Evening star., 1948-10-24
Many Events 10 Mark
Area Observance OF
Navy Day Wednesday
By John A. Giles

NY SVttu ~ SHSS
Ten thousand souvenir ping pong
balls dropped from helicopter,
"open house" at installations, ex-
hibits and speeches will mark the
Districts observance of Navy Day
Wednesday as the new" Navy puts
on its annual show throughout the
Nation.
Under the theme of "Itis a new
Navy for a global job," the sea arm
will demonstrate how it has met its
responsibility by revolutionary prog
ress and development since VI day.
The ping-pong balls - labeled
"Navy Day, 194S'-will 'be dropped
over visitors at exercises at the
Naval Gun Factory early in the
afternoon as the latest type jet
fighters stage simulated attack on
the station.
All installations to Open.
The gun factory program will
be the most extensive in the WASH
intgon area but every naval install
lation here will have "open house"
during the day-the Naval Ord
nance Laboratory, White Oak, Md,
for the first time.
At the ordnance laboratory
visitors will see a reassembled Ger
man-built wind tunnel which the
Nazis used for the development of
W. rockets during the last war.
Beginning Wednesday morning
District residents will be given an
opportunity to see the latest in
Naval aircraft and a mobile radar
unit in actual operation on the
Monument Grounds. The aircraft
will include jet fighter and sew
eral helicopters. The Anacostia
Naval Air Station also will have
planes ready for inspection.
The Navy Day open house" in
vitation to the public has been ex-
tended by the Gun Factory, Air
Station, Naval Barracks, West Po-
tomac Park, Naval Radio Station,
Arlington; photographic Office,
Suitland, Md; Naval Research
Laboratory, Bellevue: Naval Medi-
cal Center, Bethesda; David Tay-
lor Model Basin, Carderock. Md:
Naval Observatory, Massachusetts,
avenue NV; Naval Ordnance
Plant, Alexandria; Naval Proving
Ground, Dahlgren, Va, and Naval
Receiving Station, Anacostia.
Kenney to Address League.
The activities here will culminate
in a Navy League dinner at pm.
at the Mayfiower Hotel with Under
Secretary of the Navy w. John Ken
ney as principal speaker. The Navy
League of the United States annu-
ally sponsors the observation which
takes place on the 173rd anniversary
of the founding of the Navy and also
is on the birthday Of the late Presi-
dent Theodore Roosevelt. who is
credited with doing much to build
UP the sea arm into the force 1t
Is today.
The toastmaster at the dinner will
be former Representative Jennings
Randolph of West Virginia. E,
Courtlandt Parker, president of the
District Council of the Navy League,
will preside.
Other speakers in this area We'd
nesday include:
II am. Representative Beall,
Republican, of Maryland, at the
Ordnance Laboratory. Rear Admiral
Frank Beatty, laboratory comman-
dant, will preside and a number of
veterans and civic organizations will
be represented.
Noon-Vice Admiral Arthur D.
struble, deputy chief of naval oper-
ations, at the annual ceremony at
the John Paul Jones monument,
Seventeenth street NV. and the
Tidal Basin, sponsored by the Mil
itary Order of the World Wars.
Rear Admiral Thorton c. Miller,
assistant chief of Navy chaplains,
will pronounce the invocation. Brig.
Gen. Merritt B. Curtis of the Ma
rines Is chairman of the event and
Col. Edwin S. Bethlehem. jr., will
act as master of ceremonies. More
than 80 veterans, patriotic and civic
groups will take part and line Sew
enteeLth street from Constitution
avenue to the monument to form a
pageant of flags. The Navy Band
win furnish music.
1890 p.m.-Rear Admiral Glenn
3. Davis, commandant of the Poto-
mac River Naval Command, at a
meeting of the Rotary Club at the
Maydower Hotel.
Virtually all the top military Of
hcials here will speak at luncheons
and dinners throughout the coun-
try. These include Navy Secretary
Sullivan at Akron, Ohio; Army Sec
retary Royal, Baltimore; Air Force
Secretary Symington, Birmingham,
Ala; Gen. Bradley, Army Chief of
Staff, Des Mines. Iowa; Admiral
William D. Leahy, the President S
chief of staff, Indianapolis. Admiral