Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-22
BACK TO DISTRICT
IS GIVEN IMPETUS
Retrocession Campaign Gets
Renewed Activity in Organ
ization of Club.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
ASHTON HEIGHTS, Va, August %.
The retroceSsion movement Of the
Back to the District Club assumed
definite proportions last night at Q
mass meeting held at the Ashton
HEIGHTS Women's Club with the cleo
ton of officers. the naming Of an ex-
ecutiye committee and the preparation
of preliminary plans for the campaign
through which the club hopes to have
Arlington County taken back into the
District of Columbia.
DR.. Frank T. Stone Of Clarendon,
president of the Clarendon Trust Co.,
was elected president Of the organiza-
ton, with Richard L. Eacho of Ashton
Heights, leader Of the back to the Dis
trict" movement, vice president, and
Walter e. Sias Of Lyon Park, secretary
and treasurer.
Executive Body Named.
Seven members Of the club were
named by DR.. Stone to serve with him
on the executive committee, which will
be composed of - influential residents
of the county'S three magisterial dis
trictS. They are DR.. j. H. Walton Of
Cherrydale. J. Claude Byers Of Alcova
Heights, Miss Bessie Christian Of Rad
nor Heights, James w. Head of Bar
croft, w. g.. Donaldson of Seminary
Hill. Vice President Eacho and Secre-
tary SiaS..
The remaining places on the executive
board, will be filled by DR.. Stone before
the first weekly meeting of the COM
mittee, which will be held at his home
Wednesday night at 8 o'clock. when
other committees will be appointed and
further plans for the campaign dis
cusSed..
The club was given assurance by
Eacho last night that the movement
has the support of several Representa-
tives and Senators, including Repre-
sentative William Wood of Indiana,
Senators Fletcher L. Oddie of Nevada,
Harry j. Allen. Of Kansas and Guy D.
Gof of West Virginia.
DR.. Stone held up three courses for
the club to take in its retrocession
movement, as follows:
First. q direct appeal to the higher
sentiment the common sense and the
plain duty Of the people of Virginia;
second. have the act OF Congress re-
ceding this section of the State, which
was coded to the national Government
for its all-time Capital, declared null
and void by reason of its being uncon-
stitutional, and third, and probably the
wiSest and most patriotic course, an
appeal to the United States Congress
for constitutional amendment expand
ing the metropolitan area to provide
for the growth Of Washington for 200
years to come
Better on With District.
Rev Perry Mitchell of the Clarendon
Baptist Church declared that 1.-The
county would be q great deal better off
in every particular as a part of the
District and that he could not see how
any one can fail to see that the logical
thing for the county to do is to go back
to the District"
J. Claude Byers Of the executive COM
mittee stated that if the matter was
properly presented to the State Legis-
lature the hackers Of the movement
having the Legislature act to cede the
county back to the District.
H. E. Hay of Lyon Park and Mrs. r.
l.. Eacho. wife Of the leader of Tie
movement, asserted that the most
prominent business men Of the county
and number of Washingtonians are
in favor Of retrocession. but are MAIN
tanning silence until more opportune
time to speak presents itself.
THE time Is coming when the move
ment will grow so large and so fast
that 1t win sweep everything before H."
Hay said.
1t was suggested that the presidents
Of every civic organization In the county
be asked to designate their clubs most
influential member to affiliate with the
Back to the District" Club to promote
more widespread interest in the Eachc
plan.
Monthly meetings will be held in vari-
Gus sections Of the county as q further
means Of building up interest 1t is
planned to meet next month In the
auditorium of the Jefferson District
Fire Departments engine house at Wiz
ginia Highlands. No date has been set
as yet.