Evening star., 1940-09-23
Drive 10 Enroll
130,00o0pened
By Rec Cross
Flag Ceremony at
District Building
Starts Roll Call

An American and a Red Cross
flag this afternoon were raised on a
slim pole in front of the District
Building in ceremonies marking the
opening of the oath annual Roll Call
of the District Chapter of the
American Red Cross.
While several hundred persons
watched from the street and the
sidewalk, speakers emphasized the
need for giving to the Red Cross
now as never before and Mrs. Will
liam o. Douglas. wife of Justice
Douglas of the Supreme Court, was
enrolled as the first District men,
Der in this years Roll Call.
Color was lent to the ceremonies
by the presence of honor guards
from the Army, Navy and Marine
Corps. and from other patriotic and
service organizations. Boy and Girl
Scouts and Red Cross nurses and
ambulance drivers in uniform.
Leading a list of speakers. Miss
Mabel Boardman. national director
of volunteer services of the Red
Cross, spoke of the urgent need for
help in war-ridden Europe and
closed with the plea, Hurry on
Washington"
10000 Members Sought.
"The smoke and turmoil of the
misery across the Atlantic and the
Pacific have made us stop, look and
listen" James L. Fieser, vice chair
man in charge of domestic opera
tions of the Red Cross. declared.
I'VE now mobilize our own resources,
alert to the danger which surrounds
us. We are rediscovering the spirit
of patriotism and unity of action.
AS a Nation We prepare to defend
the niche of modern civilization and
freedom which we occupy"
Col. David I. McCoach, jr.. District
Engineer Commissioner, in speaking
for all of the Commissioners. pro-
claimed the roll call which will last
until October 10. and which he said
hopes to enroll 10000 new members
at least.
Other speakers included Edgar
Morris, chairman for the roll call;
Brig. Gen. F. R. Keefer, chairman
of the District Chapter of the Red
Gross; De Witt McGraw, roll call
radio chairman.
After Mr.. Morris pinned the but
ton on Mrs. Douglas, l0-year-old
Alan Oder. descendant of Henri
Dunant, Swiss founder of the Inter-
national Red Cross rs years ago,
carried her membership card back to
Red Cross headquarters. He is be-
lieved to be the only American-born
member of the famous family.
The Rev. Arlington A. McCallum,
chaplain OF the District of Columbia
National Guard, delivered the invo-
cation at the exercises which were
broadcast over Station WRC.
Others on Speakers Platform.
Besides speakers already men
toned, those listed to be on the
speakers platform included:
Commissioners Melvin C. HaZen
and j. Russell Young, Rear Admiral
r. R. Waesche, commandant of the
United States Coast Guard; Maj.
Gen. James c. Magee, surgeon gen.
eral, U. S. A: Rear Admiral Ross T.
McIntire, surgeon general, U. S. NJ:
Maj. Ernest w. Brown. superintend-
ent of police; F. S. Gillen, acting
superintendent. National Capital
Parks; James E. Collifower, presi-
dent of the Washington Board of
Trade, and A. 2. F.. Wood, president
of the Junior Board of Commerce.
Thousands of Washingtonians
gathered at the Water Gate yester-
day afternoon to take part in the
public observance of Red Gross
Sunday" and heard a musical tribute
to the Red Cross sung by 200 singers
from five choirs. Speakers OF
Catholic, Protestant and Jewish
faiths praised the Red Cross for its
humanitarian aspects. Mrs. j..
Borden Hartman, United States
Minister to Norway, also spoke
briefly.
Edward j. Heffron, executive
secretary of the National Council of
Catholic Men. declared: The Red
Cross acknowledges, in a very prac-
tical way. what is denied by the
totalitarian ideologies of the day
Communists, Nazi. Fascist-that we
are our brothers keepers
DIR. Pruden Gives Talk.
DR.. Edward Hughes Pruden,
executive secretary of the Washing
ton Federation of Churches, said:
1T is a distinct privilege to be
able to say word in support Of the
American Red Cross" because of the
amount of work done, the type of
work and the manner in which it is
done. No enlightened American
facing the needs of mankind, would
think of saying with Cain, Am I
nv brothers keeper?'"
Rabbi Norman Gerstenfeld of the
Washington Hebrew Congregation
asserted:
ut Is precisely in such institutions
as the Red Cross, dedicated to help
ing our felloW-man in every hour
of catastrophe. and in the spirit of
a Roll Call that the world has
Va horizon of hope. 1t is in such
institutions as the Red Cross under
the spirit of community mobiliza-
tion behind this program that we
find the classic pattern for new
wings with which to ascend upward
into the heavens of a better day
for ali men"
Mr.. Morris, in a brief address at
~. vIyote Cato ceyemOnipS said.