Evening star., 1946-02-03

Inc United service organization
centers, which celebrate their fifth
anniversary tomorrow, will expand
rather than cut their facilities for
members of the peacetime armed
forces here despite the heavy dis
charge rate, and USO activities are
going to continue for at least the
next two years, USO officials an
nounced yesterday.
Eventually, USO officials expect
the number of uniformed men and
women In this area to diminish, but
there has been no noticeable de-
crease yet. Volunteer workers do
not expect a slackening of patronage
as long as Washington remains the
most important leave area In the
East.
When the heavy load of visitors
begins to decline, USO leaders said,
consultations may take place, but
there will be more than enough IA
cilities to take care Of CT Joe and
Jane as long as the men and women
OF the armed forces need them.
Fourteen Clubs in Operation.
Fourteen fully manned USO clubs
for men and women, colored and
white, are being maintained in
Metropolitan Washington, with 49,
600 volunteer workers in the entire
operation. Hostesses who formerly
were connected with the defunct
Pepsi-Cola Service Center and Stage
Door Canteen are f1ocking to the
standard of the USO now, officials
said.
Only two USO centers have been
closed since the end of the war-the
Anacostia and the Silver Spring
Service Clubs. George o. Draper,
USO area representative, said both
clubs, plus two war workers centers,
were closed because other centers
in the city were able to absorb the
men who had patronized the clubs
during the war.
Meanwhile, an appeal from Gen.
Omar N. Bradley, Veterans Admin
istrator, for participation of USO
camp shows in the entertainment
program at all veterans hospitals
will receive whole e-hearted re-
sponse. Although the USO camp
shows originally were intended only
for the entertainment of men in the
service, they soon will begin touring
the country to entertain disabled
men in vets hospitals. The USO
expects to put more shows on the
road than ever before
New Activities Started.
New activities inaugurated by the
USO in this area include hostess
expeditions to liven up parties at
establishments such as Andrews
Field, Md, to cheer UP Naval pa
tients at st. Elizabeth's Hospital
and to participate in weekly parties
for the men of the General Hospital
at Fort George G. Meade, Md. Host
esses now are making the long trip
to out-of-the-way Smiths Point,
Md, where group of soldiers guard
a POW camp. Parties are held for
the patients at Walter Reed Hos
pital and for the ambulatory patti
ents at the U. S. Naval Medical
Center at Bethesda, Md.
Colored servicemen and women
can dance, swim, read, sleep and
take advantage of any of the scores
of facilities provided by three USO
centers here, supervised by DR.. Eu-
phenia Hayes, member of the Ma
tional USO Committee for work
with negroes and a member of the
Washington Council, and DR.. How
ard Long, chairman of the Negro
Coordinating Committee. The ne
gro clubs. located at 2011 Georgia
avenue NV, 1916 Twelfth street
NV. and 901 Rhode Island avenue
NV, have gymnasiuns, lounges,
snack bars, frequent dances, play
rooms and craftsmanship projects.
| Union Station Lounge.
The USO Lounge in Union Sta
ton, which has a monthly attend
ance of 100000 servicemen and
women. has one of the largest VOL
unteer lists in the city. A number