Evening star., 1941-08-21

An organization identifying itself
as the American Defense Recreation
Society has been soliciting funds
here for several weeks purportedly
,, for entertainment of service men
and employees of defense agencies.
On its letterheads it lists as men,
bers of its national board of
sponsors Senator'S William H.
Smathers of New Jersey, James M.
Tunnel of Delaware, Robert r.
Reynolds of North Carolina, Arthur
Capper of Kansas. Harley M. Kill
gore Of West Virginia. James e.
Murray of Montana and Charles o.
Andrews of Florida and Representa-
tives James A. Stanley of Con-
necticut and L. J. Connery of Massa-
chusetts.
Offices of several OF these members
Of Congress said that there had
been no understanding that the
Senators or Representatives in
volved would be placed on any ma
tional board. and that letters have
been written asking that this-or
any other use-of their names be
discontinued by the society in its
promotional activities.
Unknown to U. S. O.
Neither the local Office of the
United Service Organizations
(created to provide entertainment
and other services for members Of
the armed forceS now the National
Defense Recreation Association Can
organization of defense agency
workers. is acquainted with the
American Defense Recreation Society
or its officers. Nor have they been
consulted to see If the society's
program might be co-ordinated In
any way with their own.
AS q matter of fact, the United
Service Organizations and the
Washington Better Business Bureau
addressed letters to the society some
weeks ago asking information about
its personnel and purposes. Neither
has received reply to date.
On its stationery, the society gives
its address as 407 Ninth street NE,
and, among its officerss A. L. Nc
Phearson, director, and E. Eugene
Field, executive secretary.
Apartment Is Vacated.
A visit to the premises this week
by Star reporter revealed that the
apartment rented by Anne Barker
McPhearson Fields has been vacated
recently. The landlady still has mail
a RI ~
In one of the rooms a number
Of cards giving names, addresses
and telephone numbers of prospec-
tive contributors were found. Some
of the cards were three or four years
old and indicated that persons listed
had given money to other telephone
solicitations in the name of private
charity in the past. Most of the
prospects obviously had been called
several times, and some had wearied
of such solicitations. The letters
IN. G." appeared several times, in
dicating that the prospect was mo
good" for contributions at the mo-
ment. One was marked cold on
tickets"
Called Sucker List"
The Star reporter, who last year
investigated a number OF charity
groups in the city. recognized the
cards as being similar to those used
by telephone solicitors for those
groups. Solicitors refer to the cards
as sucker lists"
To further check the society's tie
up with professional telephone So
licitors, the headquarters Of the
Districts best-known operator of
such professional enterprises was
called.
rs Mr.. e. Eugene Field there?"
the operators Office was asked.
Hes not here any more"
did he used to work there?"
Yes"
Mr.. Field Is the executive secre-
tary Of the American Defense Rec
reation Society.
Headquarters Are Located.
Learning that the society had
moved its quarters to the 1900 block
of Harvard street NV, The Star
reporter went there. Repeated
knocks on the door of q first-floor
back apartment failed to get a re-
Spouse. About to leave, the reporter
heard q voice within. A man was
talking on the telephone. His de-
livery was velvet smooth. Finally,
at the end. he said: Thank you,
Senator; thank you very much"
Then he opened the door.
His name was Whorton, he said.
Mr.. Field was out collecting. Il
have been doing some telephone
soliciting" Mr.. Whorton explained.
He said he could not give out any
| information whatsoever about the
society. One would have to see MIR.
Field for that. Mr.. Whorton did
not know where Mr.. Field was nor
when he would be back. And he
declined to reveal the number for
the telephone on table behind
him.
The reporter had no clue as to
Mr.. Fields whereabouts, but he had
obtained an address where Mrs.
Anne Barker Mcpherson was sup
posed to work in the 5000 block OF
Fourteenth street NV. An inquiry
for Mrs. McPhearson at that ad-
dress brought blank negative from
q clerk. Then the proprietor spoke
up. do you mean Mrs. Mcpherson
Fields?" he asked. yes" She was
two doors up the street, he said.
Mr.. Fields Is Located.
Mrs. Fields stood outside the des-
ignated establishment, talking In
undertones with q stocky, middle
aged man. She said at first she
was not connected in any way with
the American Defense Recreation
Society. Then she admitted she
had done some work for them"
The man Mrs. Fields had been
talking to turned out to be Mr.
Fields, the husband Of Mrs. Anne
Barker McPhearson Fields.
His organization-the society,"
was a year old, he said. 1t had been
investigated by the police and by
the Better Business Bureau and