Evening star., 1941-07-21
Workers Begin
PIeo5 for Aid in
Aluminium Drive
Visit Homes Asking
For Donations Of
Scrop Wednesday

AS the Nation launched its huge
campaign to collect scrap aluminium,
Washingtonians today began delving
into cellars and attics for cast
off pots, pans, toys and broken
vacuum cleaners ready to donate
them Wednesday for national de-
fenSe.
House-to-house calls were being
made here today by volunteer
workers asking that residents give
their old aluminium when actual
collections get under way Wednes-
day
The volunteers, including fire
men. policemen, housewives and
Boy Scouts received their final in
structions. and although the drive
officially does not begin here until
tomorrow many of the workers
wanted to be in step with the Nation
by at least starting to make calls
today.
The work was begun without fan
fare, but it is expected that when
the collections start Wednesday
there will be ceremonies in some
of the 13 precincts.
S,1OO to Participate.
About 3100 workers are expected
to participate when collections be-
gin. Collection teams will have
specific areas to cover and will in
clude two captains, eight Boy Scouts
and two laborers. The teams are
composed primarily of American
Legion members, policemen and
firemen.
In the precinct more than 80
young students of the Powell Junior
High School volunteered to join
those making the house-to-house
campaign today. They are the only
young group outside the Boy Scouts
who have banded together to aid in
the work of seeking out the needed
metal
Group leaders are Frieda Walker,
2450 Eighteenth street NV; Mar
garet Shane. Ills Twelfth street
NV: Catherine Harris, 3l09 Mount
Pleasant street NV. and Janet del
Re. 1924 Kenyon street NV. Vera
Vinogradoff, a teacher at Powell, is
acting as director Of the group.
Warning on Donations.
Meanwhile, warning was sounded
by officials for the campaign here
against making donations to un-
authorized solicitors. AS collections
are made the valuable metal will
be taken to storage bins at police
stations and later deposited in major
bins at Engine Companies No. % and
27. Another main depository will
be located in front Of the District
Building at Fourteenth street and
Pennsylvania avenue NV.
Under the guidance of the Office
of Production Management the
national collection is expected to
produce millions of pounds of the
cast-off aluminium. o. P. M. Off
cials cautioned that necessary arti-
cles of the household or shop should
not be turned in if it just means
new aluminium must be purchased.
This, in effect, it was noted, would
tend to defeat the original purpose.
With the preliminary ground
work we'll laid, District directors of
the campaign feel Washington
should easily produce its fair share
of aluminium for defense. AS the
scrap is gathered and sent off for
melting down, the various items will
be sorted according to types, to
simplify the process and save time
in getting the old metal back into
use as part of the defense machln-
cry.
Hundreds to Make Calls.
Hundreds of women volunteers
during the course of the day are
expected to make their initial calls
in search of the material. 1t is ex-
pected that by the time actual COL
lections are started Wednesday,
practically every household in the
city will have been covered.
X. Y. Howat, general chairman
of the campaign, voiced the hope
today that Everybody will search
his attic and basement for alu-
minum" He pointed out that, al
though the campaign here officially
does not begin until tomorrow and
that collections will not begin until
8 am Wednesday, volunteer workers
wanted to join the Nation in be-
ginning the house-to- house work
today.
Thus, many workers will have
covered large part of their ter
ritory by the time the actual drive
opens. In each of the 13 precincts
there will be at least 300 workers
operating in teams. Mr.. Howat also
said several radio appeals would
be made before the actual collection
time.
Sidney Lust, theater chain opera
tor in Prince Georges and Mont
gomery counties, announced yester-
day that several of his theaters
would be donated for aluminium day
at 2 pm. Thursday. During the
special show admittance will be a
piece of aluminium. The theaters
are the Bethesda, Cameo, Hyatts-
vile, Milo and Marlboro. AS an
added feature he said he hoped to
obtain some of the defense pictures
recently produced by the Govern
ment.
Hiser Also Plans Matinee.
Henry Hiser, Bethesda theater op-
orator, also announced plans for an
aluminium matinee. the date of
which will be announced.
Montgomery County campaign
workers plan to have all junk dealers
canvassed for the metal and workers
are to conduct searches for alumni
mum scrap in all licensed dumps.
The aluminium campaign was or
eanized jointly by the o. P. M and
the Office of Civilian Defense. Will
liam S. Knudsen, o. P. M. director,
set the 10000, 0,000-pound goal, add
ing that amount would be needed
to supplement normal aluminium
supplies to meet this years require
ments.
The defense Office said the old
aluminium would be turned over to
the Procurement Division of the
Treasury Department for allotment