Evening star., 1942-11-25
Recreation Officials
Describe Facilities
For War Workers
Transportation Problem
May Cause Proerom
To Be DecentruIized

Through the medium of program
patterned after radios Information
Please. personnel directors of Gov
ernment departments and citizens
and civic association leaders yester-
day were afforded comprehensive
picture of recreation facilities avail
able to Washington's war workers
and visiting servicemen.
The program was sponsored by
the recreation division of the Coun-
Gil of Social Agencies and followed
a luncheon served in the YWCA
Building at Seventeenth and K
streets INV.
With Harry S. Wender. head Of
the District Recreation Board. act
ing as moderator and posing the
questions. a panel of seven recre-
alton authorities here answered
questions.
In the group were Joseph Calm,
executive secretary of the War
Hospitality Committee; Milo F.
Christensen. superintendent of the
District Recreation Department;
Charles H. Cunningham, liaison Of
flcer of the council and Metropolitan
Civilian Mobilization Office; Grover
Hartman, defense commissioner of
the Washington Federation of
Churches; Marshall Stalley, recrea-
tion director in the War Depart
ment; Mrs. Olive Swinney, execu-
tive secretary of the Civilian Mobil-
iZation Office, and John Young, as
Sistant superintendent of the Recre-
alton Department.
Decentralized Recreation.
From Mrs. SWinney came disclo-
sure that the War Hospitality Com
mittee was working on a plan for
"decentralizated recreation" She
reported this was one answer to the
transportation problem and to the
need of more neighborhood hospi-
tality. Recreation leaders are now
being chosen in the city's 66 defense
areas, she said.
Many young people do not like to
go back to town for recreation after
their work is DONE" Mrs. Swinney
declared. I'VE are turning to neigh
borhoods to take on this Job of
hospitality" The transportation
problem, she added. makes it expe-
dent that the city have decentral-
lied program of recreation.
She stressed that mattresses,
clerks in private business and many
others ARE all war workers, too, not
just those who work for the Gov
ernment." All these groups must be
reached in any reaction programs
being formulated by groups, she said.
YWCA Offers Dancing.
Typical OF the questions was the
following:
Where can older war workers 90
for square dancing or instruction in
this activity?
Mr.. Cunningham replied that the
YWCA was the center for such ac-
tivity but that other groups, such as
the Washington Folk Council, the
Cooperative League of the District,
the Jewish Community Center and
settlement houses, also offered
square dancing.
Mr. Calm in answering another
question. pointed out that clubs
affording recreation here for all
classes of people had expanded
greatly and that today there were
q such clubs. Nineteen were for
men, three for women and five were
for both sexes.
Recreation programs for war
workers in the night shift are avail
able at the YWCAs and the YMCAs,
Mr.. Cunningham reported.
Mr.. Hartman disclosed that six
orchestra groups were now available
at local churches, in addition to 20
youth choirs, exclusive of regular
church choirs. and eight dramatic
groups He said the federation was
compiling q directory of musical
facilities for use by various groups.
Mr.. Stailey deplored the lack of
eating facilities here for persons
getting of night shifts or young
people leaving organized entertain
ment.
The audience joined in asking the
experts questions. Mrs. CaZenove
Lee, new chairman Of the councils
Recreation Division. presided. The
meeting was the first Of four to be
held by the group.
d.
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