Evening star., 1939-04-23
Greater Capital Drive
Officially Under Way;
Success Predicted
First Report Meeting
Set for May z in
Campaign for $4,000

With the first report meeting Of
the Greater National Capital Com
mittee campaign for $4,000 set for
May 2, the drive now is officially
under way, under the direction Of
Thomas j. Groom.
Predicting success in the cam
paign, Mr.. Groom said no time limit
has been set, adding that the re-
port meeting probably will give
some indication as to how long to
continue the work.
More than 1000 cards already have
been sent out to prospects, the cam
paign chairman declared, to be fol-
lowed in many cases by personal
interviews. Approximately 100
prominent business leaders Of WASH
ington will participate in the drive
to bring more visitors to the city
this year, he indicated.
Because Of the New York Worlds
Fair the quota has been raised 20
per cent over that of last year, with
the hope of getting many of the
fair visitors here through increased
publicity, 1t was learned.
Expenditures made by visitors to
Washington last year amounted to
more than 100000 900, it was esti-
mated. This money was brought in
by almost 1000 900 out of town per.
sons, according to Curtis Hodges,
promotion director. He pointed out
that this year, with the New York
Worlds Fair, we expect even more
people and money to come here"
Prosperity Increased.
1t was emphasized that the money
expended annually in the District
by tourists is pumped into trade
channels, thus increasing the pros>
perity of the local community. For
this reason people putting money
into the fund of the Greater Ma
tional Capital Committee. unlike
other funds for the public good,
are not letting go of it, but invest
ing it with the expectation of profit
from increased tourist and conven-
ton trade" Mr.. Groom asserted.
Due to the fact that Washington
has no industrial pay roll, any ad-
ditional money spent here must
come from conventions, tourists and
people on Government business, 1t
was stated by Edgar Morris, chair
man of the Greater National Capi-
tai Committee. I'm order to keep
the visitors dollar rolling in as regu-
larly as possible" he said, lit is vital
! to the District that the committee
be properly financed"
The number of requests for in
formation about Washington has
greatly increased in the last two
weeks, it was revealed today in a
report of the Greater National Cap
ital Committee. Last month 2l29
letters were received by the commit
tee from persons in various parts
of the country requesting specific
information about the city. Many
Of these requests represented groups
OF persons and came from IS diff
ferent cities. During the same pc
riod IS ,298 pieces of literature about
Washington were distributed, the
report showed.
In the last two or three months
nearly 1000 copies Of the committee S
publication, High Lights of the Ma
tion's Capital" have been distrib-
uted. In connection with this the
committee made public in its report
letter from Representative Daniel
A. Reed Of New York, who described
the guide as "an excellent piece of
work."
Since the publication Of this book
let total of 100000 copies has
been distributed over the United
States and foreign countries, it was
stated.