Evening star., 1943-10-28
Service Center Open,
To Near Capacity
Crowd Of Lodqers

The seven-story United Nations
Service Center began operation last
night with "a overnight dodgers,
after ceremonies yesterday after
noon in which Mrs, Roosevelt and
representatives Of the Army and
Navy praised the center as one of
the finest in the Nation for transient
service personnel.
Mrs. Roosevelt, given special
previeW of the facilities before the
dedication ceremony at pm, de-
scribed the center as "a perfectly
splendid place" She said she hoped
its opening would reduce the number
of servicemen who sleep overnight
in the Union Station, condition
which she termed terrible"
Impressed by Nursery.
Nursery rooms, in which service
men and their wives may leave their
children, particularly impressed Mrs.
Roosevelt.
She also lavished praise, however,
on laundry facilities provided for
enlisted men. the dressing rooms,
where SerVicemen who do not take
rooms may wash up and the
numerous lounges, card rooms and
writing rooms.
She commended the decorations,
particularly in the snack bars where
maps have been placed under each
glass table top, and in the writing
room for enlisted men.
Reasonable Prices.
All rooms in the center, Mrs.
Roosevelt said, are attractive and
nice" and the schedule of prices is
"rea Sonable" Mrs. William Calvin,
executive secretary of the District
War Hospitality Committee, which
is sponsoring the center, said officers
will be charged $3.50 to 50 each for
hotel room accommodations and en-
listed men SITS to 50 each, while
the dormitory-styl cots for enlisted
men will rent for ST night.
AT the dedication ceremony, 1t
Col. James A. CaSteel, assistant
chief Of staff of the Military Dis
triCt of Washington, hailed the GEN.
ter as filling "a long-felt need in
this area" He predicted it will
partially solve the Union Station
problem, although there may be
need for additional facilities of the
same type"
Capt. J. Howard Wellbrook. chief
of staff of the Potomac River Naval
Command, particularly praised the
"far-sightednesS' of providing lodg-
Ing for transient service women, and
said the people of Washington
have set standard which should
stimulate other communities"
Presentation Ceremony.
Baird Snyder, III, assistant ad-
mlnistrator of the Federal Works
Agency, which under the Lanham
Act provided the funds for pur-
chasing and remodeling the former
Capitol Park Hotel, formally pre-
Sented the center to the commu-
nifty. Floyd D. Akers, chairman of
the War Hospitality Committee,
made the acceptance speech. Chair
man at the ceremony was Repre-
sentative Lanham, Democrat, of
Texas, author of the Lanham Act.
One enlisted man and one en-
listed woman from each of the
services formed guard of honor,
and after the dedication exercises,
drew lots for a free long distance
telephone c all which formally
opened the switchboard Seaman
First Glass Harlan L. Cotton of the
Coast Guard won the drawing. but
since he recently visited his home
in Saginaw, Mich, turned his rights
over to Sergt. James S. Dugan of
the Marine Barracks, who tele-
phoned his home in Hollywood,
Calf.
The center has so dormitory beds
for enlisted men. Other sleeping
accommodations are hotel-type,
with l9 beds tentatively set aside
for enlisted men, 40 beds for officers
and 81 for women service personnel.
Plans for operation are flexible, so
that additional beds can be added
N