Evening star., 1946-07-20


too lnggg Nothing daunted. he pro.
ceetied to saw his racer in half, take
cfi the extra inch, then nall 1ls
Ssoster bach again. ...
Spectators began arriving at tl1e
Scene tefore T;30 am. Radio an
ncnnerifs telephone ianemayss. :=--:e!li-
tary polil@* race asfieiaIs sad other
groups nAodlsng srra agements
milled around tine start end finish
lines making minute prepara~
tions for the laInI '>t1.S of the derby
Contestants 4 'ssse Early.
Under bright skies and tn heat
tempered slightly by q breeze,
youthful contenders began arriv-
ing with their coasters by 9 am
They busted themselves In Ana, ad-
justments on their racers and In
comparing notes with other con-
testants.
Officials estimated between i25
and $50 would race through the day
Uncertainty of the exact number
was due to the fact contestants were
permitted to qualify their cars until
a few minutes before starting of
For instance, car rejected for poor
steering gear might still enter pro-
vided the driver can make repairs
in time.
Director o. c. Holleran said early
heat results offered little basis for
a prediction as to the eventual win
ner, but added it appeared times
recorded would be faster than in
1941, when the last Derby was held
here. He pointed out traffic had
worn away much of the pavement's &
nonskid grooming" during the
races wartime suspension, thereby
reducing friction to be overcome by
the boy-built, gravity-powered cars
Parade Begins Program.
The program began at 9:15 am
with parade in which the young
contestants, wearing cleaning sill.
ver-colored racing helmets and white
shirts bearing the Derby insigne
marched down the hill over which
they were to vie later for the honor
of representing the Capital in the
national finals at Akron, Ohio, Au.
gust 18.
A contingent of motorcycle police.
ment headed the column. Follow.
ing were distinguished guests
marching detachments from the
armed Services, the Maritime Com.
mission Band, the American LIE.
gion National Guard of Honor ane
massed colors of local Legion posts
and auxiliaries.
The District Department of the
Legion is co-sponsor of the
event with The Star and Chevrolet
dealers.
The Drum and Bugle Corps o.
James Reese Europe Post of the
Legion, a group of Boy Scouts bear.
ing their troop standards and rep.
resentatives of other boys organiza
tions also took part in the parade
Clark Halls Youth Battles.
Following the parade, Attorne,
General Clark, speaker of the day
borrowed his theme from yelling
toms famous words about the Bat
tie of Waterloo having been wor
on the playing fields of Eton, say
ing:
II do not think it is too mucl
to say that great national victorie
against crime and on the battle
fields are won in reality in derbie
like this that stimulate American
youth to give free reign to the bes
qualities in the human spirit
Wasn't this precisely the sort o
training that contributed so muci
to our victory in the war?
"We are not a grim nation. VIZ
are happy nation. We do mo-
make of sport sombre contest fol
supremacy. 1t is a contest like thi:
that represents the answer, the best
possible answer and the most funda.
mental one, to the epidemic of juve.
nile delinquency that is now sweep.
ing the country"
After Mr.. Clark's speech, the
Maritime Commission Band gave .
concert as final preparations were
made for the beginning of the races