the Boys Club.