Evening star., 1941-06-18
Sees Advantages
In GosIess Sundays
Former Minister to Norway
Praises Benefits of Week Ends
Spent in Country Afoot
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
All residents of the District OF Co.
lumbia doubtless are following with
very great interest the press reports Of
contemplated measures to provide ac-
celerated momentum to our national
defense production. There Is no group
of citizens in this Union more patriotic
and more desirous of contributing their
utmost to this end than that Of the
voteless residents of the Nations Cap
ital.
The possibility that the administra-
ton may deem 1t necessary to restrict
the sale of gasoline for motor vehicles
on Sundays in the District and through
out the Eastern States has been men
toned in the press on several occasions.
The use of automobiles for recreation
as well as for everyday business needs
has become so customary to our people
that suggestion of this nature may
be viewed with apprehension and as a
very serious handicap by many who
have come to consider the employ
ment of the automobile as a necessary
adjunct to activity in our form of daily
life.
1t is doubtful whether such would
prove to be the case, in the general
sense, once our people had become ac-
customed to the innovation of gasless
Sundays. On the contrary, the devotion
of one day each week to abstention
from the family "gas wagon" should
prove highly beneficial to most adults
and children. Nothing could be better
calculated to improve a persons physi-
cal condition than the practice of reg
ular walking. The beautiful parks and
environs of Washington are well adap-
ted to this form of recreation. Should
the practice become popular, the es-
tablshment of simple restaurants and
rest gardens for pedestrians in the en-
virons would be an easy matter. 1t is
to be expected. that gasoline would be
available for the various public services
and means of transportation now in
use and, possibly, for increasing these.
1t was the writer's privilege to reside
for number Of years in the gallant
little country of Norway Oslo, the
capital, is a city of some $50 900 inhabi-
tants. Automobiles were very numerous
but on Sundays, so large a percentage
of the residents left the city on foot,
on bicycles and on skis, according to
the season, that the city presented on
fine days very deserted appearance
Young and old, rich and poor, these
people went off in parties to pass the
day in the open. Most of them
used ruck sacks, or small knapsacks
containing lunch, ETC. Many trains also
left the city crowded with pedestrians
or skiers bound for the more distant
points, all returning in the evening
healthily tired after day in the open
air. The majority of the Norwegians
probably worked as hard as most people
in our country during the week and
many Of them had cars but they found
that these rambles in the country gave
them the change and recreation that
rested their nerves and kept them fit
and happy.
Would not many of our District resi-
dents who now rely upon automobile
trips as their form of Sunday recrea-
ton find in such a change a pleasant
and advantageous means of helping
our Government in its defense efforts
1t would be interesting to obtain COM
ments on this subject through the medi-
um of the letter columns of your valu-
able paper. HOFFMAN PHILIP.