Evening star., 1939-02-24
$50 Boy Scouts
1oAid Police
AtCrossings

Van Duzer to Discuss
. Pedestrian Control
In Radio Talk
More than $50 Boy Scouts of the
District commanded by Is Scout
officials will augment pedestrian
control forces tomorrow at 20 down.
town intersections and in neighbor-
hood districts of six police precincts.
About half the Scouts, divided in
two groups of 80 each, will report
to the Police Headquarters squad
room at 9 am. and pm. tomorrow
for instructions. One group will be
on duty from 10 am. to 2 pm, the
other from pm. to 6 pm.
The entire project is under direc-
ton of Washington I. Cleveland,
manager of the District Motor Club,
American Automobile Association
and chairman of the Health and
Safety Committee of the National
Capital Area, Boy Scouts of Amer
lea. William Armstrong, field COM
missioner for Health and Safety,
will administer the project.
Meanwhile, Traffic Director Will
liam A. Van DuZer was to be inter-
viewed in the midst of rush-hour
throngs at Eleventh and G streets
NV. at 4:30 o'clock this afternoon
by Lee Everett, their conversation
on the pedestrian control system
being broadcast over Station WMAL.
The broadcast was to continue until
pm.
Not Acting as Police.
The Star-E. B. c. sound truck.
with the microphone manned by
Bill Coyle, radio director of The
Star, was again stationed downtown
today. From 11:45 am. to pm.
the truck was at Thirteenth and F.
streets NV, and from until 6
pm. it was to be at Eleventh and
G streets NV.
Mr.. Coyle was at Thirteenth and
r streets with the sound equipment
yesterday for an hour and half
and had pedestrians marching and
countermarching across the inter-
section in accordance with traffic
signal lights.
Outlining the Boy Scout project,
Mr.. Armstrong said neither Scouts
nor Scout officers would be exercis-
ing police authority tomorrow.
"They are not permitted to en-
gage in any duties of a policeman,
nor in directing traffic" he said
They will ask pedestrians to OBJ
serve the signal lights and to stand
on the curbs until the signals give
them the go-ahead.
1T Is entirely courtesy PROPOSE
ton. The Scouts will assist the
police force at certain intersections
and ask the pedestrians to wait for
instructions Of the policemen. At
intersections where a police officer
Is not on duty, a Scout officer will
be in charge"
The administrative staff for the
6cout-pedestrian control project will
meet in the office Of Capt. Milton
.6mith, head Of the police traffic de-
partment, at Police Headquarters at
8:l5 am. tomorrow for instructions
before proceeding to the precincts.
Four Boys at Crossings.
Richard H. Rule, Scout Field
Commissioner, will be in charge Of
the program in the downtown area
and Paul Toneman, also COM
missioner, in the outlying precincts.
Colored Boy Scouts will be on
duty at several intersections in the
thirteenth precinct, Mr.. Armstrong
said.
The outlying districts will include
such neighborhood business areas
as that around Fourteenth street
and Park road, Eighteenth street
and Columbia road, and others.
Downtown intersections at which
Scouts will be stationed are F street
at Seventh, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh,
Twelfth, Thirteenth and Four
tenth streets; Fourteenth street at
Pennsylvania avenue, G street, New
York avenue and H street; Fifteenth
street at H street and at New York
avenue; Seventh street at E and D
streets, G street at Tenth, Eleventh,
Twelfth and Thirteenth streets and
at North Capitol street and Massa-
chusetts avenue. -Four boys will be
used at each crossing.
Truck at Busy Corner.
The Star-N. B. C. truck has been
touring the city this week, offering
suggestions to walkers who are being
broken in under the new system of
pedestrian protection. The truck
arrived at the teeming Thirteenth
and F corner at noon yesterday-at
the beginning of the lunch hour
rush.
While good gallery looked on,
Mr.. Coyle whipped out his micro
phone and began his lecture on the
situation:
I'VE are here at the request of
the Metropolitan Police Department
through the cooperation of The
Star and the National Broadcastine
. Co.-to aid in educating pedestrians
on the new regulations.
Advises Obedience Habit.
: This is the educational period
After March 1C the boys in blue will
enforce the law strictly. Now please
cross the streets only when you get
the walk signal"
Stragglers who were lodging cars
IN the middle of the street hurried
sheepishly to the curb. Crowds which
had been sweeping out into the
street against the signal halted at
the curb
Gross the street only when the
signal shows Walk" Mr.. Coyle
continued. "The lady with the
green feather In her hat would be
safer If she stepped back up on the
curb to wait for the signal. One
Of those buses might take the shine
of her shoes If she stands in the
street.
Nov you have the walk signal for
those who want to cross Thirteenth
street, Traffic has stopped and vol,