Evening star., 1945-03-18
|Curfew Lifted
For Cafes
Selling Food
Byrnes Acts to
Permit Serving
Night Workers

serving food exclusively to re.
main open during the early
morning hours.
The new exemption was an
nounced by Paul v. McNutt, chair
man Of the War Manpower Com.
mission, as having come from Wa
Mobilization Director Byrnes. 1t
followed flood of complaints from
all over the country that war work.
ers on night shifts were unable tt
find places to eat.
Interpreting the revision locally
Ernest v. Connolly, Area War Man
power director, said that all restau
rants which serve food only ane
have no entertainment may auto
matically go back to postmidnigh
hours beginning Immediately.
May Sell Food Only.
Places which sell liquor and pro-
vide entertainment in connection
with their food business may appl,
to the Area VINO Office for permis.
sion to remain open after midnight
solely for the purpose of selling food
Such applications will be granted or
receipt. Mr.. Connolly said, pending
an investigation by the VINO. Per.
mission may be revoked later, he
said, If the places do not appear te
be meeting the requirements of serv.
ing war workers, but each applica-
ton will be considered on its in.
dividual merits.
Mr. McNutt's statement follows:
Il have been authorized by the
Director of War Mobilization ano
Reconversion to exempt from his
curfew request restaurants which
after II o'clock midnight serve fooo
exclusively and provide no enter
tainment and serve night workers
engaged in war or industrial plants
or in activities supporting the war
effort or providing essential civilian
services"
The manpower chief warned that
last nights revision was not to be
construed as exempting those places
which serve food primarily for en-
tertainment seekers.
Assume War Workers Served.
Mr.. Connolly pointed out, how
ever, that for purposes of applying
the latest ruling to the District, all
restaurants staying open after mid
night would be assumed to be serv-
ing some war workers as defined
by Mr.. McNutt. He said it woulo
be impossible for restaurant man.
ayers to determine which of theil
patrons were engaged in war work
or war supporting activities or es-
sential services. He also said he
understood Mr.. McNutt's statement
to include restaurants serving wal
workers, however small their num-
ber might be in proportion to the
total number of patrons served.
The new Interpretation of Mr.
Byrnes' original curfew request
does not change the status of bowl
ing alleys. theaters, carnivals, dance
halls. roadhouses, country clubs ano
all other places of entertainment
not engaged primarily in the serving
of food. Such places must continue
to observe the curfew without ex-
ception.
Not only does the new order per-
NIT reopening of places which Gus
tomarily stayed open after midnight
before the curfew went into effect
on February 26 but, according tc
Mr.. Connolly. any restaurant serv-
ing food only and which did not
previously keep early-morning hours
may now do so.
Expects Few Applications.
The local VINO director doubted
however, whether many of the eligi-
BILE establishments would take ad-
vantage of the relaxation. He esti-
mated that before the curfew went
into effect not more than 200 of the
1000 eating places in
the District remained open after
Many of these places, he
said, probably would choose to re-
main shut after midnight, especially
those which have already made
manpower adjustments to their new
schedules.
Robert j. Wilson, executive sec
retary of the Washington Restau-
rant Association, said there were
between 200 and 300 local restau-
rants which formerly remained oper
after midnight, and he said he
believed many of these would take
of the new ruling. The
association he said, would assist
members running combination food
and liquor establishments in making
out their applications for permis-
sion to remain open for the purpose
of serving food only.
Still Called Request.
Manpower officials continued tc
speak of the curfew as a request
VINO Offices have been in
structed to enforce the request" by
cutting off manpower supplies to
who fail to comply.
Meanwhile, the status of two cases
of alleged violations in the District
dubious in the light o1
the new order. Both the Lamp
lighters Club and the Texas Chill
Parlor at Nineteenth street AND
Pennsylvania avenue NV. refused
to comply with the curfew and chal-
lenged the legality of the request.
Under the new Interpretation,
the chilli parlor automatically is
eligible to remain open after mid
night.
Praises District Compliance.
Mr.. Connolly said the District
has enjoyed extraordinary COM
pliance" with the curfew request" ;"
Although no noticeable manpower
was released as a result of the cur
few, he said, restaurant managers
were able to use their employees
more effectively and thereby reduce
the number of pending requests for
additional workers.
Last nights order is the third re-
vision since the original curfew "re-
quest" was issued by Mr.. Byrnes.
The first, issued two weeks ago, al
lowed restaurants which nreviol1Slv