Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-24
CAPITAL
AS MECCA IN 1882
Bloom Sounds Call for Citi-
zenS to Prepare to Care for
Bicentennial Visitors.

ners of the world will pour into Wash
ington next year for the George WASH
ington Bicentennial celebration, Rep
resentative Sol Bloom, associate direc-
tor of the Bicentennial Commission,
yesterday sounded a call for the Ma
tional Capital to get ready to take cafe
OF the incoming hordes.
Speaking at the George Washington
celebration of the Association of Oldest
Inhabitants at Western Presbyterian
Church, Representative Bloom explain
ed that the Bicentennial plans include
the whole United States in their scope,
but that all attention will be focused
upon this city.
Everything will be conferred upon the
District of Columbia" he declared.
This will be the mecca. The people
will come to the National Capital They
will pour into this city from all parts
of the world. You need have no fears
about their coming. They will be here
all right. But what are you going to
do with the people when they do come
here?
1T is necessary that proper arrange
ments be made to take care of the peo-
pie who will arrive for the celebration.
We are working with your District of
Columbia commission for observance
of the Bicentennial and will offer them
every cooperation. Our pageants will
be for you here in the District as well
as for the Nation.
Visitors All Year.
But you are going to have to wake
up to the fact that this will be differ
ent from anything else that has ever
been held here. For the organizations
will be arriving and departing through
out most of the year. One organiza-
ton will come and will stay for whole
week and will leave, and another will
arrive This city must make ready to
take care Of the crowds"
While Washington will be the cen
ter, Representative Bloom explained,
the Bicentennial celebration essentially
will be entirely different from most cele-
brations, where the plan is to bring
case of the Bicentennial, he explained,
I'VE are taking the celebration to the
people"
The George Washington Bicentennial
celebration win begin on February %,
1882, and will continue until Thanks
giving day of that year. 1t Is Spon-
sored by the United States Govern
ment, and every person in the United
States-every man. every woman and
every child-is invited to participate IN
this happy event
1T is our desire to have every sec
ton of the country-crossroads ham,
lets, villages, towns and cities-make
preparations for this glorious celebra-
ton. George Washington, you know,
belongs to all sections of the country
not to any one locality.
1T Is for this reason that a national
exposition has not been planned. OF
course, we are expecting the National
Capital to set celebration pace that
will make other sections Of the country
hustle to keep up with. But when the
oldest inhabitants get busy and arouse
the enthusiasm of the youngest inhab-
itants and the halfway inhabitants I
am sure this will be done in a manner
that will make the rest Of the world
sit up and take notice.
THE eyes of the world are on Wash
ington. We must not disappoint the
millions of people who will visit the
most beautiful of all cities during the
year. 1882.
This celebration will be different
from all others in the past. To a large
extent it will be in the hearts Of the
people of America. The people will be
given a greater opportunity than ever
before in the history Of our country
TO learn more about the life and
achievements Of this greatest Of all
Americans.
"One of the important features of
the Bicentennial Celebration will be
the publication of the Writings of
George Washington comprising some
Is or 80 volumes, printed by the
Government Printing Once on high
quality paper and illustrated in artistic
fashion. They will be placed in all the
public and educational libraries Of the
land and sold to the public at actual
cost.
Was Prolific Writer.
1T is an interesting fact that Wash
ngton, with pen made from the wing
feather Of a goose, wrote more letters
and speeches and state papers, kept
more accounts and detailed record OF
his daily doings than most men Of the
present day are able to do with the
aid of a stenographer and typewriter.
These books will be a liberal education
in themselves. The introduction to
these precious volumes has been writ
ten by President Hoover-a deserving
tribute from the present Engineer
President to the first Engineer Presi-
dent"
The speaker declared the bicentennial
would do much to get the American
people better acquainted with the
charms and wonders of the National
Capital. This city, he charged, was not
as well known to the people as 1t
should be.
There is nothing the matter with
the CITY," he said. but the matter
must be with the people, who have
not put out the Importance of the
city 10 the country as a whole. You
have a beautiful history here in the
District Of Columbia, but how many
people know anything about it?
You don't need a great exposition
here, an Eiffel tower. or huge ferris