Evening star., 1942-04-21
Private Homes
May Have 10 Put
Up Servicemen
Churches and Clubs
Urged to Take in
More on Week Ends

Unless more churches and clubs
provide weekend beds for service
men visiting the District, the only
other, solution may lie in the field
Of home hospitality.
This outlook offered a challenge
to the District Recreation Commit
tee as 1t studied reports showing
no relief to servicemen housing con-
gestion was afforded here last week.
A check showed 7l2 soldiers, SAIL
ors and marines found beds, but
nearly 500 were turned away.
That churches and individuals
may ease the housing problem for
Servicemen in coming weeks was
the hope expressed by Grover Hart
man, defense commission chairman
of the Washington Federation Of
Churches. While All Souls Church
again proved the only local church
extending its hospitality TO visi-
tors in uniform-25 being accom-
modated there Saturday night-Mr.
Hartman said he had reason to be-
lieve other churches would place
their facilities at the Recreation
Committees disposal.
Plans Inspection Tour.
During this week I am PLAN
ming to visit a number of WASH
ington churches to inspect their
facilities for this purpose" Mr..
Hartman said. 1T isn't a ques-
ton of willingness-all the churches
are willing rather, 1t is one of the
churches having canteens and ia
cilities for the Job. feel there
are four or five churches other
than All Souls which can pitch
into this movement and lend a
helping hand"
Unless churches and private clubs
and organizations arouse them
selves to the necessity of providing
beds for visiting servicemen, the
alternative solution must be to
appeal, for the immediate future,
to the hospitality of private citi-
zens, MIR. Hartman said.
Additional cots for servicemen
will be available at the Arlington
recreation Army cantonrnent within
two weeks, declared Col. Walter
Long, commanding officer, but no
relief is in sight there for this
coming week end.
Handled All Who Applied.
I'VE handled all who came to
us, total OF 1871, the past week
end" Col. Long said, but we won't
be able to handle up to $50 men
until additional Fort Myer bar
racks under construction are COM
pleted. Most of the boys who come
to us are stationed at nearby Fort
Belvoir, Fort Meade or Fort Myer.
We get few marines from Guam
tico and few sailors from Norfolk,
doing everything possible to help
relieve the bed shortage for men
in uniform"
On Saturday last the Soldiers.
Sailors and Marines Club turned
away 200 men. The club was able
to handle only 1913 servicemen.
Every week end there it is the
same old story-lack of facilities
for those who desire a bed, ON
cials said.
The Servicemen,s Club No. ac-
commodated some 24o men, but had
to turn away 200.
Some Sleep on Stairways.
The Y. M. C. A. on G street NV.
turned away approximately 100 men.
The "Y" had beds for only so uni
formed men. The other 80 who
spent the night there doubled up
on chairs or slept on stairways.
At the colored Y. NJ. c. A. there
were beds for % men, with IA others
sleeping on anything they could
find, other than beds.
One agency had offers from pri-
vate citizens to provide beds, and IL
servicemen were able to enjoy home
hospitality.
The various agencies cooperating
in the task of providing beds for
visiting servicemen feel they are
achieving progress, oficiafs said.
However, the need for city-wide
participation in the problem is
acute, and efforts are now being
concentrated to expand the scope Of
existing facilities. Somehow, means
must be found to take care of the
400 to 500 soldiers and sailors un-
able to secure beds each Saturday
night. it was emphasized. Sunday
night does not give the agencies
trouble. inasmuch as the peak is
reached on Saturday nights, with
men returning to their respective
posts late Sunday afternoon and
night