Evening star., 1941-04-20
Red Cross Convention Opens
Sessions Here Tomorrow
5000 Expected
To Hear Roster Of
Noted Speakers

tNotSa SRSdNStS.
With war relief in Europe and
Americas defense problems claim
ing major attention, the national
convention II the American Red
Cross will begin tomorrow four days
OF sessions here.
Registration began yesterday and
oficials predicted one of the largest
assemblies In the organizations
history, with perhaps 5000 senior
and junior delegates in attendance.
Distinguished speakers will in
elude Viscount Halifax, Ambassador
of Great Britain; Norman H. Davis,
chairman Of the Red Gross: Sena-
tor Burton, Republican. of Ohio;
Attorney General Jackson, Mrs.
Dwight Davis, director OF the Red
Cross volunteer services: Paul v.
McNutt, Federal security admins
TRAITOR; Gen. George c. Marshall,
chief of staff, U. s. A; Rear Ad-
n1iral C. w. Nimitz, chief of the
Naval Bureau of Navigation; Maj.
Julia c. Stimson, U. S. A., retired,
president of the American Nurses
Association, and others.
Musical Pageant Tomorrow.
Special sessions will be devoted to
activities OF the Red Cross in mill
tary camps, plans for civilian pre-
paredness in the defense emergency
and work of the 100000 women
volunteers who are furnishing gar
ments and other supplies for war
victims abroad.
The Junior Red Cross will hold
its convention separately, but will
Join in some meetings of the parent
body.
A series of pageants and musical
programs illustrating the far-fiung
activities of the Red Cross will be-
gin with an original musical spec
tacle, Pledge to America" in Con-
stitution Hall at 7:45 pm. tomorrow.
DR.. Frank Black, composer and
orchestra leader, who arranged the
original musical score, will be pres
ent TO conduct the performance.
Burgess Meredith, actor and radio
star, will be commentator, and
other stars will be Miss Lucille
Manners and Conrad Thibault, con-
cert soloists. Supporting will be .
mixed chorus of 125 from the Wash
tngton Choral Society.
An address by Security Admin
istrator MoNutt will precede the
pageant. Another feature of the
evening will be the premiere Of
the new Red Cross documentary
Aim, Marching With Old Glory"
In which appear some 800 members
of the District of Columbia chap
ter, the Navy Band and many local
Red Cross nurses. The picture is
IN technicolor.
Davis to Voice Keynote.
The convention will open at 9:45
am. tomorrow In Constitution Hall
with a concert by the Marine Band
Orchestra, led by Capt. William F.
Santelmann. Next will come a
procession OF uniformed volunteers,
nurses, Junior Red Cross members,
a color guard and members OF
military services.
Chairman Davis will call the ses-
sion to order, and the invocation
will be pronounced by Bishop James
Z. Freeman. Mr.. Davis then Will
deliver the keynote address. After
ward, Rear Admiral Wat Tyler
Cluverius, U. s. NJ, retired, chair
man OF the Worchester tMass)
chapter, will be introduced as per-
n1anent chairman Of the conver-
tion.
Next on the opening program
will be . speech by Daniel B.
Wessler, Portland (OregO high
school boy, spokesman for the
Junior Red Cross Of the Nation.
His subject will be, Builders OF a
New World" Senator Burton Will
deliver the closing address on
America Looks Ahead"
Mrs. Davis will speak on "Volun-
teer Special Services and War Re-
lief Production" at the session to-
morrow afternoon, which will be
held In the auditorium of the United
States Chamber of Commerce. Other
speakers will be Ernest J. Swift, vice
chairman of the Red Cross, whose
subject will be Red Cross Foreign
War Relief" and Joseph r. Ham
len. chairman OF the Boston Metro
politan Chapter, who will speak on
"Pan-American Relations Through
the Red Cross"
Halifax to Speak.
Tuesday morning the convention
will meet in Memorial Continental
Hall and addresses will be delivered
by James L. Feser, vice chairman;
James 3. Forgan, chairman of the
Chicago Chapter, and Paul Grist,
chairman of the Dallas County
Chapter at Selma, Ala.
Seven discussion groups on Red
Cross programs will meet Tuesday
afternoon.
The annual dinner will be held at
the Mayfiower Hotel Tuesday night,
preceded by q concert by the Marine
Band Orchestra. Chairman Davis
will be toastmaster and Rabbi Nor
ris s. Lazaron of Baltimore will de-
liver the invocation. Ambassador
Halifax and Attorney General jack
son will be the principal speakers.
Wednesday mornings session, in
Memorial Continental Hall, will be
devoted to a discussion of member
ship, with addresses by James K.
McClintock, vice chairman; G..
Stewart Brown, director of public in
formation, and Howard Bonham, di-
rector OF Roll Call. Group discussions
will occupy Wednesday afternoon.
Maj. Stimson, Admiral Nimitz and
Gen. Marshall will speak Wednes-
day night in the same hall. The