Evening star., 1937-06-30
BURSTING BOMBS
| OPEN JAMb0REE
OF 25,0)O SCOUTS
1854 Flags FIutter to Tops
of Poles All Over Tented
City.
SIGHTSEEING OCCUPIES
BOYS UNTIL TONIGHT
Campfire Exercises Scheduled for
8 PM, When Dan Beard
Kindles Blaze.

The first National Jamboree Of the
Boy Scouts of America opened today
with bang.
The bang came from bombs burst.
ing in air high above the Washington
Monumental signal that magically
transformed the far-rea ching city OF
canvas into a color-splashed city Of
flags.
The aerial bombardment marked the
official start of Today jubilee by
scoutdom that will unfold to Wash.
the history Of America from the days
Of the founding fathers to the present.
1t will be a mass demonstration Of
youth, modified in the interest Of
patriotism, clean living and good fell
lowship.
Flags Flutter Up Poles.
After the bomb from q trench
mortar at the foot of the Monument
had sent l l,634 American. foreign and
Scout flags futtering to the tops of
poles all over the 350-acre encamp-
ment, Walter w. Head of st. Louis,
Mo, president Of the National Council
Of the Scouts, pronounced the jam.
boree Officially opened"
The ceremonies were conducted at
the general headquarters avenue Of
flags by the headquarters staff, con-
sisting Of DR.. James E. West, chief
Scout executive; E. Urner Goodman,
program director Arthur A. Schuck,
operations director; Harold F. Pote,
personnel director; E. S. Martin, in
formation director and Daniel T. Nc.
Manus, Canadian representative.
A round Of sightseeing was to occupy
the more than $4,000 boys until the
grand opening campfire exercises at
the Monument tonight at O'Clock,
when Dan Beard, 87-year- old pioneer
Scout will strike fire with flinted
steel to kindle blaze that will burn
continuously for the next 10 days.
Col. Roosevelt to Attend.
Col. Theodare Roosevelt, a leader In
the Scout movement, Will attend
Attorney General Homer S. Cum
mings today forsook plans to attend
the Du Pont- Roosevelt wedding in
order to represent President Roose-
velt at the campfire ceremonies to-
night Cummings will read to the as
sembled camp population special
message from the President.
The first Il four bombs burst over
jamboree headquarters at 1856 am.
today, warning Standardized and
color guards throughout the camp on
both sides of the river TO be ready to
break out their flags. Scouts promptly
took their places alongside 50 flag
staffs flanking the campus at general
headquarters.
Foreign Banners Hoisted.
A second bomb signaled the flag
bearers to hoist 50 foreign flags to
the top of the poles lining the so-called
avenue of flags"
A third bomb released a parachute
with large American flag attached.
This flag fluttered down gracefully
in the morning breeze and landed high
atop tree near the face of the Mon
ument. A Scout quickly climbed to
the topmost branches Of the tall tree
and rescued the flag, amid the cheers
of his comrades
AS fourth bomb exploded. a 66-
piece Scout band, composed of boys
from the District of Columbia Mary
land, Virginia. West Virginia, Penn
sylvania and North Carolina, started
playing the Star Spangled Banner"
Headquarters Flag Up.
simultaneously a huge American
flag was hauled to the top of the main
| flag pole at general headquarters, as
the entire assembly stood at atten-
ton.
Hundreds of brazen bugles sounded
reveille at am. today for an army
of Scouts, of which DR.. West estimat-
ed had reached a total of 25,250, and
they rolled out of cots and sleeping
bags to pick their way through the
mud and water to mess tents.
From this gathering DR.. West
said, I'VE expect to gain broader
vision of the role of scouting as an
instrument in the promotion of inter-
national friendship and understand
ing. We expect, as a result of the
experiences and contacts made here,
to carry on scouting throughout the
| Continued on Page AS, Column H.