Evening star., 1937-08-20
HOPKINS REFUSES
IDLE ARMY HELP:
EIGHT ARRESTED
Declines to Provide Federal
Aid to Workers. Alliance
Protesters.
SEVERAL HUNDRED MORE
REACH CAMP HERE
Parks Officials Concerned at In.
sanitary Conditions on
Monument Grounds.

flatly refusing to provide Army
tents for the growing army of jobless
marchers, Public Works Administra-
tor Harry Hopkins today tolo officials
Of the Workers Alliance that the
Federal Government would extend no
help to their followers in Washington.
Hopkins delivered his ultimatum
only a few hours after police ar
rested eight of the marchers for dis
tributing handbills in front Of the
Labor Department inviting the gen.
eral public to attend a mass meeting
at 8 O'Clock tonight at their impro-
vlsed camp on the Washington Morul-
ment Grounds. Those arrested. five
women and three men, were released
after posting S. collateral
AS several hundred additional
marchers joined the group already
here, National Capital Parks officials
expressed concern over insanitary con-
dltlons at the Monument camp.
j. Marshall Finnan, superintendent
of National Capital Parks, said the
United States Public Health Service
and the District Health Department
have been asked to keep close check
on conditions in the camp.
Hopkins told the alliance delegation
the failure of their organization to
provide housing facilities for the
marchers was an admission of weak
ness.
An organization with as many
dues-paylng members as the Workers
Alliance has should be able to house
It's own members. Other organiza-
tons with less money provide housing
for their delegates when they meet in
Washington"
Hopkins added that no one invited
the alliance members to WASHINGTON
and pointed out that they could not
hope to accomplish anything if Con.
gress carries out its adjournment plan.
Those arrested we're Martha TAYLOR,
Elsie O'Neal, Ruth Mason. MAY
Brown, Helen Hointz, Pasouale Pis-
citelll, Josh Brown and BENJAMIN
Goldman.
A small picket line was thrown
around the United States Chamber of
Commerce building this morning be-
cause, leaders asserted, the chamber
has been spreading propaganda there
were plenty of jobs to be had in pri-
vate business. which the alliance has
not found to be the case" LASER
said his organization held the COM
merce body mainly responsible for this
years W. P. A. appropria ton cut, re-
sulting in lay-offs, Mass picketinR
probably will be resorted to this after
noon, he added.
More than $50 men and women slept
on cots and blankets on the lawn near
the Washington Monument last night
They were joined this morning by 367
alliance delegates who arrived in
Union Station at a m. on a 1o-car
train. More than 100 others crossed
the District line in buses.
The march on Washington was
called, according to David LASER. pres
ident of the alliance, to bring pressure
on Congress for passage of the Schwel-
lenbach-Allen resolution which would
stop w. P. A. dismissals and provide
Federal job for every unemployed per-
son. Passage of the resolution would
exhaust w. P. A. funds before next
| July, Hopkins has declared.
Protest Parade Considered.
If Congress adiourns before the main
body of the marchers reaches here
Monday, LASER said, a parade ana
mass meeting Of protest will be held.
1t Will be up to the marchers 10 decide
| whether they want to remain here or
return to their homes, LASER declared
At Harrisburg, Pa, arrangements
| were being made to house 1000 march.
ers who will stop there Sunday night
en- route to Washington They will
spend the night in the State Farm.
| ShowsBuilding and move on to Wash.
ington in trucks and buses Monday
Another group of marchers will spend
| Saturday in Convention Hall in Phila
| delphia, where they will be addressed
by Mayor S. Davis Wilson. From Phil
adelphia the marchers will go to Bal
timore and then to Washington.