Evening star., 1942-03-04
D.A.R.Congress
To Meet Here
Despite Crowds
Hotels Hold Up.
Room Reservations;
1000 Expected

The Daughters OF the American
Revolution are going ahead with
plans to hold their annual Cont
mental Congress in Warrington this
April as usual, but, barring some
thirg short of a miracle, no hous-
ing accommodations will be avail
able for a great many of the dele
gates planning to attend the con-
clave, it appeared today.
The situation came to light when
It was learned that the city's hotels
which in past years have been able
to- care for thousands of visiting
delegates during the traditional
meetings, have been forced by war-
time demands on their facilities tc
cut D. A. R. reservations to point
where less than 500 rooms are nov
booked for delegates.
This is about one-fourth the num-
Der which in normal times would be
reserved for D. A. R. members. In
January, Cos rooms were being re-
served, but since that time, two
hotels cancelled all of their reser-
vation requests from D. A. R. men,
bers so that those rooms would be
available for men coming here on
essential Government business. The
Willard Hotel cancelled l46 reser-
vations and the Hay-Adams House
80, dropping the D. A. R. reserve
10 480 rooms.
Private Homes Sought.
The Mayf1ower Hotel, which in
former years has accommodated 800
or more delegates. was able to ac-
cept reservations for only 40 rooms
this year.
Foreseeing the difficulty OF OBJ
tanning hotel rooms. the District
Chapter of the D. A, R.. in CO.
operation with the Greater National
Capital Committee of the Board Of
Trade. some time ago set up .
Hospitality Accommodations Com
mittee to try to find living quarters
In the homes of local D. A. R. mem
bers for visiting delegates. sBut this,
apparently, is helping little to solve
the problem.
Miss Luella P. Chase. chairman of
the Hospitality Accommodations
Committee, said they had had the
promise of $50 rooms in private
homes of D. A. R. members. but that
this was not 'holdiDt up Since
being offered, Miss Chase explaineAl,
many of the rooms have been rented
10 Government war workers. Z
In addition, lot Of the available
rooms in private homes are in the
suburban areas, ano out-of@town
D. A. r. women are not anxious to
take them because of the distance
TO the scene of the society's sessions.
Our people are used to hotel
rooms here" Miss Chase said.
But requests for rooms continue
to pour in from members unable to
obtain hotel accommodations. Rus
sell Schneider, manager OF the
Greater National Capital Com
mittee, said he has been getting
about Is requests every day.
Normally. the annual Continental
Congress brings between $500 to
$500 delegates from all sections OF
the country, but because of the war
this year. the attendance is expected
to be around 1000. Even this num-
ber, however, appears to be more
than can be accommodated.
Reservations Not Binding.
On top of everything else. even
those delegates fortunate enough to
have secured hotel reservations are
not too certain of getting their
rooms. one hotel official pointed out
The hotels. he explained, have
pledged themselves to provide rooms
for the constant stream OF persons
coming here on matters connected
with the war effort.
There's always the chance, he
said. that D. A. r. reservations
might have to be cancelled on this
account. A reservation, he pointed
out, is not a contract, but courtesy
which may be withdrawn at the
hotels discretion.
This same official pointed out
further that the number of rooms
now being reserved for D. A. R
delegates constitutes Is per cent OF
the daily turnover capacity of hotel
rooms in the city.
Last fall, the president general OF
the D. A. R.. Mrs. William H. Pouch
of New York City, met with her
cabinet and representative of the
48 State chapters and considered
appeals from Chicago. New York
Atlantic City, Pittsburgh and other
convention centers who offered to
take care of the 1912 meeting if it
became necessary to leave Wash
ington because of the rapidly
growing war activity.
May Curtail Program.
It was decided, however. to hold
the congress here, and Mrs: Pouch
said at that time that "as long as
this administration is in office, the
annual congress will be held in Con-
stitution Hall" She pointed out
that the society's bylaws require
that it shall hold its annual meet
ing in Washington during the week
in which April 10 Anniversary of
the battle of lexington falls.
Since that time, and following the
start of the war, it is understood
that other efforts have been made
behind the scenes to get the society
to transfer it's 1912 meeting to an
other city because of the intensive
war activity in Washington, its
rapid growth and the resultant
heavy increase in demands on trans
portation, housing, restaurants and
other facilities.
It was also suggested, according to
reports. that. if the congress coulo
not be transferred. its program
might be curtailed this year and the
attendance kept down to a size
which could be more easily accom-
nodated here.
asked whether Mrs. Pouch and
the. board might reconsider the de-
cision to hold the congress here
Mrs. Marguerite Schondau. secre-
tary to the president general, said