Evening star., 1942-09-27
0ne-Day 'B|itz' Scrap
Drive Launched in
Mount Rainier
Alexandria, Arlington
Boast Of Topping D. c.
In Per Copito Collection

A one-day "blitz" scrap drive was
to be launched today in Mount
Rainier, Md, as both Alexandria
and Arlington County claimed to
have exceeded Washington in per
capita contributions.
Residents of the nearby Maryland
town were urged to have their
scrap metal in front of their homes
to facilitate collection by town
trucks which were to begin to cir
culate through the town at am.
Mayor Floyd B. Matthias, who is
in charge of the drive, said funds
from the sale of scrap will be used
to purchase equipment for auxiliary
policemen and other civilian defense
personnel.
Parade Climaxes Drive.
Albert Smoot, Alexandria salvage
chairman, estimated that 200 tons
were collected during the flve-hour
whirlwind campaign there yester-
day which was climaXed by a
parade. With 47000 residents, this
figure breaks down into a little
more than eight pounds per capita.
Washington's per capita collection
was about seven pounds in last
Sundays drive in the Northeast and
Southeast sections.
Arlington County did even better,
with 500 tons of scrap collected in
the five-day campaign which ended
Friday. This represents 13 pounds
contributed by each of the $4,000
residents.
Declaring that the yield greatly
exceeded his expectations, Mr..
Smoot said Alexandria's figure is
even more remarkable when you
consider the great percentage Of
transient war workers in the town
who haven't had time to accumu-
late scrap
More than 1000 civilian defense
workers participated in the parade,
which was held despite the rain.
The line of march was headed by
Norman H. Davis, chairman of the
American Red Cross; Capt. r. B.
Simons, commanding officer of the
Naval Torpedo Station; Mayor Will
liam T. Wilkins and Carl Budwesky,
civilian defense co-ordinator.
Return Call Planned.
While the intensive phase of the
Arlington drive has been completed,
Leo G. Lloyd, salvage committee
chairman, said county workers will
call back at every home in the
county.
Declaring that Arlington is par
ticipating in the Statewide contest,
sponsored by Virginia newspapers,
which ends October 10, Mr.. Lloyd
indicated that fine tooth" search
will take place between now and the
end OF the contest in an attempt to
win one of the prizes offered to par
ticipating counties.
Approximately IS tons of scrap
metal and AZ tons of rubber have
been collected in Fairfax County
during the past week, according to
Mrs. Douglass Murray, chairman of
the County Salvage Committee.
Among historic relics donated in
the drive is cogwheel from the
machinery Of the battleship Maine,
contributed by Mrs. Murray.
Oxon Hill Campaign.
A scrap campaign will get under
way October in Oxon Hill. Resi-
dents of the area are urged to bring
their scrap to the town firehouse.
Those unable to haul their scrap
should call Spruce 0263 between
noon and 8 pm, and arrangements
will be made to collect it.
Reports from 80 counties and nine
cities in Virginia yesterday showed
collections of 9,208,l37 pounds of
scrap metal during the first six
days of the States all-out drive.
Wythe County with a population
of 22,721, took top honors among the
counties reporting with total of
1853, $3.50 pounds, or 335 pounds per
resident. Lynchburg had the highest
per capita figure among the cities
with 30.2 pounds, the Associated
Press reported.
Soldiers Aid Collection.
In Baltimore $40 soldiers from Fort
George G. Meade and Camp Hola-
bird, plus 1000 volunteer citizens,
today were cleaning up the scrap
metal and rubber that has been