Evening star., 1941-09-23
$1,000 Carry
Roll Call Plea
ToCitizens
Red Cross Campaign
For 200, 900 Spurred
ByWords of Needs


Fifteen thousand volunteer Red
Cross workers took to the Offices
and streets today in the first full
day of the District roll call cam
paigning to enroll in as short time
as possible at least 100000 members
as financial hackers for the largest
task the local organization ever has
had.
The Roll Call got under way off,
cially at noon yesterday with flag
raising ceremonies in front of the
District Building, at which speakers
cited the "exigencies of the times as
the principal reason why this years
goal has been set at nearly a third
larger than the total enrolloment
for last year and why more liberal
from the public
Edgar A. Morris, Roll Call chair
man, said the first check on the
drive probably would be made this
afternoon and would be continued
daily thereafter. The campaign is
scheduled to end October 90
Messengers bearing the first re-
ports on Roll Call activity began TO
pour in at headquarters in the
Walsh mansion, 2020 Massachusetts
avenue NV. Immediately after an
American and Red Cross flag were
hoisted in front OF the District
Building yesterday, and Courtland
D. Ferguson, master of ceremonies
and chairman of publicity, an
nounced the drive was on officially.
Scores of Booths Opened.
From then on the headquarters,
already a bedlam Of activity, be-
came even buster. One OF the
busiest was Mrs. Homer Case,
chairman of booths, who reported
that between 80 and 90 booths
already have been opened in vari-
Gus sections of the city and that
others are planned.
For the first time in the history OF
the Roll Call an open-air booth for
the benefit of pedestrians and 9TH
erS will be set up today on Four
teenth street between New York
avenue and H street NV. A staff
of workers to receive enrolloments
will be on duty there daily from
1l:3O am. to pm. and from $3.50
pm. to pm.
Approximately 10000 of the $1,000
volunteer workers now in the field
have been assigned to Government
offices. All campaigners will work
individually, but will make their
reports to a chairman, who will in
turn report at headquarters for the
daily check-up.
Fifteen firms and offices were re-
ported Yesterday to have turned in
a 100 per cent enrolment. A num-
ber of others are expected to be
received before the first check on
results of the Roll Call is made this
afternoon.
Initial 100 Per Centers.
One hundred per cent firms sub
mitted by the general business
group, headed by David E. Mccoy,
included the Edgar Morris Sales Co,
Lanman Engraving Co., Kal Adver-
tising Co., Inc: Brightwood branch
of Sears, Roebuck e. Co.; Sally
Shops, Inc. and the Washington
Board of Trade. The professional
group, under Chairman Preston B.
Kavanagh, reported as 100 per cent
the Offices of the District chapter
of the Red Cross and the patent
law offices of John A. Saul, Lee B.
KEENAN,, B. j. Chromy, c. L. Parker,
John E. Bangs, Lloyd Patch, Adams
& Mcdonald and Christian R.
Nelson.
On hand yesterday to watch the
activity of Red Cross and Roll Call
workers at headquarters was Lady
Louis Mountbatten, wife of the
British peer and naval officer, now
making a tour of Red Cross chap
ters in America She was guest
speaker earlier in the day at the
ceremonies marking the opening OF
the drive.
100000 to Be Minimum.
Roll Call workers have been in
structed this year, according to
Chairman Morris, to work with
200 900 memberships as minimum
rather than an ultimate goal. This
has been done, he explained, be-
cause of the great demand already
made upon the Red Cross and be-
cause of the uncertainty Which the
next year may hold.
Probably never before has the
. world situation been so bad as it Is
: now" he said. And even more
. distressing is the fact that no one
knows how much worse 1t will be,
particularly for this Nation, by the
: time the roll call is completed"
! Thought of the futures uncer-
: tainty was voiced by Lady Mount
: batten during her talk at the OPEN
, ing ceremonies.
: Hundreds of persons who have
; lost their all in one shattering I'M
: pact" she said, have found the
ready hand of the Red Cross avail
able instantly to restore them 10
l some degree of normalcy. I, myself
have stood and distributed hundreds
- and hundreds of articles sent to us
: by the American Red CrosS-dis-
tributed them to families which
without them would have nothing
!, but which only the day before were
as adequately supplied with tie
needs of life as you or are at this
moment"