Evening star., 1941-08-21
Defense Recreation Society
Proves Poor Correspondent
United Service Organizations and
Better Business Bureau Letters Unanswered

contracted for a downtown hotel
dance on August 80. A woman
named Anne Barker, the hotel said
had paid SIS cash for the reserva-
ton.
AS for the society's friends and
sponsors" on Capitol Hill, calls to
the Offices Of the listed sponsors
showed that:
At Senator Smathers' ofhce-A
staff member recalled that q letter
from the society was handled by q
member of the staff. The stan
member apparently accepted in be-
half Of the Senator. TT sounded all
right" he explained. "It's almost
impossible to check all these things"
Senator Smathers, like the other
members Of Congress, was asked by
the society to serve as an honorary
member and "a sponsor" from his
native State. A letter has been
written the society requesting that
use OF the Senator's name be
stopped.
(Similar letters have been written
by offices of Senators Andrews
Murray and Tunnel and Repre-
sentative Shanley.)
Senator Kilgore's office-Secretary
knows nothing about it. Senator,
temporarily absent, may have
handled matter, it was said. Secre-
tary never heard Senator or staff
members mention society.
At Senator Reynolds office-the
Senator is out of town. No record
of correspondence with society
This may have been handled by
the phone" 1t was said. Anyway
no one here now remembers any
thing about it."
Was Asked TO Serve.
At Senator Capper's ofhce-The
Senator handled this himself, an
assistant explained. "A woman he
knew asked him to serve in an
honorary capacity and he accepted
At Senator Murray's ofice-"Im
positive the Senator doesn't know
anything about it," his secretary
said. 1T must have been handled
by some one in the Office. Members
OF Congress, you know, are prone to
let their names be used in connec-
ton with anything that sounds all
right"
At Senator Andrews office-An
assistant recalled the society's let
ter asking that the Senator allow
use of his name. 1.-The Senator
answered approving the purposes
of the society as outlined in the
letter, but he did not authorize use
of his name"
Says Name Use Unauthorized.
At Senator Tunnels offlce-"I'm
sure the Senator knows nothing
about it," an aide said. And
know he did not authorize use of
his name" Correspondence appar-
emily handled by an assistant.
Representative Connery's Office
Aide said nothing on file about
society. Senator out of town. He
may have handled the matter by
phone" 1t was explained, but none
Of us remember anything about it.
Representative Shanley's Office
"Mr. Stanley received letter about
this on June 49," an assistant said
He replied, accepting an invitation
to become a sponsor and an honor
ary member on June 10. He handled
this matter himself, as I recall"
Letter Was Ignored.
Asked If the Better Business Bu.
reau had investigated and approved
the society. as indicated by Mr.
Field, Mrs. Sally Muchmore, as.
sistant director, said that an investi.
cation had been made, that a letter
asking pertinent information hac
been ignored by the society.
And she added:
I'm times Like these anything con.
nected with defense has a popular
appeal. Residents of the District
should not, however, let their pa
triotism run away with them to the
extent that they contribute to ap-
peals without checking on then
carefully. They owe this much tt
legitimate organizations created tt
help service men and defense
workers"