Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-15
BYRD WILL PAY
TRIBUTE TO PEARY
South Pole Explorer to Visit
Arlington While Here
Friday.

Paying ms respects 10 an lntreplc
naval colleague who, without the aid OF
such modern marvels of exploration as
the airplane and radio. conquered
polar wastes with dog team and sledge
Rear Admiral Byrd, aerial master OF
both Poles. will lay a wreath on the
tomb of Admiral Peary in Arlington
during the flyers visit here next Fri
day.
Admiral Byrd is coming here to make
bis first official report on the South
Sole flight to the National Geographic
Society and to receive from President
Hoover "a special gold medal to be
awarded by the society in commemora-
ton Of Byrds aerial achievements in
Antarctica.
The report and the presentation will
take place in the Washington Audi
torium before a brilliant company of
invited guests. The initial showing of
che remarkable motion pictures taken
BY the expedition will be a feature of
the ceremonies Friday night.
viii Bring Party.
Admiral Byrd will arrive at Union
Station from New York by special train
Friday morning, bringing with him
some 30 members of the Antarctic party.
the latter including not only those who
stayed with their commander on the
in New Zealand or in manning supply
ships on their dangerous trips through
the pack ice.
on board the train will be Admiral
Ryrd's wife and son and the admirars
mother, Mrs. Eleanor Boiling Byrd
Two brothers, former Gov. Harry Byrd
OF Virginia and Capt. Thomas Byrd,
also will be in the family group.
President Hoover will receive the en-
tire party at the White House at 1890
o'clock Friday afternoon, and at 1880
O'Clock the party will be entertained at
luncheon in the Willard Hotel by the
trustees of the National Geographic
Society. At o'clock Admiral Byrd
will pay his respects to Secretary of
the Navy Adams at the Navy Depart
ment.
Broadcast Presentation.
On leaving the Navy Department
Admiral Byrd and his command will
go to Arlington for the tribute at Ad-
mtral Peary's tomb. Byrd paid a similar
tribute to Scott. first to reach the South
Pole. while the party was in New
Zealand
On leaving Arlington the group will
be taken on an automobile tour of the
city
The ceremonies in the Auditorium
will be broadcast by the Nationwide
AAEthO4 No VI lilC NdblDIdl
Co. and the Columbia Broadcasting
System. Stations WRC and WMAL are
to carry the program locally.
DR.. Gilbert GroSvenor, president of
the National Geographic Society, will
preside.
Confronted with demand for seats
exceeding even the record deluge which
marked the Lindbergh ceremonies three
years ago, the Geographic Society an
nonnced yesterday that all reservations
have been exhausted for the exercises
at the auditorium, with more than
10000 additional applications suffering
rejection.
Greatest List Of Applications.
Never in the history of the society
has the avalanche of requests FOR seats
at similar ceremony been comparable
to that which has developed with the
return Of Admiral Byrd from his epochal
aerial adventures in Antarctica.
Such explorers as Peary, Roosevelt,
Shackleton, Amundsen and Lindbergh,
not to mention Byrd himself upon his
return from his North Pole flight, have
drawn tremendous crowds to cere-
monies arranged by the society, but
ohlcials Of the organization declared
today the present situation is without
precedent.
The seats in the auditorium were
made available wholly to the member
ship OF the society, except for the few
invitations sent to the distinguished Of
nctals and diplomats who viii be guests
Of the society.
Invitations were mailed simultaneous
" TO all members of the society in
Washington and vicinity. and the next
morning 800 acceptances had arrived
by special delivery, and the now con-
ffnflGd during the dau until
plications had been received BY noon
Of the next day all seats had been as
signed in the order of acceptance, and
since that time the clerical staff has
been busy writing and explaining by
telephone.