Evening star., 1937-05-11
MISS B0ARDMAN
TOBE.HONOREDAT
RED CROSS EVENT
Banquet Tonight to Pay
Tribute to Leader in
Organization.
NATIONAL CONVENTION
OPENS SESSIONS HERE
Resume Of Work in Flood Relief
Given Delegates-Prominent
Speakers Heard.

Miss Mabel T. Boardman, the only
woman ever named District Com
missioner, will be feasted and toasted
tonight by the American Red Cross,
which owes much Of its present emf
nence to her wrok with it for the last
81 years.
The delegates to the annual con.
vention Of the society will meet at
pm. in the Willard Hotel to hear five
banquet addresses honoring Miss
Boardman, whose work with the Red
Cross already has prompted the
French government to make her a
chevalier Of the Legion Of Honor and
has brought her decorations from
Belgium, Japan, Portugal, Italy, Ser.
bia and Sweden
The five appointed to sing the
praises OF Miss Boardman, who is sec.
retary OF the Red Cross, are Colin
Herrle, assistant director Of the Red
Cross Disaster Relief Service; Mrs.
August Belmont, member Of the Gen.
trail Committee; Vicomte Bonabes de
Rouge, secretary general OF the League
OF Red Cross Societies; r. Walton
Moore, Assistant Secretary of State
and member of the Central Commit
tee, and Miss Betty Ward, Junior Red
Cross member from the Fairfield High
School, Fairfield, Conn.
Admiral Grayson to Preside.
A half-hour pictorial presentation
OF Red Cross events covering the
period from 1900 to the present, the
term Of Miss Boardman's association
with the organization, will close the
banquet. Admiral Cary T. Grayson,
chairman of the Red Cross, will act
as POSTMASTER, and Rev. Arthur A.
OLeary, S. j., president Of George
town University, is to pronounce the
invocation
Miss Boardman holds an honorary
degree from Yale University and Alex.
ander Morris plans to start his con.
cert Of the United States Navy Band,
OF which he is assistant leader, at the
banquet with the Yale song, "Boola
Boola.' Other institutions which have
conferred upon her honorary degrees
are George Washington and Western
Reserve Universities and Converse
College. She served as District Com
missioner under President Wilson
from 1920 to 1921.
The District of Columbia Chapter
OF the Red Cross was put ON the 1896
membership honor roll, the convention
was told this morning by James K.
McClintock, vice chairman Of the
American Red Cross In charge Of
finances. Montgomery County was
the only Maryland chapter which
gained the roll. These Virginia chap
ters made it: Alexandria, Arlington
County, Dickinson County, Fortress
Monroe, Big Stone Gap, Fredericks.
burg, Langley Field, Newport News,
Norfolk, Quantico Marines and Salem.
Chapters whose membership is
equal to or exceeds 10 per cent of the
population of the area they serve are
admitted to the honor rolls.
In time Of peace keep yourselves
in readiness to aid the i'll and wounded
IN time OF war, Miss Boardman sug.
gested today to the convention dele
gates in Continental Memorial Hall.
The sessions opened yesterday and
will continue through Thursday.
Don't let us oowardly refuse to face
facts as they are" she said. I'VE have
had six serious wars in our national
life and We are in no way immune
from future wars. There is no stronger
force for international peace and good
will than the Red Cross. But until
Its spirit pervades the world We will
have wars"
Is Speakers Listed.
Miss Boardman was one of IS speak.
ers on the convention program for
today's morning and afternoon ses.
sions. Concurrent with the Red Cross
convention, which has attracted 1000
delegates, runs the convention Of the
Junior Red Cross. represented here by
800 grammar school and high school
boys and girls.
The two conventions were united
last night for an unprecedented spec
tacle at Constitution Hall. Eighteenth
street between c and D Streets
dramatic resume Of the Red Cross
work during the floods Of the Ohio and
Mississippi Rivers last January.
Motion pictures Of wild waters, ex.
citing radio announcements and
speeches from the men who directed
most of the work of disaster relief in
connection with the flood feature the
program. The speakers included Ad-
ministrator Hopkins of the Works
Progress Administration, Gen Malin
Craig, chief Of staff. U. S. A.; Assistant
Surgeon Gen. Draper, United States
Public Health Service; Rear Admiral
r. r. Waesche, Coast Guard, and
Senator Barkley of Kentucky.