Evening star., 1939-11-26
Leaders Join in Plea
That District Banish
12% Chest Deficit
Volunteer Solicitors
Labor Over Week End
To Add $223, 900

Religious and cicic leaders Joined
today in appealing to Washing
tonians to make up the II per cent
deficit in the Community Chest
campaign fund as volunteer solici-
tors labored through the week end
to bring in the $223, 900 necessary to
reach the $4,000, 900 goal by the final
report meeting Tuesday at the Will
lard Hotel.
A response to the appeal voiced by
Chest President Coleman Jennings
that those who have already con-
tributed make an effort to enlarge
their gifts came yesterday from
Chief Justice and Mrs. Charles
Evans Hughes. Expressing deep"
concern over the failure of the Chest
to reach its goal, they have advised
Mr.. Jennings that they are SUBJ
stantially increasing their pledges
in the hope that others will share
in their convictions that the suffer-
ing Of people in need which would
inevitably result from the failure
Of the Chest to reach the minimum
goal must be prevented.
Leaders Issue Statements.
Prominent Washingtonians who
issued public statements calling at
tention to the plight of the Chest
were Joseph P. Tumulty, secretary
to President Wilson; Seton Darr,
president of the District Bar As
Sociation: DR.. Arthur c. Christie,
chairman of the Board of American
University; the Rev. John K. Cart
wright, pastor of the Church of the
Immaculate Conception; Rabbi Nor
man Gerstenfeld of the Washing
ton Hebrew Congregation, and the
Right Rev. James E. Freeman,
Bishop of Washington.
II cannot believe that the Capital
Of the Nation, the most favored of
cities in the United States, would
refuse to keep step with other cities
who have gone over the top in their
Community Chest drive" Mr.. Tu-
multy said. "If we fail in this hand
some enterprise of charity the after
math of failure will cause us to live
In an atmosphere of despair.
Solemn Duty Apparent.
Have we not seen enough of life,
Its ups and downs, its stark tragedy
without feeling that solemn duty
rests upon us-a high duty backed
by the compulsion of conscience and
human need to help those less fortu-
nate than ourselves?
Through the Community Chest
q chance is offered for kindness,
generosity and charity to work their
spell OF magic on the hearts and
souls of men in cause bigger than
you or 1.-The cause of stricken and
suffering humanity.
ITO eyes tired from watching and
weeping, to hearts broken by worry,
to the halt, the lame, the sick. the
weary, the blind and to the hungry,
we lift the torch Of charity. May
its beautiful rays warm the souls of
the poor and the needy in the Dis
trict of Columbia. We fight for men,
women and children; we fight for
life and love: We fight for bread, we
fight to keep alive in the hearts of
men and women the divine flame Of
faith, and go to battle against the
meanest foes Of man. Surely, the
Capital of the Nation must listen to
this cry of humanity and respend to
the trumpet call of charity"
Asks d. C. to Wake Up.
Appealing to Washington citizens
to awake and think" DR.. Cart
wright said:
"It gives me great concern to note
the lack in reaching this years
quota. Certainly the sum is well
within the financial possibilities Of
the Washington people. Certainly
the need is imperative. What Is
wanting is either public attention or
public conscience. It can't be the
lack of conscience. It must be the
need to awake and think. WASH
ington, wake up!"
Mr.. Darr declared that "it is dan
gerous for us at this time to let the
poor people of this country down,
particularly as this is the seat OF
the greatest democracy in this
world.
"It is a very dangerous thing to
let the masses suffer" he asserted.
"At no time in our history has 1t
been more important for us to meet
the needs of our poor than 1t is
right now while the rest OF the world
Is in such turmoil.
1--WE need more than peace in this
country. We need order and secu-
rity in our democratic way of Gv-
ing. Failure of the Community
Chest represents one breakdown
that may disturb that order and
security"
Bishop Freeman's Appeal.
Bishop Freeman said:
'"T-he evident failure of the Chest
to meet the full amount for the
maintenance of the important chari-
ties of the city should occasion deep
regret on the part of all of our citi-
zens. If we pay our taxes to main
tain municipal agencies, certainly
the appeal of private agencies to
serve the less fortunate lays rea-
sonable and light claim upon us
My contact with many of the phil
anthropic agencies makes me fee
how indispensable they are. Hence
my hope that the balance to meet
the Community Chest needs may be
contributed without delay"
Rabbi Gerstenfeld reminded that
"the cause of the Community Chest
is precious to us all, not only be.
cause the Chest supports our un-
fortunate neighbors but also because
1t preserves and strengthens the
whole concept of 'neighbor,' without
which society would descend to the
dark jungles of social evil and every.
thing for which we have striven ir
the lives Of our children and fol
generations to come, will be hurled
into darkness.
Let us in the next few hours max,