Evening star., 1937-07-08
PRESIDENTS VISIT
THRILLS SCOUTS
Roosevelt Inspects Sea
Base, Sees Hyde Park
"home."

Ai iiA Anee ludy Wnen President
Roosevelt inspected the canvas city
beside the Potomac.
The Chief Executive who is honorary
president of the Boy Scouts of America.
stopped twice on his 4O-minute tour of
the tar-f1ung encappment. First
Americas sailor President" who was
Assistant Secretary of the Navy during
the war and spends most of his yaca-
tions afioat, reviewed big detacl-
ment OF Sea Scouts lined up beside
their base along the river, and next
ne paused to chat with his neighbors
from Duchess County, in which HYDE
Park, N. Y, is situated.
Returning from the all-star ball
game. the President reached the en-
campment at 4:30 o'clock. He brought
the thousands of Scouts who saluated
and cheered him for miles his best
wishes and whole-hearted grin.
Joined by West and Beard.
The presidential party entered the
camp at Seventeenth street and paused
at general headquarters avenue, fac
ing the Washington Monument, to pick
up DR.. James E. West, chief Scout
executive, and Uncle Dan" Beard. ma
tlonal commissioner of Scouting. They
rode beside him on his tour of the
350-acre city of boys from every State
In the Union
At the Sea Scout base the President
chatted with Thomas J. Keane, ma
tional director Of senior scouting, and
lSn y u
lette, asking pertinent nautical ques-
tons The President presented the 36
members of the crew of the Polaris of
st. Louis with flag attesting its new
rank as nationa, Sea Scout flagship.
He congratulated Skipper Harrison
johnson.
Its 4 great sight" he remarked,
looking along the lines Of sailor Scouts
standing at attention.
Some of the Sea Scouts crowded
about the car with their cameras and
obtained cloee-ups Of their distin-
guished visitor.
At the Dutchess County camp the
President admired a miniature repro
duction of his Hyde Park home which
the boys built.
Its 50 good" he said, Il feel like
going in and getting square meal"
Pins Badge on Scout.
Here the President pinned an Eagle
badge-the highest decoration of
Scoutdom-on Franklin c. ST. John.
II, of Poughkeepsie. The youths
proud mother, Mrs. Sheldon B. st.
John, stood beside him.
Boys from homes of the Presidents
neighbors were allowed to press about
his car and take snapshots Of this
thrilling scene. The newsreel men and
press photographers caught the same
ceremony, but the Scouts will value
their own shots" far more.
As the Presidents open car glided
through the huge camp, he surprised
boys in every stage Of uniform, many
stripped to the waist, playing games
or tinkering about their camps. They
cheered him Justify.
One boy, seeing motor cycle police
men escorting fast-movng group of
cars, ran forward, demanding: Whats
this all about?"
One Of his comrades pulled him
back, exclaiming: Shut up, dummy!
Don't you know the President when
you see him?"
Comments on Decorated Camps.
The President commented on the
ingenuity with which the Scouts from
various sections had decorated their
camps with emblems and slogans ap-
proprlate to each region.
Before q throng estimated at more
than 10000 persons, including most of
the congressional delegations from
the States represented, Scouts of
wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas,
Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma,
Arkansas, Missouri Illinois and Iowa
last night staged dramatic pageant
OF the development of the West, cou-
pied with the most modern of scouting
demonstrations.
Inc opening massing of flags included
the world jamboree flags, which will be
carried to Holland this month by 800
american Scouts and the 400 foreign
scouts now here from "a nations. In
the column of 5000 Scouts were bows
taxing the roles Of such famous fig
ures OF the West as Buffalo Bill Codv.
Wlld Bill Hickok, Jim Bridger, Carrie
Nation and Mark Twain,
All 5000 Scouts took part in re-
enactment OF the famous Oklahoma
Run,' which occurred April %, 1889,
when thousands of homesteaders were
started IN race to stake out homes
on the Oklahoma plains Soldiers were
seen nrst, driving from the homestead
territory the "Sooners," outlaws and
indians, and then a tidal wave of
homesteaders poured into the area,
staked out claims and erected homes,
stores. banks, claims Offices, schools
ana churches. The Scouts demon
strated the growth of the territory.
Finally great storm" ragged over the
area, blowing down all of the buildings
and giving the Scouts an opportunity
FOR massed first-aid demonstrations.
Weird Circus Follows.
Then while Scoutmaster M. K.
Young OF one Of the Texas troops and
his two Scout sons staged a trapeze
act on the high bars, there was a fam
tastic circus, led by Scout Tarzan
with movie voice and including
mighty dragon graphically numbered
1l5 and scores of Scout-filled beasts
too weird for description.
There were simultaneous dances and
games OF the Indian tribes of the
States represented, given by the Scouts
Under direction Of Ralph Hubbard.
There appeared among the tribes a
pioneer wagon train, in which rode
Assistant Secretary Of the Interior
Oscar L. Chaplin. Going into camp,
the train was attacked by the Indian
tribes, who were repulsed amid fusil-
lade of blank shots and the. cracking
Of multitude Of bullwhips. While