Evening star., 1938-05-24
OFFICIALS |NDORSE
SOAP BOX DERBY
Traffic and Police Heads
Back Event for Boys
in Statements.


Department of the American Legion
and The Star in making success of
the Soap Box Derby this summer.
Mai. Ernest w. Brown, superin-
tendent of police and founder of the
Boys Club of the Metropolitan Police,
and Traffic Director William A. Van
Duzer issued statements indorsing the
derby.
The event for homemade coaster
races will be held somewhere in
Washington on or about July %.
Boys from to Is years old, inclusive,
living in the metropolitan area of
Washington are eligible for the COM
petition. The contestants, individ-
ually or in groups such as Boy Scout
troops and Boys Clubs, must build
their own racers according to Soap
Box Derby specifications.
The Star will announce later this
week other details of the derby, in
Guiding rules and regulations and
where they may be obtained. Boys
will be told how their soap-box racers
should be built, the required dimen-
sions and the materials that may be
used No adult can help in actual
construction. except by giving advice.
No racing car can cost more than $40.
Two Age Divisions.
There will be two divisions accord
ing to ages. class A for boys l3 to Is
and class B for boys to IL inclusive.
If you have passed your 18th BIRTH
day on the day of the Washington
derby, you become ineligible for COM
petition.
The site for the Washington derby
will not be announced for some time.
Like the boys who want to enter the
race, Maj. Brown and Mr.. Van Duzer
and the Districts highway director,
Capt. H. c. Whitehurst. are asking the
same question-where 1t will be held.
AS members Of a committee named
to find the place for Washington's
first Soap Box Derby. sponsored by
the Americanism Commission Of the
Legion and The Star, they are seeking
the answer
For the Washington winner, the
chief reward is a trip in August to
Akron, Ohio, to compete with boys
from about $50 other cities for national
and international honors and prizes
on the Derby Downs course which was
built especially for the All-American
Soap Box Derby.
Here is what the police and traffic
authorities think about the derby:
1T Is constructive, educational and
helpful. as well as stimulating in its
encouragement of boys to use their
own inventive genius in clean sport
and competition" Maj Brown said.
Il am especially interested in the
derby because it should become a
project for the units of the Police
Boys Club The members will be
urged to take an active part in the
derby, and I hope one of them will
make strong bid for the national
championship and the four-year uni
versity scholarship that goes with it.
"Our Police Boys Club was founded
for the dual purpose of reducing
juvenile delinquency and making bet
ter boys. This purpose has been
achieved by giving the boy members
clean, wholesome amusement and
diversion. The Soap Box Derby does
just that and also tests the inventive
and constructive genius of the lads"
Chance to Work Out Ideas.
Mr.. Van Duzer said when the derby
was first advocated, he was fearful
"that it might create dangerous sit
uation by the boys trying out their
cars on heavily travelled streets before
and after the event
1T seems, however" he continued,
"that the experience in other cities
has been that the boys do not take
these cars on the street, except to try
them out under proper supervision
until the day of the derby. I believe
1t will give the boys who are mechani-
cally inclined chance to work out
their ideas.
This Office will be more than glad
to cooperate in any way possible"
said the head of the Traffic Bureau,
"as am anxious for Washington to
make good showing. am confident
that we have boys in this city who are
just as good mechanics as the boys in
any other city in the country.
Il think every one should get be-
hind this with the idea of sending a
boy to Akron for the four-year scholar
ship which is offered for the winner
Of the national derby"
o. c. Holleran, chairman of the
Americanism Commission of the Le-
gion, is director of the derby. In the
latter capacity he has appointed a
committee to inspect all broad, paved
Washington streets with a to 9 per
cent grade, located in a residential or
suburban section, and recommend a
place where the Washington metro
politan area derby should be held.
Members of the committee are Mai |
Brown, Capt. Whitehurst, Mr.. Van Du-
ger, Washington l. Cleveland. District
manager Of the American Automobile
Association; George E. Keneipp, man
ager Of the keystone Automobile Club
here, and zeb T. Hamilton, member Of
the Americanism Commission and vice
president of the derby.
They must find smooth street, free
Of car tracks and curves, one that
offers up to 1000 feet Of racing dis
tance, plenty Of space for running over
the finish line, and facilities Of han
ding the spectators.
(Watch The Star for derby news.)