Evening star., 1934-02-04
800 At BANQUET
OF TRADE BOARD
President Too Busy to At.
tend, but Byrd Sends
Message.

Although disappointed at the fail
ure of President Roosevelt to appear
as scheduled. more than 300 members
| of the Washington Board of Trade
and their guests, at the Willard Hotel
last night held its 1884 Midwinter
dinner, the most auspicious event in
its calendar of activities.
The Chief Executive, who until the
last minute had been expected to
attend, found the press of official
affairs too great to do So
: At the long head table of the ban
quet hall were seated many leaders
in the political, social and diplo-
matte life of the Capital, and the
list of guests included many persons
prominent in public and private
circles.
One of the features of the program
came shortly after 10 o'clock when
Claude w. Owen, president of the
Board of Trade, and Speaker of the
House Henry T. Rainey exchanged
radio greetings with Rear Admiral
Richard E. Byrd and his expedition
in Little America.
Voice From Icy Wastes.
Although reception was far from
perfect, the voice of Admiral Byrd
was clearly heard from the make
shift broadcasting station in the icy
wastes 10000 miles away. The occa-
sion marked the Inauguration of Sta
ton KFZ, the southernmost radio
outlet licensed by the Federal Radio
Commission.
This station was set up during the
last week, after the broadcasting unit
, had been removed from aboard the
S. S. Jacob Rupert. the expedition
ship which is now on its way back.
leaving the Byrd explorers in the
Antarctic
Elaborate preparations had been
, made for the broadcast by Columbia
BroadcaSting System engineers, and
successful tests were carried out Fri
day night. Immediately after a
broadcast January q from the vessel,
Charles J. V. Murphy and John N.
Dyer, c. B. S. men with the expedi-
ton, began to dismantle their equip
ment for transportation over the g.
mile ice route to Little America. Ad-
miral Byrd placed sufficient sledges
and dog teams at their disposal to
carry the 1,000-Watt short wave trans
mitter and the 5.oOO-watt power plant
TO the new broadcasting point.
Describing this transfer last night.
Admiral Byrd said it was necessary
to use the telegraph poles. taken along
for antenna towers, for bridges across
crevlceS In the ice. For the time
being. he said. the broadcasting studio
Is in tent fastened on the ice.
10 to Is Below Zero.
The temperature, Byrd said, was
between 10 and Is degrees below zero.
although it has dropped to 40 below
in the last week He said with the
return of the Rupert. they did not
expect tine next mail or supplies from
! the United States until 1885. The ex-
pedition is we'll stocked with supplies
to last until then.
In the audience which heard the
broadcast were Senator Harry Byrd
of Virginia, brother of the explorer.
and DR.. Dana Conan of Johns Hop
kins Hospital. who accompanied Byrd
on his previous expedition to the
South Pole.
Carrying out the theme of the din
ner. In the Land of the Midnight
Sun" the banquet hall of the Willard
Hotel was decorated after the manner
of an iceland setting. and the vaude-
vile stage took the form of an igloo.
The Byrd broadcast was the only
GaVlafIno from, ho
tional policy of no speeches" at these
functions.
The entertainment program in
cluded numbers by Broadway artists.
with Miss Dorothy Moran as mistress
OF ceremonies Fred East and Bill
Raymond. we'll known local vocalists.
also took part in the program. as well
as Chief Caupolican. baritone of the
Metropolitan and San Carlo Grand
Opera Companies. Music was by Leon
Brusilof's Music Masters"
The List Of Guests.
The Minister of Norway. Halvard
Bachke. Representative Henry r
Rainey. Speaker OF the House, Gen
John J PerShing. Senator Re bert r.
Reynolds. Senator Arthur Capper.
Senator Robert ID. CAREY. Senator
Warren X austin. Senator Harry
Flood Byrd 'nator Royal S Cope
land. Senate liner Thomas, Senator
James =. Byrnes Senator William
Henry Thompson, Senator Gerald p.
Nye. Senator Thomas r. Gore. Sem
ator Ernest w. Gibson. Senator John
G. Townsend. Representative Joseph
w. Byrns Representative Bertrand H.
Smell, Representative John J. Coch-
ran. Representative Wright Patman,
Representative Byron B. Harlan,
Representative Carl NJ. Weideman,
Representative Theodore b Werner.
Representative James G.. Scrugham,
Representative Gale H. Stalker, Rep
resentative Everett M. Dirksen, Rep
reSentative Thomas L. Blanton. Rep
resentative Ross A. Collins, Repre-
sentative A. Willis Robertson, Repre-
sentative Howard w. Smith, Repre-
sentative Robert Luce. Representative
John H. Morehead, Representative
Carroll L. Beedy, Representative Mi
chael K. Reilly, Representative Wes-
ley E. Disney, Representative B. M.
odSoboCll, WAL VIII
secretary to the President; Stephen
Early, secretary to the President;
Melvin c. Hazen, president District of
Columbia Board of Commissioners;
Guy T. Helvering, commissioner of in
ternal revenue; F. G. Await, deputy
controller of the currency: Hugh w.
Folger, chief bank examiner; I. l.
Chorpening, chief bank examiner
fifth Federal reserve district; Stanley
Reed, general counsel Reconstruction
Finance Corporation; Carroll B. Mer-
riam, board of directors, Reconstruc-
ton Finance Corporation w. w. Sui
livan, Reconstruction Finance Cor
poration; H. Warner Martin, assistant
to governor Federal Reserve Board;
Chester Morrill,, secretary Federal Re-
serve Board; E. G. Bennett. director
of the board, Federal Deposit Insur-
ance Corporation; Walter J. Owens,
secretary Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation; Carey H. Brown, Public
Works Administration; William F.
Stevenson, Home Loan Bank Board;
James G. Strong, assistant treasurer