Evening star., 1944-02-11

Senator Chavez told the Bataan
delegates at an afternoon session
that our men, starved into sur
render, should not be forgotten. He
insisted he was not trying to inter-
fere with the Army-N Navy conduct of
the global war, but advised Bataan
prisoners relatives to leave no
stone unturned" to speed the liberia
ton Of their loved ones do
not hesitate to poster your repre-
sentatives in Congress to the point
Of mutual evaporation, if need be-.
DR.. Spensley, who lost his son on
Bataan, termed brutal and das-
tardly" the Arny-Navy method Of
revealing japanese atrocities against
our fighting men. He criticized the
delay in doing so and doing II
through reports from men who hac
escaped. sms
Mother Wants Truth.
At this point a delegate, Mrs
Thomas A. Hadden, Atlanta, Ga.
arose to say she is the mother OF
three sons, one a prisoner, who
served in the Pacific zone.
IF our boys can face the facts
and stand the truth, so can the
mothers of America" she said.
Release of the atrocity stories, DR.
Spensley said, was cruel to families
of men captured in the islands. He
asked: "Is that the only remaining
means of selling War Bonds, or has
1t been found necessary for America
to dishonor the principles of de-
cency? When we speak of the relief
Of our brave men, we mean rescue"
With DR.. Spensley as chairman,
other officers chosen were: Mrs.
Theodore Cuyler Biggers, Atlanta,
first vice chairman; Albert c. Nc
Arthur, Lombard, ILL.,, second vice
chairman; P. w. McCahon, Albu-
1uerque, N. Mex, secretary, and
Mrs. Charles Cook, Atlanta, treas
urer.
Conflicting Versions of Aims.
Meanwhile, there were conflicting
versions of the purpose of the Wash
ington conference. The call for the
first meeting Wednesday at the
Cosmos Club was made by six men,
bers of the Organizing Committee for
the Bataan Foundation and Philip
pine Relief.
Mrs. Francis B. Rayre, wife of the
last American high commissioner to
the Philippines, told The Star she
signed a mimeographed notice OF
the meeting by attaching personal
note to groups she knew were active
in Bataan relief work. She saio
George Djamgaroff, committee mem
ber, some time ago accompanied
her to the Office of Charles P. Taft
member of the Presidents Wal
Relief Control Board, who approved
suggestions for national body CO.
ordinating Philippine relief agencies
At Wednesdays meeting a resolu-
ton, attributed to Mr.. Djamgarof
suggested a Bataan Memorial Foun-
dation, with parades, scholarships, g
$10,000,000 movement and other ac-
tivities designed to perpetuate the
heroism OF our fighting forces. The
resolution was shouted down by rel
atives of prisoners of war.
DR.. Spensley said he was one of
those who interpreted the resolution
as memorial to Bataan dead, al
though prisoner relatives are "pri-
marily interested in succoring the
living"
Relatives Group Adjourns.
The relatives group held afternoon
and night meetings yesterday, elect
ed officers, stated their objectives
and adjourned to meet again May
at st. Joseph, Mo.
Mr.. Djamgarof termed "mislead-
Ing" a published report that the
Organizing Committee came to
Wednesdays meeting with one idea
and relatives of Bataan prisoners
another.
What was suggested was q
memorial in the form of aid to ou,
prisoners of war;" he said. I'VE hac
a specific idea that the activities o1
independent Bataan relief club.
needed to be co-ordinated. MY
services had been volunteered. With
the holding Of the meeting, my worl
was done"
Mr.. Djamgaroff was defended b,
Mrs. Lester Buchanan, 1928 Mas.
sachusetts avenue NV, who at.
tended the Cosmos Club meeting
and was a speaker. but left early.
There was never any talk o.
thought of a monument, but a iv.
ing monument to the men them.
selves, in the form Of immediate re.
lef. establishment of convalescent