Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-20

JIl6Hle Oh llle Cdplldl [lSl dlliIud
has been decorated in a manner ca
At one end of the building is
Mountains, at the other all equally
the side walls are pictures of typical
inhabitants of the nations of the
Western Hemisphere, and the flags
of those countries complete the dec
orative scheme.
Is Makes Represented.
Sixteen different makes of auto
mobile are represented in the show
and there is also one make OF trail
err. The largest exhibit. however, is
that of the District National Guard
which is displaying a new type anti
aircraft gun, reconnaissance car
a truck and mobile ordnance re-
pair shop Outside the stadium. the
Guard has another-and, in its way
an equally effective-dispIay. con-
sisting of two powerful anti-air-
throw beams that form gigantic
*" in the night sky. The idea is
to create a nightly reminder to as
many people as possible that *
marks the spot where the Auto
bile Show is being held. And it
will continue on that spot through
Friday, the hours being from 2 to
II pm. today and from II am. to
II pm. on week days.
The show-proclaimed by its spon-
sors as "the most impressive assem-
blage of motor vehicles ever dis
played in the District"-was ar
ranged by a committee headed by
Whitney Leary. The other members
of the group are Joseph Cherner
Oscar Coolican. John A. Dillon. F.
L. Halter. L. S. Julien, j. H. Leppert,
Robert B. Lewis. Joseph r. TreW
and Lee D. Butler.
In statement issued soon after
the opening of the exhibition. Chair
man Leary declared that the in
tense interest" aroused by the 1941
models had prompted the w. A
T A. to increase its estimates of
new-car sales for the current year
Used Car Supply Low.
"As early as last January" Mr.
Leary recalled. the Washington
Automotive Trade Association esti-
mated that % 900 new passenger cars
would be sold in the Nations Capt.
tai during 1910. This estimate was
far above the record established in
1929. when 22,382 passenger cars
were sold here.
Through the month of Septem-
Der. more than 2O,60O new cars were
delivered in Washington. During
the same period, nearly $4,000 used
cars were purchased.
The total number of used cars
on the local market now is at the
lowest point in history. A recent
survey by the w. A. T. A. revealed
that dealers averaged only 2l-day
supply of such cars.
Because of the intense interest
already manifested in the l94l mod
els" the show chairman continued
1.-The estimate of neW-car sales made
last January should be exceeded by
several thousands. This is certainly
a bright outlook for Washington
automobile dealers.
''In the past. Washington business
In general has reflected the fluctua-
tons of the automobile market. So
on the basis of the present trend
in new-car sales, sharp rise in all
local business is to be expected
And there is little likelihood that
it will be interrupted, inasmuch as
the automobile manufacturers dc
not expect to have to curtail pro-
duction to meet defense require
ments. Most of the manufacturers
have built or are building new units
for the production of war ma
terials"
Butler Optimistic.
An equally optimistic view was
expressed by Mr.. Butler, who is
president of the w, A. T. A. Car
sales in the Capital, he asserted,
are heading for an all-time high
And they could be expected to
mount even higher, he added, If
more and better parking facilities
were available in the central areas
Great strides have been made
in the handling of traffic during
the past few years" President Butler
went on, land wider streets and
new main arteries have added
greatly to the pleasure and con-
venience of motoring in the District
But the crying need for ample park
ing In the central areas cannot be
ignored. Perhaps the consideration
that properly designed underground
parking areas would make roomy
bombproof shelters may help to
speed the solution of this problem.
Optimism also was the keynote OF
a statement by Russell E. Singer
general manager Of the American
Automobile Association, who pre-
dicted "a shattering. in 1910, of the
s5,OO0,0O0,000 record set last year
for touring expenditures"
Pointing out that touring has be-
come "a year-around proposition, n
Mr.. Singer said: The reason for
this is twofold. First of all, the
automobile industry is making bet
ter cars, with all sorts of modern
mprovements-hea all-Weather
starting, air-conditioning- could
name dozens, all to be seen at the
Automobile Show this week. Sec
ond. our country has 100000 miles
(See SHOW. Page G-3)