Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-01
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

I1eI members, JUSTICES Vi bIlC Supreme
Court, United States Senators, MEM
bers of the House of Representatives
and the diplomatic corps. are taking a
| de luxe educational course in travel
! and in industrial developments by way
of the motion picture.
! The Bureau of Commercial Economies
/ has for the past Is years been conduct
| ing free showings of the best films OBJ
/ tainable from all parts of the world,
displaying the beauty spots of all coun-
! tries, improvements in industrial proc
esses and scientific Announcements which
have been of epochal advantage to
| humankind.
Just now the Bureau of Commercial
Economics is conducting a series of
Diplomatic Sunday Evenings" in the
J new Shoreham Hotel ball room, each
devoted to pictures of some particular
country, with the Ambassador from
that country as the honor guest and
with lecture accompanying the films.
For example, last Sunday the affair
was in honor of the Italian Ambassa-
dor. The pictures included a trip from
Lake Como to Rome, the DolomiteS, the
building of the new railway station at
Milan and of the new port of Genoa.
The lecturer was DIR. Diego Petruzzelli
from the Royal University of Italy.
The preceding Sunday night the affair
dor, M. Paul Claudel. The pictures
were of the City of Pau, the Moham-
medan Paradise, the French Sahara,
lie Touquet-Paris PLACE" and the Blue
Bird. The lecturer was Maj. Georges
Thenault, French military attache for
aeronautics.
Tonight the special guest Of honor is
the Minister from Finland. DR.. Milo
Idman, secretary of the legation, will
lecture on new films of Finland.
Other recent Sunday evening enter
tainments were in honor of the United
States Marines, with the Marine Band
Orchestra in attendance. and in honor
of Secretary of War Hurley, the pic
lures including West Point, Aberdeen
and Dellwood
Several speeches have been made by
leaders in Congress, who have empha-
sized that the same type of films as are
shown at these gatherings of the high
est officials, not only of the United
states Government, but of the mosl
important nations of the world, are
available also for schools, churches
clubs and civic organizations for edu-
cational purposes.
The Bureau Of Commercial Econom-
les, these leaders in Congress have ex-
planned In the Congressional Record, is
an association Of governments, inStitu-
tons, manufacturers, producers anc
transportation lines of America anc
other countries to engage in dissem-
mating geographical, commercial, In
duStrial and vocational information by
the graphic method of motion pictures
some of which show how things In
common use are made or produced and
under what conditions.
The bureaus stock of films includes
the most recent and best obtainable
covering Great Britain, Peru, Mexico
Italy, Brazil, Spain, France, Chile, Bel
Hungary, Finland, Colombia, Panama
Austria, Egypt, Bulgaria, Dominican
Republic, Siam, Rumania, Canada
Netherlands, Bolivia, Lithuania, Poland
Serbia, as well as those of the United
States Army, Navy and Marines.
In its series Of Sunday night enter
tainmentS the Bureau of Commercial
Economies has shown on the screen the
work of most of the United States Gov
eminent. Among its most popular pro-
grams were Forty Thousand Miles
With Lindbergh," with music by the
United States Army Band; Tales and
Trails of the Rockies" with an address
by Col. Philip A. Moore; "Old French
Canada" at which L. o. Armstrong, g
pioneer nearly 80 years of age, remi-
niSced of his adventures. An especially
interesting series of eight subjects in
cluded "a Mediterranean Cruise,
Half the World" THE ST. Lawrence
Seaway," Through Canada's Rockies,
across Canada" Beautiful Nipigon,
1.-THE Banff Country" and Lake Lou
ise."
Representative Henry T. Rainey oil
Illinois, who has been an enthusiastic
attendant at these instructive shows
for number OF years, in speech IN
the House declared: THE Bureau OF
Commercial Economics renders an
extraordinary service to the people Of
the entire United States. Its films
gathered from all parts of the world
entirely educational in character, are
available to any responsible organiza-
Jion simply for the carrying charges.
Representative Rainey submitted list
of hundreds of cities and towns
throughout the country which have had
an opportunity to see these films.
He emphasized that this bureau
renders a purely altruistic service. II
is operated without profit through the
unflagging zeal and self-sacrif1cing eff
forts of its director, DR.. Anita Maris
Boggs, and its dean, Randolph M
Boggs. The real purpose of the bureau
is to teach men and women and chill
dren all over the world to think, to
compare, to judge in the light of full
knowledge and to realize that under all
appearances, all external differences
there is a fundamental unity of hui
mainly" The sole purpose is to pro-
mote international good relations By
these films and lectures.
other speakers in Congress have re-
ferred to the history of this bureau
which was founded in 1912. They point
out that the motive power of the bu-
reau comes from two modest persons
who have the characteristics of the old
Philadelphia Quaker family from which
they sprang of never talking about
| themselves. They are native-born
Americans, one of their forefathers
oeing a signer of the Declaration of
Independence.
Members of Congress are advising
schools and other institutions through
out their home districts that these reels
are loaned to universities, colleges,
technical and agricultural schools, pub
lie libraries, State armories, high
schools, peoples institutes, public in
situations, State oranges, chambers of
commerce, boards of trade, commercial
clubs, Rotary, KiwaniS, Lions and, in
fact, almost any gathering interested in
broader view of life. For the larger
audiences the bureau provides, without
| expense, special lecturers on current
subjects, travel, industry and banking.
Members of Congress have been par
ticularly interested in the question of
how this bureau Is maintained and
they have made it plain in speeches
in the legislative body that mo film
is shown for money consideration I'M
der any circumstances, nor preference
given film or a subject on account of
contribution. Contributions are re-
ceived only to an amount sufficient to
cover transportation charges, insurance
and upkeep of the films. The bureau is
not operated for profit and has no
capital stock. No film will be shown
which Is untruthful, or misleading, or
which awakens hope of opportunity