Evening star., 1942-01-31

A thank you" from President
Roosevelt last night climsxed the
first wartime observance Of the
birthday anniversary celebration he
has dedicated to the cause of little
children.
That thank you" went out to the
many thousands dancing in Wash
ington and throughout the country,
who, the President said, were show
ing their abiding faith in the fu-
ture-a definite expectancy that we
are going to win through to a peace
which will bring with it continuing
progress and substantial success in
our efforts for the security and not
for the destruction of humanity"
AS he saw his Goth birthday ami
versary drawing to close, the Presi-
dent devoted a few minutes of
radio broadcast to the country's en-
emies who, he said, must at this
moment be wondering-if they are
permitted to know what goes on
how we are finding the time during
the grim business of war to work for
the cause of little children"
Movie Stars Participate.
Ample proof, as the President
pointed out, that the way democ-
racy works-"the voluntary way"-is
efficient and successful was provided
at the 10 birthday events here where
capacity crowds dined or danced to
help raise money for the fight
against infantile paralysis.
Two dozen movie stars helped
make the evening exciting for those
who took every seat at three mid
night shows, danced at four hotels
and two halls or dined at the Will
lard Hotel. Although tickets for the
events were good at only one place.
every affair had capacity audience.
Some of them sang song at every
gathering and by the end of the
evening, they were barely able to
talk. Mickey Rooney pounded drums,
played the piano, had to work his
way through crowds behind a wedge
of policemen. His hair was touSled.
but he was still grinning when he
reached the last place.
Dinah Shore had promised her
doctor she would sing only once
at the Willard banquet-but the
crowds asked her to sing and she
sang.
Jimmy Stewart Popular.
No amount of police protection
could keep the fans away from 1t.
James Stewart. And most of the
time, the star in uniform didn't con-
tent himself with hasty auto
graph; he found out the fans name
and scrawled a personal message on
everything from regulation auto
graph books to shirt fronts.
One young girl hid in the Shore
ham Hotel kitchen all evening to
see 1t. Stewart. When he arrived
an attendant tried to keep the girl
from seeing the lieutenant but he
would have none of that. He bor-
rowed a program and wrote long
message to her on it. She squealed
and fled.
Leaping in and out of cars brought
minor tribulations for the stars A
careless foot trod on Rosalind Rus
sells lace gown. She calmly removed
her diamond pin from its resting
place at her throat, pinned up the
skirt and joked about the Mae West
effect for the rest of the evening.
1t wasn't all hard work, though,
for the actors and actresses gathered
at Uline's Arena to await Mrs.
Roosevelt and watch her cut the
$50 pound birthday cake, but she
was late-almost an hour behind
her schedule.
At first the stars remained seated
dociley in a tier of seats screened
from the crowd. Peeking around
the screen, they could see the
dancers and hear Johnny Longs Or
chestra. Then they started to dance.
Miss Russell performed solitary
shag. Pat O'Brien asked Betty Gra-
BILE to dance. Jackie Cooper and
Bonita Granville did a neat bit OF
jitterbugging, as could be viewed on
the other side of the screen.
Mrs. Roosevelt Appears.
Making a short stop at Lincoln
Colonnade, Mrs. Roosevelt appeared
at Uline's in a black taffeta frock
half hidden under an ermine coat
collared in white fox.