Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-15
CELEBRATION GROUP
WILL Be ORGANIZED
Lansburgh Calls Meeting for
Next Week to Plan for
Centennial.

Quickly responding to a direct sug-
gestion by Representative Bloom of New
York. an associate director of the Wash
ington Bicentennial Celebration Conf
mission, that joint citizens committee
be promptly formed here to plan Local
features of the extensive program, Mark
Lansburgh. president of the Merchants
and Manufacturers Association, today
issued an invitation to heads Of all the
larger civic and professional bodies 70
meet next week to set up temporary
organization.
The request that an unofficial joint
citizens committee Immediately set 70
work to prepare suggestions for WASH
ington's own participation in the cele-
bration in honor of the Nations first
President was made yesterday after
noon by Mr.. Bloom in an address be-
fore the board of governors of the Mer-
chants Association.
After Mr.. Bloom had outlined gen.
orally the national program being per-
fected for the great celebration, point
ing out the opportunities and response
bilities resting on this city, where many
leading events will be staged, President
Lansburgh pledged full cooperation Of
his association, and today sent out the
call for joint conference with SpokeS-
men from other local groups.
Calls on Other Associations.
Included among associations to be
urged to have delegates at the organiZa-
ton meeting next week, he said, will be
the Board of Trade, Washington Cham
Der of Commerce, Federation of Citi-
zens' Associations, District Bankers As
ISOLATION, Real Estate Board, District
Bar Association and the Operative
Builders Association.
While local groups have been await
ing formation of an official local CEN
trail commission to lead the way IL
plans for local participation, merchant
officials decided, following the Sugges-
ton of Mr. Bloom, that an unofficial
joint organization should be set to work
immediately and that its plans and
suggestions later could be co-ordinated
with the official District movement
when that is organized.
There is much to be done by local
citizens here, as we'll as in every city
of the country, Mr.. Bloom told the
board, and work should be started now
Washington will be the central stage
in the celebration, Bloom said. Tie
curtain will be rung up on February %,
1892, and will be dropped only at the
conclusion of the great series of events
on Thanksgiving day OF that year, he
said
The Federal Government will finance
the national pageantry and country
wide celebration, but each city must
provide its own celebrations, he said.
CommercialiZed programs are not to
have place in the bicentennial, which
rather will be on an educational plane,
he pointed out.
TaIkie Is Being Planned.
Ore of the snecial features MANNED
is the development of talking" mo-
ton picture of historical character trac-
ing the life of George Washington, this
to be shown to the public in connection
with official programs.
All national organizations and other
important bodies holding conventions
during the time of the bicentennial are
to be urged to build their programs on
the Washington celebration idea. For
eign societies will be asked to stage
their conventions in Washington and
foreign nations will be asked to send
warships and other delegated vessels TO
Washington.
With thousands of visitors thus to
be flocking into this city, the people Of
Washington viii have the responsibility
of largely assisting in their entertain
ment, and organized hospitality should
be ready in store for these visitors, Mr..
Bloom declared.
The Washington Bicentennial CON-
mission, its associate director said,
wants the assurance that local organi-
nations will be ready to aid in the cele-
bration and will welcome suggestions
as to what programs and preparations
should be made. To this end, he said,
all local organizations should quickly
name representatives on a joint citizens
committee