Evening star., 1934-01-23
DEFENSE PARLEY
OFFICES OPENED
Ninth Women's Conference to
Begin Tomorrow Night
in Mass Meeting.

Headquarters were opened today in
the Mayf1ower Hotel for the ninth
Women's Patriotic Conference on Ma
tional Defense, which will open with
a mass meeting tomorrow night at
which delegates from womenS organ
izations in every State will be present.
Mrs. William H. Biester. jr., Of Phil
adelphia, chairman of the conference
and national president of the American
Legion Auxiliary, arrived in Washington
this morning with other conference
leaders and Immediately began final
preparations for the three-day meeting.
Peace with security" Mrs. Biester
said would be the dominating motive
Of the meetings.
"War Still Possibility"
1.-THE conference will seek to bring
can work to safeguard the peace and
increase the security Of the United
States in a world heavily armed and
dark with war threats" Mrs. Biester
said. Women of today must face
the fact that war is still a possibility
for the United States-a possibility
that would hold most dire consequences
for them If its naturalization should
find the United States unprepared for
defense. Their influence should be
exerted to reduce the possibility of war
and to lessen the danger to their
country. homes and families should
war come.
THE delegates who will come to
the conference here this week will
represent one million women of 81
patriotic organizations who are not
afraid Of the facts on the war prob
lem"
Tomorrow nights session will be
opened with a half-hour concert by
the Navy Band in the ball room of the
MayfoWer. Mrs. Biester will call the
session to order and welcome the dele
gates. Mrs. William E. Ochiltree, first
vice chairman and national president Of
the American War Mothers, will res
pond. Lieut.. Col. U. S. Grant, Sd,
Edward A. Hayes, national commander
of the American Legion; Admiral w. H.
STANDBY, chief of naval operations, and
Senator David A. Reed Of Pennsylvania
will deliver addresses.
At the second session Thursday
morning. committees will submit their
reports after which there will be ad-
dresses by Brig. Gen. Henry A. Reilly
of the Army Reserve, Rear Admiral E.
j. King, chief of naval aeronautics;
OSlldIOI 1Idululell Vi dIlu AS
sistant Secretary of War Harry H.
Woodring.
Beck Speaks Thursday.
The third session, to be held Thurs
day afternoon, will be an open forum
on national defense, at which each
speaker will invite and answer ques-
tionS from delegates. The speakers will
be Maj. Gen. George S. Simonds. COM
mandant of the Army War College;
Rear Admiral c. H. Woodward. men,
ber of the general board Of the Navy;
Brig. Gen. c. H. Lyman Of the United
States Marine Corps, and Princess Can
acuzene-Speransky, chairman of the
National Defense Committee Of the
American Legion Auxiliary.
Thursday night the conference din
ner will be held in the Mayflower ball
room at 7:30 O'Clock. at which Repre-
sentative James M. Beck Of Pennsyl-
vania will discuss 1.-THE National De-
fense"
The final session is scheduled for 9:3(
am. Friday. Reports Of the Creden-
tials Committee and the Resolutions
Committee will be made. respectively
by Mrs. Mamie Schmidt. national pres.
ident of the National Auxiliary OF the
United Spanish War Veterans, and Mrs
G. H. L. Brosseau of the Rhode Islanc
Association of Patriots. At that session
also there will be addresses by Repre-.
sentative j. j. McSwain, chairman Of
the House Committee on Military AT
fairs: Maj Gen. Hugh Drum, deputy
chief Of staff of the Army, and Assist.
ant Secretary of the Navy Henry L
Roosevelt.
Friday afternoon the conference dele.
gates will make q pilgrimage to the
Tomb OF the Unknown Soldier, In Ar
linRton.