Evening star., 1946-10-06
ID. {. 10 Observe
Week in Honor
|0f Handicapped

Commissioner Mason
Will Broadcast Today;
Luncheons Planned
Keynoted by the slogan, Hire
the Handicapped-It's Good Busi-
ness" the District and adjacent
areas will begin today the obser-
vance of National Employ the Han
dicapped Week" as proclaimed by
President Truman and the District
commissioners.
Starting with a radio address by
Commissioner Guy Mason over
WMAL at II o'clock this morning,
the weeks observance announced by
a special committee headed by
Nathan D. Golden, will include
luncheons, open houses, churches,
radio programs, exhibits, motion
pictures. poster displays and numer-
Gus other events.
Mr.. Golden, an amputee of World
War !, is chief of the motion picture
division of the Commerce Depart
ment and assistant chief barker Of
the Variety Club, one of many local
organizations participating in the
observance.
Schwellenbach to Speak.
Among events scheduled for the
week are luncheon at which Sec
retary of Labor Schwellenbach Is
to speak at noon Tuesday in the
Roger Smith Hotel: open houses at
Goodwill Industries, 1915 New
Hampshire avenue NV, Wednesday
and Thursday and at Gallaudet Col
lege Friday night, and a luncheon
given by the Employment and Sc
curity Committee Of the washington
Board of Trade at 1890 pm. Friday,
in a place to be announced, Of
which Ray Lochiel, vice president
OF Pennsylvania Airlines, is chair
man.
At Goodwill Industries, employees
will be on duty from noon to pm.
Thursday so that visitors may OBJ
serve. their activities. Thursday
night the Board of Trustees will
act as host.
Speaker at the Gallaudet College
open house will be Paul A. Strachan,
president of the American Fedora
ton of the Physically Handicapped
and author of the congressional res
olution establishing the weeks OBJ
seryance.
Picture to Be Shown.
Other events will include show.
ings of the motion picture, mo
Help Wanted" starting Saturday
and continuing through October is
at the Metropolitan Theater; and,
exhibits in the lobby of the Com
merce Department, Offices of the
District tuberculosis Association,
Gallsudet and Goodwill Industries.
and in downtown show windows.
The entire program, Mr.. Golden
expleaned. is designed to focus at
tention on the need for improved
employment opportunities for tis
estimated 28,000, 900 physically
handicapped persons in the Nation
who, in the great majority of cases,
are capable of useful work. Among
these are approximately 1,000, 600
World War II veterans suffering
from combat disabilities.
These people neither seek nor
desire sympathy" Mr.. Golden de-
clared. They seek employment at
tasks they are qualified to perform
efficiently"
Organizations Taking Part.
Cooperating in the local observ-
ance are the American Federation
of the Physically Handicapped, Dis
abled American Veterans, Washing
ton Council for the Physically Hand
icapped, Catholic Charities of the
District of Columbia, Mt. Alto Vet
erans' Hospital, Washington Feder-
alton of Churches, American FEEDER
alton of Labor, Council of Industrial
Organizations, Railway Labor Ex-
ecutives' Association. Washington
Board of Trade, Merchants and
Manufacturers Association, Fedora
ton of Businessmen's Associations,
District chapter of the American
Red Cross, Masonic Service Associa-
tion, District Business and Profess
sional Women's Clubs and Women,s
Trade Union.
Also the National Council of Cath
olic Women, Congress of Women's
Auxiliary (CIO), B'nai Birth, Asso-
citation for the Education of Handi-
capped Shut-in Children of the
District, Visiting Instruction Corps.
Goodwill Industries, Federation of
Women's Clubs, American Veterans
Committee, Veterans of Foreign
Wars, Gallaudet College and the
Variety, Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions and
Civitan Clubs.
District committee headquarters
during the week will be in the Dis
trict Building, with the telephone
number National 1850.
Officials Cooperate.
Directing national observance Of
the week is Marine Maj. Gen.
Graves B. Erskine, retraining and
unemployment administrator in the
Department of Labor, who said more
than 40 governors had issued procla-
nations. Cooperating also, he an
nounced. are mayors of most cities
and high federal officials, including
Gen. Omar Bradley, Veterans Ad-
ministrator, Secretary Of War Pat
terscn, Secretary of the Navy
Forrestal. Director Michael Shortley
of the Office of Vocational Rehabili-
tation, Director John Steelman Of
the Office of War Mobilization and
Reconversion, and USES Director
Robert Goodwin.
Secretary Patterson last night in
dorsed the observance as ''the duty
of every American"
ITO the physically handicapped
veteran" he said. employment as q
self sustaining member Of society is
vital if he is to retain his sense Of
independence and of Importance to
the community. His sacrifice on the
battlefield has well earned him the
right to his own self-respect, a para
mount need Of all men who face life
under unusually adverse circum-
stances.
ITO the community, the economic