The Wilmington morning star., 1940-06-28
WASHINGTON
DAYBOOK
BY JACK STINNETT

WASHINGTON, June Zl-IhlS is the story OF
two young men who have more telephone num-
bers" than any young men 1 ever heard of.
The young men are L. w. Lawder and Edwin
Rice. a couple of Washington boys who surely
did make good with the national Junior Cham
Der of Commerce.
Here's how it was: The Jaycees, as they have
copyrighted themselves, decided to hold their
1910 convention in Washington. The only check
rein on success of previous conventions was a
dearth of dates. So the national president of
these young business men overlooking with civic
exuberance appointed Lawder and Rice to do
something about dates.
AS Lawder puts it: TT was up to use to see
that no man came to the convention wanting a
date for the social events who couldn't get one.
And man, was that an assignment!
Well. it could only happen here. There's prob
ably not another city in the United States not
even Hollywood-where you could get a thou
sand girls to volunteer for blind dates. If it
hadn't been for the ingenuity Of Lawder, Rice &
Co., it probably couldn't even have been done
here in spite of the fact that Washington
has a greater surplus of women than any other
town in the country. Even in Washington,
where there are thousands of female govern
ment clerks, stenographers, eft. al, you can't
just pull blind dates out Of the hat.
How To Do 1t
Here's the way it was done, according to Law
der Gust in case you have a convention for
young men only and want a hint):
ED and I spent a couple of months trying to
work out a plan that would get results. Finally
we sat down and made a list of all the girls our
friends knew who might be eligible for blind
dates.
when we got through we had a list of 80 girls.
We invited all these girls to a party and put our
problem in their hands. There wasn't a one
who let us down. They went out and solicited
the aid of all their friends and when the list
was in We had more than 500 girls who were
willing to pitch in and make the Jaycee conven-
ton a success. s
THAT was swell but that wasn't half enough
80 we turned next to the social organizations in
the various departments. We went before their
meetings. explained what We were up against
and asked for volunteers. That way, We got
500 more girls.
every one of these filled out cards. listing
their ages, heights, weights. coloring blonde or
brunette), their home towns and in many cases
their preference in types of men.
In two nights we have filled dates for 925
men. Those were for the dance one night and
the boat ride on the Potomac the next night.
And the only complaints we have had are that
some girls were too tall or too short, too chunky
or toe thin. Maybe it's strange. but we haven't
had a complaint yet from any girl. Guess that
speaks pretty well for the Jaycees, doesn't it?'
Few Complaints
Well, that's the story and in the midst of war
and world confusion, some sort Of conclusions
should be drawn about the American way Of life.
I sat in the Junior Chamber conventions
date bureau" in the Mayflower for a couple Of
hours and listened to the applicants and com.
plainants. The latter were very few, the former
very numerous in spite Of the fact that more
than 300 already had been dated up for two
big social events.
Here's one from Mobile. Ala, that was typical:
Boy, that little girl you fixed me up with last
night was sure a lamb. Boy, was she sweet.
How about doing as well by me tonight"
If she was that all right why didn't you get
another date with her tonight"
Look here, man, 1 can't go taking chances like
that. Two dates with a girl like that and I'd be
getting serious. No sir, man, get me another
date tonight and if she amt as swell as that
babe last night, it'll be all right with me. Whew
L can't take chances like that every night"