Evening star., 1944-11-19
Volunteers Praised
Jas Draft Aid Cenier
Completes Work

Closing yesterday Of the Draft
Aid Center, which has served as q
clearing house for information to
servicemen and their families since
early in the year, and transfer Of its
diminishing work to the Home
Service Division Of the Red Cross,
brought ofdcial tributes to the vol
unteers who made the center 50
successful.
A steady decrease Of inductions
into the armed services made it pos
sible to close the facility, which at its
peak helped thousands of soldiers
and sailors solve their problems.
The center, situated in the United
States Information Center, Four
teenth street and Pennsylvania
avenue NV, worked out difiiculties
ranging from new quarters for their
families to medical care, mortgages
and intricate matters OF business
and finance. The facility was
awarded last spring a Citation OF
Merit by the National ONCE OF
Civilian Defense. 1t was believed
to have been the first center OF its
kind in the country.
A share-the-home phase of the
center's work placed perplexed wives
IN touch with one another and in a
good many instances led to their
doubling up for the duration to save
expenses and arrange jointly for the
care Of children.
Opened February 1.
The Draft Aid Center was opened
February /. It was set up by the
District Selective Service and the
Civilian War Services Board or the
District Government in quarters
provided by the Office of War In
formation. This war service resulted
from a suggestion made to The Star
by a draft-age father.
Mrs. Roosevelt indorsed and visit
ed the center, and 1t won approval
in Congress.
Its work, except for an executive
secretary, was carried out entirely
by volunteers. It's closing was an
nounced in letter to the volunteers
signed by William E. Leahy, Dis
trict director Of selective service, and
John j. Hasley, chairman Of the
Civilian War Services Board.
They reported the center had
served 5,208 persons, who had made
6,776 inquiries. The volunteers gave
1885 hours to the project and made
. record Of not . single lateness OF
absence mreported.
Last January" the letter pointed
out. you graciously volunteered to
serve In establishing the Draft Aid
Center, a vitality important need in
our community which had not been
met up to that time. Only your
loyalty and devotion and that of
your co-workers made the success
OF this project possible
Work Reduced Sharply.
Because Of the reduced demand
OF selective service, it was explained
the intake at the center has greatly
decreased, and the Home Service
Division Of the Red Cross finds It.
self fully able to handle the few
selecteeS who are now coming to US
because OF the increase both in staff
and space of that organization"
Mr.. Leahy and Mr.. Hasley added:
I'VE are now making Of this occa-
sion an opportunity to express to
you our personal appreciation of the
devotion with which you entered
upon this important war service and
continued to render It 50 unselfishly
throughout the existence of the
Draft Aid Center"
They said Miss Josephine Brown,
chairman of the Family Security
Committee Of the Civilian War
Services, joined them in expressing
appreciation. The outstanding rec
ord Of your activities" they wrote,
will furnish one Of the most I'm
portant chapters OF our local war
activities when the District of Co