Evening star., 1944-11-19
Roosevelt Backs
Stadium Plan in
Letter 10 Rally
Meeting Unanimous
In Urging Building
OF Structure Here
Pictures on Page BIZ

PRESIDENT Roosevelt sent to q
mass meeting of District citizens
last night his enthusiastic in
dorsement of the proposal to
build a national stadium here
after the war.
The message from the President
was read by Floyd D. Akers, CHAIR
man of the National Stadium Com
mittee, to the hundreds of persons
who attended the rally in support of
the project at the Departmental Au-
ditorium, on Constitution avenue be-
tween Twelfth and Fourteenth
streets NV.
Il wholeheartedly approve the
program for National Stadium in
Washington" Mr.. Roosevelt said. He
expressed the hope that such a pro.
ject could become "a fitting memo-
rial to our men and women now in
the armed services
Stadium Favored Unanimously.
Those attending the rally, many
of them representing organizations
with an aggregate membership run
ming into hundreds of thousands,
unanimously adopted a resolution
calling for the construction of
stadium Of ample size to accommo-
date the largest national events now
being held or likely to be held in the
future"
Appearing together on the plat
form were Comdr. Jack Dempsey,
Coast Guard, and Comdr. Gene
Tunney, USNR, both former world
heavyweight boxing champions, who
were united in their enthusiastic
approval of the stadium. Both
pointed out the value of a stadium
to foster large-scale sports pro-
gram as part of the national move
ment to keep young men and women
physically At after the war.
The hope Of obtaining the next
Olympic Games, to be held prob
ably In 1948, was held out to the
Capital by an Olympic official who
pointed out that the site for the
international competition will be
selected at meeting of the COM
mittee next year. Bill Henry, TECH
Inical director to the International
Olympics Committee and news
commentator with the Columbia
Broadcasting System. urged spon-
sors of the stadium project to have
their plans sufficiently developed by
that time to convince the commit
tee that the games could be pre-
sented here.
i Randolph Pushes Bin.
Mr.. Henry's plea for speedy action
Jeanne only . few hours after Chair
imam Randolph Of the House Dis
Itrict Committee took the first step
toward final enactment OF hts bill
to set up a corporation authorized
to plan and build the stadium by
referring 1t to a subcommittee for
consideration. Representative Har-
ris, Democrat, of Arkansas, chair
man of the subcommittee, already
has announced his group is ready
to take up the bill Immediately.
Climax to last nights meeting
lcame when Mr. Akers read the let
ter from the President. The text
follows:
Il wholeheartedly approve the
program for a National Stadium in
Washington. Therefore, / hope that
at the community meeting, COM
priSed of the citizens of Metropoh-
tan Washington, every one will CO.
operate and support the committee
undertaking this program.
Washington then will be the
center of many national and in
ternational programs which will in
clude International Olympics, all
types of sports activities, youth f1t-
ness programs, Boy Scout jambo-
rees, All Club meetings and vet
erans' programs with military COM
petitive activities. Further, these
activities could be expanded into
the inter hemisphere activities to
promote the American Good Neigh
Dor programs, as well as to mass
gatherings for religious, fraternal
and labor organizations.
Such stadium, If designed to
be of general utility in order to
house the above activities, could
then become a fitting memorial to
our men and women now in the
armed services and could be dedi-
Gated to the Youth and freedom of
our country"
Dempsey Long an Advocate.
Comdr. Dempsey said he had
long advocated such a stadium "A
a means of building up interest In
sports"
"The present war proves the need
for physical fitness among our
young men," he said. Other ma
tions have realized this long ago.
The development of sports would
help us in gaining the kind OF
world understanding that we lacked
SO seriously before this war began
I look forward to seeing this stadium
built, and I am expecting to hear
a favorable report on the project.
Comdr. Tlnney pointed out that
the first thing an observer on the
fighting fronts notices Is the
courage and fortitude Of our
fighting men," These qualities he
(See STADIUM, Page A-3)