Evening star., 1941-02-26
Chest Erases
It's Deficit;
Elects Officers
Coleman Jennings
Named for Fourth
Year as Head

The Community Chest today had
Coleman Jennings as its president
for the fourth consecutive year and
for the first time in nine years was /.
entering year without deficit in
the general funds.
Mr. Jennings and other officers
were unanimously named by the
newly-elected Board of Trustees at
a meeting at the United States
Chamber of Commerce yesterday.
Others elected were Richard H.
Wilmer. Thomas P. Morgan, jr.;
Mrs. Clarence A. AspinWall and
Frank A. Birgfeld, first to fourth
vice president, respectively, and
John F. Victory, secretary.
Joseph D. kaufman was elected to
succeed Mr.. Wilmer as a member Of
the Executive Committee and
named to two-year terms were DR..
Dorothy B. Ferebee, Charles Car
roll Glover, jr., and Mrs. william .
Kittle. Miss Gertrude Bowling gave
the Nominating Committee report. 4
Mr.. Jennings, delivering the re-
port OF the Executive Committee,
pointed out that at one time the
Chest deficit amounted to $4,000,
which resulted from over -expendi- I
ture for relief in the depression
years Of 1881 to 1882. .
Auspicious Beginning.
year after year. we have cur
tailed the deficit with money that
the agencies would have been glad
to use he said. But our credit in
the community demanded that this
item be erased as rapidly as pos
sible."
Declaring that the collection Of
1910 enabled the Chest to clear up
the debt, Mr.. Jennings said
I'VE look upon it as an auspicious
opening of a new decade and hope
that you are as proud of the
achievement as I am"
The president reported that an
agreement has been drawn up by
the Chest and the Health Security
Administration for approval by hos
pitals which take Chest patients.
4 A-C dNl lldS DCCll SCIlt W II1o
hospitals with the request that it
be approved by March 80 or that a
request for a conference be made,
he said.
Mr.. Jennings also said that the
request by Southwest Community
House for permission to raise ap-
proXimately 100000 for a new build
ing had not been approved. The
committee was ready to consider an
Other application when additional
, information on the community need
is presented. he added.
Chest Director Herbert L. Willett,
jr., said that 5000 copies of the an
nual report were being mailed out
to subscribers and others and called
for comment on its contents. He
revealed that new assistant direc-
tor Of the Chest had been selected
but said his name would not be re-
vealed until later.
Public Funds for Army Program.
In connection with the recreation
program for Army recruits in the
/ cantonments. Mr. Willett said the
I Chest Council had made recon-
, mendations that included one call
ing for financing of the program by
public funds and not by subscrip-
| ton.
John A. Reilly, treasurer. reported
that total of Sl84321419 had been
ellocated to the Budget Committee
/ Tor appropria ton in 1941. The cash
/ balance as of January 81 was S776,-
741.55, he said.
The Budget Committee report was
given by Thomas P. Morgan. ir..
who explained its work in alloting
| funds. He called on members Of
the board to study closely the Chest
by laws and the budget manual in
order to bring about a better under
standing of its work.
John w. Gorrell, reporting for the
headquarters Committee. pointed
out that its work was to aid in pre-
pairing the administrative and salary
budgets Of the Chest, adding:
1t Is important to note that the
members Of this committee are
/ businessmen and contributors: that
they want their money spent with
the fullest effectiveness, and that
they would under no circumstances
seek an appropriation for the Com
munity Chest Office which they could
not fully justify for the comparable
tasks of their business or Govern
ment departments"
The report of the public relations
department, read by Mr.. Willett for
Bruce A. Allen. disclosed that news
papers gave 18 per cent more space
to the Chest in 1910 than in 1899
and that radio time was nearly five
times as much as in the previous
year. Newspapers had 20,256 inches
of space about Chest activities last
year and the radio gave 70 hours on
! the air.
j. Clifford Folger, who will head
/ the coming campaign, expressed his
gratitude at being selected for the
! task,