Evening star., 1947-02-22

215th Birthday
Of Washington
Many Have Holiday;
Truman Places
Wreath on Tomb
(Other Washington Birthday Stories
and Pictures on Page A-10.)

uHu p(LhI Go OIt USC 0-4O'
Decorated with old-fashioned
wintry splendor, Washington
paused today to celebrate the
birthday of the man for whom
it was named.
Today is the 215th anniversary Of
George Washington's birth at
Popes Greek on the Virginia side Of
the Potomac more than so miles
below Alexandria.
Congress was in weekend recess,
although hearings were being held
by several committees. To more
than 100000 Government workers it
was just another weekend holiday
the fact that it had fallen on
Saturday deprived them of an extra
day off.
Many thousand employees of busi-
ness establishments who normally
work on Saturdays were off today.
Most chain food stores were closed,
but department and clothing stores
generally were open until l pm. for
Washington birthday sales events.
Truman Visits Mount Vernon.
President Truman left the White
House in a motorcade that wended
it's way down Washington Memorial
parkway to Mount Vernon to lay
wreath at the snoW-covered Wash"
ington Tomb The presidential tri-
butte was to be followed by the laying
of a wreath by Louis E. Starr, COM
mander of the Veterans of Foreign
Wars, and by representative OF
each of the organizations 48 State
departments.
American Legion ceremonies were
to follow the VFW program. Sec
retary of War Patterson was to make
the Washington address from the
portico of Mount Vernon in the
afternoon.
President Truman was scheduled
to board the yacht Williamsburg at
Mount Vernon directly after his part
in the ceremony for a week end
cruise on the Potomac. Only men,
bers of his staff will be guests,
according to his press secretary.
Charles G. Ross.
Truman to Attend Unveiling.
The Williamsburg will return to
Washington tomorrow in time for
the President to go with Mrs. Tru-
man to the Washington Cathedral
for the unveiling of Washington
statue at pm.
The statute, the work of Sculptor
Lee Lawrie, has been presented the
cathedral by the Scottish Rite
Masons. Walter Lippmann, the COL
umnist, will make the principal
address.
Maj. GEL. Harry Vaughan. the
Presidents military aide, will re-
turn to Alexandria after the Mount
Vernon ceremony to review, with
Mayor William Wilkins, the annual
Washington Birthday parade. AL
exandria, the metropolis of the Po-
tomac in George Washington's day,
served both as port and market
place for the Mount Vernon planta-
ton miles south.
The VFW and American Legion
will march along with the AID Cav
airy Reconnaissance Squadron. The
parade will be along Washington
street.
A program of other events will
continue into the night with patri-
otic dances at hotels and assembly
rooms.
Oldest Inhabitants Meet.
Despite the ice and the snow in
the streets the members of the
Association of Oldest Inhabitants
met in the Old Union Engine House
at Nineteenth and H streets NV.
this morning. The Rev. DR.. Horace
E. Cromer, district superintendent
of the Methodist Church, gave the
invocation and Representative DON
dero, Republican, of Michigan de-
livered the annual address on George
Washington. John Clagett Proctor
read a tribute in verse of his own
composition.
Attorney General Clark was the
chief speaker at a Washington's
Birthday celebration this morning
in Memorial Continental Hall. Our
children are the only hope we have
of attaining permanent world peace,
he told the audience.
The ceremony was sponsored
Jointly by the Children of the
American Revolution, Sons of the
Revolution, and Daughters of the
American Revolution. The program
was handled by the young people
of the Children of the American
Revolution.
Miss Frances Spruce, Virginia
Urges Understanding Of Ideals.
The Attorney General declared
it was essential that the young peo-
pie of the country understand the