Evening star., 1945-09-22
20,000WorkersB Beqin
War Fund Campaign
To Raise S4,970,000
After an impressive sendoff in

IUkdISe 94,7IVrw
After an impressive sendoff in
Constitution Hall, 10000 volun-
teer workers began solicitations
today in the largest Community
War Fund campaign ever
launched in the Washington
area.
More than 5000 celebrities, work.
ers and citizens gathered last night
with unseen guests full of thank
fulness and hope to keep faith with
those who gave"
The pledge, to keep faith with
those who gave" was the theme of
the musical drama narrated by Wal
ter Huston, the actor, and of the
address by Lee D. Butler, campaign
chairman, opening the drive for
$4,970, 900.
Herbert L. Willett, jr., executive
director of the Community War
Fund, introduced the unseen guests
the war orphan in China sitting
in the rubble, the sick mother in
Southeast Washington, the elderly
man in hospital ward and the
wounded sailors whose hearts are
not heavy because USO entertain
ments are making such a lot of
difference"
Community's Responsibility.
Mr.. Butler described the COM
munity's responsibility this year as
one of keeping faith with the men
who have died. with the men who
are coming back, with our Allies and
with those at home who are their
concern and ours.
by the very act OF getting to-
gether in single humanitarian
organization to pool our efforts, our
interests, our funds. to review and
analyze our social problems, to at
tempt to meet a total need with no
thought of individual thanks or
recognition, We have brought a great
community into focus.
No longer is the poor family
across the city. nor the starving
family across the world a matter of
remote and impersonal concern" he
said.
The audience, peppered with celeb
rites, gave 10-minute ovation fol-
lowing the musical narration, The
War Is Over" to Mr.. Huston, to the
Army Air Forces Band which played
the musical arrangements. the
soloists who participated, the pro-
ducer and arrangers.
Service at Home, Abroad.
The story of Community War
Fund services at home and abroad
opened with thankfulness for 1.-The
typical Americans coming home and
the typical American things soon to
be back followed by a reminder of
those who cry mot for nylon but
for babies milk, not for a new car
but for an old bed, sleep and rest"
Sergt. Jerome Layton, the writer,
bluntly placed the beginning of the
war between the Axis and the
democracies in Spain and the Franco
revolution. Franco. he charged,
crushed the voice of his own
people Russia. he pointed out,
aided the Loyalists and silently pre-
pared for war.
The persecution of the Jews was
dramatically illustrated when Vitya
Vronsky and Victor Babin, two
piano team, played the polka and
fugue from "Schwanda," by Jaromir
Weinberger. Mr. Weinberger, who
was driven out of Czechoslovakia
and now is living in New York, made
the arrangement especially for them
1t was the only time that the
audience interrupted the drama to
applaud.
Those were the years when grea.
humanitarian causes were almost
joyously supported" said Mr.. Hus-
ton, because they provided an out
let for our emotions.
Allies Face Worst Winter.
In personal appeal he warned
that If now we lose our sensitivity
to suffering and our unity, much
that we fought for will be lost"
our Allies face their worst win
ter" Mr.. Huston continued. With
out our help children will die in
Europe this year. Until government
machinery gets under way, areas of
emergency and individual help are
inevitably left untouched. This is
where our voluntary relief organ
izations step in to do what others
cannot do"
The accompanying music of the
Air Forces Band ranged from the
stirring Red Cavalry March" to an
au-out rendition of I've Got
Rhythm. Ballad for Americans"
was sung by the New York Avenue
Presbyterian Church Choir with
S/Sergt. Glenn Darwin at soloist
The enthusiastic audience in
cluded Gen. George C. Marshall,
Nine. Henri Bonnet, wife of the
French Ambassador, the campaign
leaders and hundreds of volunteer
workers who begin today the work
OF solicitation. Chairman of the
meeting was Coleman Jennings, with
Miss Mabel Cook as co-chairman.