Evening star., 1942-01-19
Broadcast 10 Launch
Women 5 Week in
Paralysis Campaign
Mrs. Roosevelt ond
Two Champions Heed
White House Proerom

IWO SUuWp pIVUS VeUO
White House Program
Two girls who fought and won the
battle against the Gripping effects
Of infantile paralysis and went on
to win championships in the sports
world were to speak from the White
House this afternoon at the opening
Of Women's Week for Infantile
Paralysis.
Mrs. Roosevelt was to preside at
the meeting which was to be broad
cast at 4:30 pm. over the Blue
Network She was TO introduce
Miss Nancy Merki. l5-year -old
swimming star Of Portland. Oreg..
and Miss Jean White, ID. New York
State hgure-skating champion on
roller skates.
Miss Merki brought with her a
bag Of IS worth of new Gimes. the
gift Of her mathematics class in
high school. The girl voted No.
girl swimmer OF the country was to
present the dimes to Mrs. Roosevelt
with . letter from the class which
said In part. I'VE hope that it may
help some other child to overcome
this disease as Nancy has
Others to Speak.
Also scheduled to address the
meeting were Surgeon General
Thomas Parran. Mrs. John L. White
Grafton Of Womens Clubs; Mrs. Will
liam Kletser. president of the Ma
tional Congress OF Parents and
Teachers. and Miss Dorothy Ducas.
national chairman of the Women's
Division of the Committee for the
Celebration of the Presidents BIRTH
day.
Scheduled to attend the White
House meeting were:
Mrs. Henry A. Wallace wife of the
vice President; Mrs. Cordell Hull,
wife Of the Secretary Of State: Mrs.
Henry Morsenthau, jr.. wife Of the
Secretary of the Treasury: Mrs.
Frank C. Walker, wife Of the Post
master General: Mrs. Frank Knox,
wife OF the Secretary OF the Navy;
Mrs. Jesse H. Jones. wife Of the Sec
retary Of Commerce; Mrs. Harold l..
Ickes. wife Of the Secretary Of the
Interior. and Miss Frances Perkins,
Secretary of Labor.
Also Mrs. Harlan F. Stone. wife
ef the Chief Justice: Mrs Owen j.
Roberts, Mrs. Stanley F. Reed, Mrs.
Hugo l.. Black, Mrs. william O..
Douglas, Mrs. Felix Frankfurter and
Mrs. Robert II. jackson. wives Of
Supreme Court justices.
Also Mrs. T. v. Soong, wife OF the
Foreign Minister of China; Mrs.
Richard G. Casey. wife of the Aus
tralian Minister: Mrs. Leighton Nc
Carthy, wife of the Canadian Min
lister; Mrs William H. Pouch. presi-
dent general of the Daughters of
the American Revolution; Mrs. AL
ben w. Barley, wife of the majority
leader of the Senate: Mrs. John w.
Mccormack, wife Of the majority
leader of the House of Representa-
tives; Mrs. Irene B. Caldwell. direc-
tor OF womens activities OF the
District OF Columbia Presidents
Birthday Committee; Miss Mary
Anderson, director Of the Women's
Bureau, Department Of Labor: Mrs.
Clifford Pinchot, Mrs. Eugene Meyer
and Mrs. Eleanor Patterson.
d. c. Chapter Reports.
Meanwhile. the District Of Co.
lmbia Chapter of the National
Foundation for Infsntils Paralysis,
which cares for the relief Of suffer-
ers in this area. announced that its
total receipts had been s100.7O4.91
and that it has expended s87,752.95.
leaving a balance of cash on hand
Of $l2,951s6.
The number OF infantile paralysis
patients reported in Washington
last year was IS, an increase of 900
per cent over the 1910 figure. In
Maryland 242 cases were reported
as against 16 in 1910. an increase Of
$500 per cent. One-half of the
money contributed In the birth
day ball celebrations and Mile O
Dimes campaign is allocated to the
local communities which raise it,
the remainder going to the National
Foundation.
A group of Camp Fire Girls has
volunteered to assist in hotel lobbies
selling tickets for the Presidents
diamond fIdilee celebr tion in the
interest of the infantile paralysis
drive.
Among those are Betty Sue Arm
strong. Phyllis Bsrdos. Joan Bar
nett, Ruth Breslau, Jean Davis,
Mary Lou Dobbs. Marjorie Jansson,
Joyce Kummell, Elaine Langerman.
Joan Niemeyer. Betty Pitt, Betty
Lou Polhamis, Carol Shanklin, Helen
Sheppard, Sylvia Simmons, Eliza
beth Ann Smith. Evangeline
Sprague and Nancy Wetzel.