Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-03-23
Blossom Fete to Bloom, Even Without Blossoms
When Six-Doy Ceremonies Open Here Tuesday

The famed cherry blossoms
may not bloom-the chances
are as ephemeral as the buds
themselves-but the National
Cherry Blossom Festival this
week will thrive, with six event.
filled days planned.
From the opening ceremonies
Tuesday afternoon at the Jap
anese Stone Lantern at the
Tidal Basin to the final pageant
performance Sunday, the fes-
tival will uphold its reputation
for fun and pageantry.
Pageant Master William
Bendix will be on hand to
crown the queen on Saturday.
Mrs. Richard M. Nixon will
spin the wheel that will select
the queen at the ball Friday
night, and Michael Ansara, CO.
chise Of television fame, viii be
grand marshal at the Saturday
night parade.
japanese Ambassador Koi-
chiro Asakai will attend the
opening ceremonies Tuesday
and the closing ceremonies
Sunday.
Gift 10 City
The Japanese cherry trees
were presented to the American
people by the city Of Tokyo in
1912.
Festival spokesman estimate
500. 900 to 100000 will see the
events. A winter that died hard
has forced estimates down
from the 100000 believed to
have attended last year.
The festival is sponsored by
the Greater National Capital
Committee Of the Washington
Board Of Trade.
Omcials still are unwilling
TO concede that the pink and
white blooms along the Tidal
Basin will not appear this week,
although hard-headed fore
casters say otherwise.
Edward j. Kelly. superin-
tendent Of National Capital
Parks, reported there has been
no sign Of a bloom. The buds
are still in winter condition"
Need Warm Weather
Mr.. Kelly explained, 1--WE
need about q week of nice
warm weather" with tempera-
lures around 70, to bring the
blossoms out.
The tentative forecast for
the week was chilly, with days
in the low 40s and nights
around IS.
Sales Of parade tickets have
exceeded expectations, spokes.
men say, with advance sales
ahead Of last year. So far, close
to 500 are gone. There are
about 5000 available. The seats
are located in the area between
Thirteenth and Seventeenth
streets on X street NV. The
reviewing stand is between
Seventeenth street and Con-
necticut avenue.
The Spring Housing Service
has felt the heavy hand of win
ter, however. Conducted by the
Board Of Trades Convention
and Visitors Bureau, its star
normally arranges for rooms for
thousands Of visitors. It opened
last Monday and had handled
only S6 calls by Friday.
The UNCONVENTIONAL curtsy
training for the SO princesses
from the District of Columbia,
the 48 States, and the terri
tories OF Alaska, Guam. Hawaii
and Puerto Rico will be given
BY Mrs. Perle Mesta at 4 pm. |
tomorrow at her home.
The new queen will succeed
Miss Jean Marie Lee Of Fair
banks. Alaska.
Schedule Of Events
Here is the schedule Of events
for the festival week, Tuesday
through Sunday:
Tuesday. 1890 p.m.-Wash-
ington Advertising Club Lunch
con salutes Pageant Master
William Bendix and SO prin-
cesses. At the Presidential
Arms. 1920 @ street NV.
Tuesday, $3.50 p.m.-Opening
ceremonies, Japanese Stone
Lantern. Tidal Basin. The
United States Navy Band will
play until 3 pm.
Tuesday. 900 p.m.-Confer-
ence OF State societies, recep-
t7n and dance for festival