Evening star., 1932-11-16
GOVERNMENT AID
PLANNED TO HALT
'HUNGERMARCHERS'
District Commissioners Hope
to Discourage Pilgrim
ages at Sources.
SERIOUS SITUATION
SEEN BY MAI. BROWN
Police Investigating Proposed DEM
onstration at White House on
Thanksgiving Day.

The District Commissioners, It was
learned today, are planning to seek the
aid Of the Federal Government in dis
couraging the pilgrimages to Washing
ton this Winter Of the hunger march,
ers" and other unemployed groups
Corporation Counsel William w. Bride
has been delegated by the Commission
ers to confer with Attorney General
Mitchell, In an effort to work out plan
to check the marchers before many of
them start on a pilgrimage to the
Capital.
The decision to ask the cooperation
Of Federal authorities followed a confer
ence between Commissioner Herbert B.
Crosby and Maj. Ernest w. Brown, su-
perintendent Of police, at which plans
were discussed for handling the unem-
ployed armies II they come In spite Of
repeated warnings that the District is
utterly without funds to feed and
shelter the marchers.
Serious Situation Seen
Mai. Brown admitted after the con-
ference that the situation would be
serious If the 5000 or more men and
women come to Washington next month
without any means Of subsistence, which
INV dPPNNA0 AAhCAys aC(O4A44AS W
nation received by the Police Depart
ment.
THE coming of these unemployed
groups" Maj Brown said, will in
evitably place serious situation upon
the District for which it Is not RESPONSE
bic. The Police Department, as well as
the Commissioners, are doing every
thing possible to discourage the march,
ers, but it appears to be Of no avail
With q force Of less than 400 men.
Maj. Brown pointed out that the de-
partment would be confronted with q
dth1cult problem in handling the more
than 5000 unwanted visitors, especially
In the event Of an emergency. Never
theless, be said, he and his subordinateS
had worked out a program Of action,
predicated on the duty Of the depart
ment to maintain law and order and to
protect life and property.
Probing Demonstration.
Immediately after Maj. Brown re-
turned to hts office at police head
quarters, he directed Inspector Frank
s. w. Burke, chief Of detectives. to
determine, If possible, the extent Of
the proposed Thanksgiving day demon
stration at the White House Of several
hundred children, who are reported to
y SOA14A4S W PAOGco6 70 ETeSIQenb
Hoover against the unemployment situ-
alton. Herbert Benjamin, leader of the
so-called hunger march," has in
formed District officials these children
will be brought TO Washington as q
preliminary demonstration to the ma
tional hunger march.
The children are to be recruited from
cities in the East and New England
States, and Inspector Burke plans to
contact police officials in these places
in an effort to get advance informa-
ton as to the number coming, the mode
Of transportation and the nature Of the
proposed demonstration at the White
House.
Airport Site Offered.
An offer to turn over the 2,000-acre
George Washington airport site below
Alexandria, Va, for the use of the
hunger marchers" and other groups
coming to Washington this Winter, was
made today to Maj. Brown by Henry
woodhouss of New York.
woodhouse, representative Of the
airport company. made a similar offer
during the encampment of the bonus
expeditionary force, but 1t was rejected
because he stipulated the large tract
would have to be cleared Of underbrush
AIlQ W66QS. Ills IlcW pIupOSdl ID CO1-
ditioned on construction by some Fed
eral agency Of temporary shelters for
the unemployed.
Check on Bonus Marchers.
Checking up on reports that 1850
members Of the original Bonus Expedi-
tionary Force had secretly returned to
Washington, police learned that the
remnants Of the once large bonus army
who started an organization known as
the Khaki Shirts of America, had aban-
doned headquarters In the 1900 block
of North Capitol street and moved to
the 1900 block Of D street northeast.
L. w. Waldo, secretary of the organi-
zation, said the North Capitol street
headquarters had to be given up be-
cause of the lack of funds. Other
members told police the organization
was dying" because of dwindling
financial support.
The latest organization to appeal to
former servtce men not to participate
in the various on-to-Washington move
mentS Is the District Department Of
the Disabled American Veterans. Rich
ard o. Motion, jr., commander of the
issued the appeal, which
pointed out that the various movements
are being organized by Communistic
agitators.
MARCHrRS AT WTNCuEcrru