Evening star., 1945-01-12
Birthday Ball Play
Tickets Are Sold Out
In Two and Half Hours

1t took just two and a half hours
today to sell the approximately 1,700
tickets available for the command
performance of Dear Ruth" which
will be presented here Sunday, jan
uary %, as part of the celebration
of the Presidents birthday and the
campaign to raise funds to combat
infantile paralysis.
After all the tickets were sold,
more than 100 persons still were
waiting in the long line outside the
District War Information Center
at Pennsylvania avenue and Four
teenth street NV.
The line began to form at 7:3O
am. Before the sale of tickets be-
gan at $50 the line stretched along
the avenue and up Thirteenth street.
They paid from s180 to Sc for
their tickets and bought up to four
each. All the proceeds will go to-
ward the infantile paralysis fund.
The services of the plays cast, the
personnel Of the National Theater,
where it will play, and other groups
connected with the performance will
be given free. The play now is
showing on Broadway.
Gets Free Ticket.
Sergt. Kenneth B. Wheatley, jr.,
home after 81 months duty in the
Pacific, and visiting his parents at
3l8 Douglas street NE, was one who
didn't have to wait for his ticket
Because he was the 00,000th serv-
iceman to be given an entertain
ment ticket at the center he was
awarded" a command performance
ticket. His comment was, # never
got service like this on Bougainvill.
but then I never got weather lik,
this either"
Beginning tomorrow afternoon a
four locations in the District, Ion,
tracks the width of dime vii
start receiving the contributions o
passersby in the fight against in
fantile paralysis. -. -
Mrs. Roosevelt will place the frs
coin in the Mile O. Dimes campaign
in a ceremony at the stand befor,
the Capitol Theater. Commissions
John Russell Young, chairman O.
the committee for the celebration
of the Presidents birthday, of which
the Mile O. Dimes campaign is &
part, will receive her donation. Tn,
ceremony will be broadcast owe
all Washington radio stations a
1890 pm.
Mrs. Roosevelt and Commissions.
Young then will go to a stand t,
be opened for the first time in from
of the Lincoln Theater, 1915
street NV, where Mrs. Roosevelt
also will begin the contributions.
Two Smaller Stands.
Besides the two 33-foot lont
stands where dimes can be inserted
in the tracks, or dropped into mill
bottles labeled with the names O
all the States OF the Union ane
foreign countries, two other stand!
will be open. These, smaller thar
the two in front of the theaters
will be located at Union Station
and the National Airport.
The Mile O Dimes drive, sponsored
annually by all radio stations here
will be under the direction of {
committee headed by Bryson Rasl
of Station WMAL. Members of hi
committee are Merle Jones, VOL
Carleton D. Smith, WRC; Car
Burkland, WTOP; John Patricl
Smith, WINK; G. Bennett Larson
WWDC. and K. H. Berkeley, WMAL
Cooperating with the committe,
are the two theaters before whicl
stands are located and several Dis
trict concerns. These include Atchi
son & Keller, plumbing and heating
engineers; George A. Ford Electrical
Co., Washington Shade & AWNING
Co.. and the Chestnut Farms-C -Chev.
Chase Dairy.