Evening star., 1941-11-25
Chest Needs
100000 With
3Days 10 Go
Aides Optimistic
100000 Goal
Will Be Reached

Will Be Reached
The annual drive of the Com.
munity Chest moved into the fina
three days of its two-week perioc
today with approximately $9OO,OO(
to be raised between now and Thurs.
day in order to reach the goal ol
S2.000,000 in the time set.
At the close of the sixth report
luncheon yesterday the grand tota
stood at $l,lOl,97237, or 5506 pei
cent of the quota. Additions for the
day amounted to S194, 1888. carry
Ing the fund past the halfway mark
but leaving it still approximately 3
per cent behind results for the same
stage of the 1910 drive
Chest leaders. with their fingers
closest to the pulse of the campaign
meanwhile were optimistic over
chances of reaching the goal by
Thursday. They cited reports from
some of the largest contributors
which still have not been received,
and that gifts from approximately
40 per cent of Federal Government
employees still have not been re-
corded.
Trend Most Encouraging.
The trend as revealed in today's
reports is most encouraging" COM
mented John Clifford Folger. gen.
eral campaign chairman, after yes
terday's luncheon. After getting
OH to slow start the campaign has
gained and held momentum. The
general outlook is favorable. and
those close to the Chest believe the
goal will be reached. There is rea-
son to believe that the people of
this community are determined to
get behind the effort and see the
thing through
Herbert L. Willett. jr., Chest di-
rector, who daily compares results
OF the various units with last years
totals, believes that one reason this
years drive has been slower is that
people are buster and have more
demands upon them than during
1910. He cited that the Group
Solicitation Unit is only o. per
cent and the Metropolitan Unit ll2
per cent behind their record a year
ago, while the District Government
Unit is slightly ahead.
Jennings Optimistic.
THE greatest lag" he said, "is in
the Federal Government Unit.
which has 5000 fewer gifts and
100000 less money than at this time
a year ago This is very evidently
due to the fact that out of 937 di-
visions only 88 have completed or
exceeded their goals, while 37l di-
visions have made no report at all
There is not the slightest reason to
believe that these 371 divisions or
the 478 divisions which have made
down on their share of the cam
paign."
Chest President Coleman Jen-
pings also is optimistic. He pointed
out that Washington looks ahead
TO one Of the most critical years in
Its history, and that there never was
a greater need for the Chest to
reach it full goal. Present contribu-
tions, he declared, will provide for
only about six months the human
welfare services which must be given
by the SO Chest agencies during the
next year.
Greatest individual increases yes
terday came in the District Govern
ment Units report, which carried
Its percentage from 4303 on Friday
to 5000, the highest of any of the
four campaign divisions. It's addi-
tions for the day included 1850
pledges amounting to 11,37626, for
q grand total of 6,185 pledges and
$44 645.93.
The next largest increase was
turned in by the Metropolitan Unit,
which now has percentage of $500.
It's total for the day was 1886 new
gifts, representing S43,O13. and car
ried its results SO far to 1866 pledges
and S238201.
The Group Solicitation Unit has
obtained 57l0 per cent of its quota.
Its grand total was increased yes
terday to s387,17835, represented in
73 1894 pledges, through the addition
of 8,026 gifts amounting to
S74,49467.
Approximately per cent behind
the average for the whole cam
paign, the Federal Government Unit
has reported to date Sis per cent
of its S838,000 quota. The group
added ,723 contributions yesterday
for a total of 7l,0O2 and carried its
grand total in money to s43l ,246.18.
New gifts amounted to s64 .989 80.
Byrd Urges Greater Effort.
Yesterdays luncheon was dedi-
Gated to the Prince Georges County |.
Unit. AS its chairman and princi- |
pal speaker at the meeting, DR.. H.
c. Byrd, president of the University |
OF Maryland, urged greater effort |
to carry to successful close a
campaign that has as its objective |
mot how much money it can raise,
but how many people it can help" |
He warned that the influx of de- |
Tense workers will increase rather !
than decrease the welfare burdens !
In the District He said it was his
opinion that the reason this years |
drive is behind that of 1910 is be-
cause people who should be giving
the largest contributions have not |
come through as expected.
You are workers in great |
cause" he told the hundreds of |
volunteers gathered at the luncheon.
TT doesn't matter whether any one
knows that We are contributing.
The only thing that matters is that
We carry away he thought that we
have done something for others"
In brief talk Frank A. Birgfeld,
vice chairman of the Federal Gov
ernment Unit, urged workers to re-
solicit prospective givers who failed
to subscribe, in an effort to obtain
last-minute contributions, SO that |
the goal can be reached by the close
Of the campaign Thursday.