Evening star., 1949-02-05
France'sGifts
Due Tonight on
Thanks Train
Welcome Ceremony
Tomorrow; Articles
I To Go on Display

The Thank YOU Train, symbo
of Frances gratitude for the Friend
ship food train, is scheduled to ar
rive here tonight for a two-da
appearance and to leave half car
load of gifts for the people o
Washington
The Official" arrival will be at
pm. tomorrow when dignitaries o
the United States and France will
participate in the welcoming pro
gram at the Pennsylvania railroad
Fourteenth street NV. yards. Tn,
nine-car train will be here through
Monday.
The arrival tonight was original,
set for 6:45 pm. but later changed
TO latter 9 pm"
SaIvind o. Olson, chairman of the
National Capital Merci Train Com.
mittee, will formally accept the gifts
on the Washington car. The car.
load of flour sent from Washington
on the Friendship train was the
last-minute work Of "a Lions Clubs
in the District and part of Mary
land. The gifts from France are
for everybody in the Nations
Capital.
30 Tons of Flour.
Mr.. Olson, however, was chairman
of the Brightwood Lions Club Com
mittee that collected $3,500 to buy
the 80 tons of flour sent to France
from Washington. The District off,
cially took no notice of the Friend
ship Train drive.
The District Commissioners will
be on hand Sunday as honorary
co-committee chairmen when the
French gift to Washington is pre-
sented.
Harry Karr is executive secretary
Of the committee, while Charles
Stofberg is assistant to the CO.
chairman and John H. Connaugh-
ton is chairman for program and
reception. Other vice chairmen in
clude Leon Chatelaine, Clifford H
Newell, Benjamin Striner, Leslie
Graubner and Ernest Harper.
The Senate District Committee
has named three of it's members to
join in the welcome to the Thank
You" Train - Chairman McGrath
Senator Johnston, Democrat, of
South Carolina, and Senator Will
liams, Republican, of Delaware.
100000 Contributed.
The full Thank You" Train con.
sists of 40 French boxcars of the
40 men and 8 horses" type-one
car for each State and one car to
be divided equally between WASH
lngton and Hawaii. Originally Or
ganized by French railroad veter-
ans, participation in the Thank
You" Train gesture eventually was
extended to all veterans organiza-
ton and ultimately to the entire
French nation. Mr.. Olson said g.
100000 persons contributed gifts to
the train.
Included in the cars now being
sent to their destinations all over
the Nation are 40 Sevres vases, a
sword of Napoleon and other his
toric arms of his time, glasswork by
the masters, a coach of Louis XIV
hundreds of paintings, the flag that
flew at Verdun in 1916 and hun
dreds of other precious gifts.
The articles in the Washington
car will be catalogued when the
train arrives and will be placed in
the windows Of Woodward &
Lothrop.
Tomorrow the ceremonies will get
underway at 1880 am. when Perry
Brown. national commander of the
American Legion, will move a flame
from the Eternal Light burning at
the Tomb of the French Unknown
Soldier under the Arch of Triumph
in Paris to ignite a f1ambeau at the
Tomb of the American Unknown
Soldier in Arlington Cemetery. The
symbolic flame is a gift from the
veterans of France.
At Arlington the Army Band, SOL
diers and Washington patriotic Or
CARNATIONS will participate in the
ceremony transferring the flame.
Barkley to Speak.
Vice President Barkley will high
light the welcoming ceremony at
the Fourteenth street yards. Mr.
Barkley and Senator Vandenberg
Republican, of Michigan will speak
from the guest platform. Members
Of the cabinet, of Congress and
representatives from schools. civic
organizations, clubs and embassies
will participate.
Mr.. Olson said the tentative pro-
gram calls for music by the Police
Boys Club Band from $3.50 to 3:45
pm. tomorrow, while the notables
are assembling on the platform
Then an American Legion honor
guard will conduct a massing of the
colors ceremony. The French and
American national anthems will be
played by the Metropolitan Police
Band before the speeches begin.
Drew Pearson, who originated the
idea of the Friendship food train for
France, will be the master of cere-
monies. Invocations will be deliv-
cred by members of the Protestant
Catholic and Jewish faiths.