Evening Star Newspaper, November 9, 1930, Page 62

AVIA TION BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON. EATHER of the sort the Na- tional Capital, in common with most of the Atlantic Seaboard, has been experi- encing during the past week forms the greatest obstacle to the main. tenance of air transport schedules, just as it forms the greatest handicap to travel by sea. Fog, mist and rain, low clouds and high winds have interrupted schedules on the air transport lines up and down the coast. Radio messages from the high seas during the week reported liners limping along at reduced speed in the face of gales and storm, hours behind schedule. It is true that airplanes cannot land safely in fogs under normal operating conditions today. It is equally true that ocean steamers cannot make harbor in such ports as that of New York under the same conditions. When fogs shut down on New York Bay the liners wait outside until they lift. When fogs close on landing fields today the transport lines wait until they begin to clear away or go around the fog area. But weather is becoming less and less & barrier to aviation. Planes are flying :elfulnly under conditions which kept but the most hardy on the ground @ few years ago. Air navigation has improved tremendously during the past decade and is continuing to improve. It has been demonstrated in this coun- try and in England that an airplane can be landed through the densest fog. True, landings have been made under what may be termed “laboratory conditions”; nevertheless they have been made and probably will be made in greater numbers in the future until air- mail planes are landing through fogs without interruption to schedule. Eventually even passenger planes may landed under conditions of zero ility. In this country “Jimmy” Doolittle has taken off, flown a course, returned to his starting point and landed with- out once seeing outside the cockpit of his plane. He employed radio and an altimeter of great delicacy to show him the way. In England a pilot has landed dense fog by the guidance of & pllot loon and special instruments. ‘The Department of _Commerce, through Acronautic Branch and Bureau of Standards, is working on the m\m of fog landings at its College , Md., station and has made con- progress in this direction. ‘While its methods still are somewhat complicated, necessitating the employ- ment of radio beams in grometrical planes this time—to guide pilot, they are being simplified and it is anticipated that entirely blind soon will be possible, Wright Pield, Dayton, Ohio, though the Army prefers to refer to such landings as “instru- ment landings.” The Navy and Marine Corps also have been devoting consider- able attention to the same problem, as has Dr. Charles F. Marvin, chief of the ‘Weather Bureau. Several commercial organizations also are engaged in fog landing research work. From all this research it seems quite probable that some practicable solution of the problem will come for air trans- use within the next few years. the meantime, even during the ‘Winter months, the transport lines are continuing to maintain better than 90 per cent completion of scheduled oper- ations. Through the past Summer many lines were able to maintain almost perfect service, averaging less than 2 per cent incompleted fights. One of the most interesting aviation announcements of the week has to do with this very problem of weather and instrument flying. It is the announce- ment of Capt. Thomas B. Doe, presi- dent of Eastern Air Transpart, that passenger planes which will ply the air- ‘way from New York to Miami, stopping here, be equipped with automatic ts, or “gyropilots,” as they are called the Army. The gyropilot is a robot, with whirl- ing gyroscopes for brain and nerves. Fog, darkness or storm are all one to the robot. Once he is put in charge he flies the plane with all the tenacity of s planet clinging to its course. He deviates neither to the right nor to the Jeft. With metal brain and sinew he keeps the plane in level flight through air or smooth, through rain, snow or clouds. There are piloting duties, of course, which the gyropilot cannot perform and human eyes and brains must be con- stantly on the aler: to help him out of difficulties with which he cannot cope. The gyropilot cannot swing out of the way of r planes. He cannot com- for changes in wind direc- ion which might sweep his plane off its course to either side. He cannot take off & plane or make a landing. ‘With a gyropilot aboard, the human ilot takes off, climbs to sufficient alti- ?ude to take advantage of the most favorable wind or to clear hills or other obstacles on the course, and sets the plane on its course. He then switches on the automatic pilot, which takes over the rudder, elevator and aileron controls, maintaining them all in the peutral position except when correc- tions must be made because of “bumpy” air. The human pilot, relieved of the mechanical and mental strain of flying, which becomes excessive in fog or thick ing, is free to do the “brainwork” for fis dumb companion. He may operate the radio, receive and study weather re- , make corrections for crosswinds which shift in velocity or direction, watch for other aircraft or handle other problems of navigation with which his metal friend is not fitted to The Army has used the gyropilot ex- mentally, extensively and success- g{l‘y. A tri-motored transport plane with a {lot hidden under the pilot’s geat, flew from Dayton, Ohio, to the National Capital without a human hand on the controls during the long pas- sage over the mountains and finished the trip only three miles off the course, though no corrections had been made | for wind-drift. The same plane made @ number of other flights with the| metal man at the controls, all with considerable success. An even more uelling #est was_given the gyropilot fait Spring when he wired to the controls of a Condor B-2 bombardment lane, the largest military plane in the y, for the long transcontinental t of the 2nd Bombardment Group Langley Field, Hampton, Va., to to, Calif. The use of the tomatic was complicated by the O o though It W the the ug! latively "lo’g:e" formation employed eross-country flying, The robot ed well, in his metallic and un- 1ding fashion. e path of Eastern Alr Transport is fot going to be all smooth however, in its trek toward automatic control of ts planes. The device will require the spprova] of the Department of Com- merce, it has been made known by G bert G. Budwig, director of air regula- aeronautics branc:; thThemt?:‘:- jemonstrate e sal - L nt that the gyro- of a plane 8 Mr. Bud " wfin for t.hz‘:e'mmnnuom The National Capital, which up to some !'Nll months :20, was little more than a fiy speck on the air transport of the country, soon will have di- map rect air r-uenwer connections with vir< | tually all of the Western Hemisohere et~mglon of t“2 Fa~*" 4 er Line from s:fi to Atlanta, Ga., open west Richmond, on December 1 the Gulf States and the air travelers from mthk ture on the Further extension of the to Emmmumm-fl open the South Atlantic seaboard and, through connection with the Pan- American system there, will give air service to the island passenger coun- tries of the West Indies, the Republics of Central America and both coasts of South America south to Buenos Aires and Santiagd. ‘Through the Pennsylvania Airline to Pittsburgh and Cleveland the Capital is connected with the northern and central transcontinental lines to the Mississippi Valley and the Pacific Coast, including Western Canada. Con- nection also is made with these two systems at New York by Eastern Air Transport and the ‘New York, Phila- delphia and Washington Airline. At New York connection also is made with Colonial Airways iito' New England and Canadian Colonial into Canada. The Washington Glider Club, which ranks as one of the most successful glider organizations in this vicinity, has completed its first year of existence. During the year its members have de- signed and built a primary or training glder in which some 500 successful T flights have been made and 26 members o oew el ot advanced t; new more lvan( ype now is nearing completion and the first glider, a veteran of its clan, is overhauled and reco those of the secon I and will be sultable both for dt:lrtynlnm mekes it of a more addvanced type than the “utility” glider, which is the ordinary intermediate stage between the primary and secondary. Steel tube construction has been employed and a dc::‘e'r;d fuselage is a feature of the At the annual election during the past week Ernest W. Spink was re- elected as president, with Jack Gray and Paul Edward Garber as vice presi- dents, and H. B. Henrickson as treas- urer. Gray will act as corresponding :'c.ri;sry and Garber as recording sec~ The D. C. Air Legion is making plans for a second annual banquet to celebrate the first flight of the legion on November 6, 1928. The banquet probably will be held durihg the first week in December. The legion now is flying its third plane and has piled up between 1,500 and 2,000 hours. Nearly 50 members have soloed, 30 of .them during the past year. Some 120 mem- bers have graduated from its ground school classes. The legion now is rec- vgnized as one of the leading self- supporting flying clubs in the country. {In 31 Years Though the Army Air Corps steadily is increasing in size and has increased from approximately 10 per cent of the strength of the Army a few ;:::s ag0 tg 13 per cent wdadyehgeeé:v:‘; orps program, bring the air service up to peace-time standard, still is far from completion. Even though Congress appropriates up to the full limits of the schedule set up by the act, the program will not be completed until June 30, 1932, though the five-year program was launched in 1926. No funds were made available during the first fiscal year, and it was not until July 1, 1927, that work actually was begun on the development of the Air Corps under the terms of the act. In the 31 years since the first appro- priations were made for military avia- tion, the funds alloted for this purpose have increased from $50,000 to $32,- 660,059, the amount carried for purely Air Corps activities in the 1930 bill. The first allotment for military avia- tion was made in 1898, amounting to $50,000, in two installments. It was not | until October 1, 1908, that another al- lotment was made, $25,000 being granted at that time. In 1909 only $5,000 was allotted. In 1910 the Army had one airplane and $150 was allotfed for its maintenance 3 Army’s only pilot in that year, paid $300 out of his own pocket to keep the lone plane going. In 1912 Congress ap ted $125,- 000 for military aviation and from then on aeronautical activities have been on the increase. ‘When the five-year program is com- pleted the Air Corps is scheduled to have 1,650 flying officers, 550 reserve of- ficers on extended active duty and 15,000 enlisted man. The program calls for 480 pursuit planes, 185 bombardment planes, 412 observation planes, 95 attack planes, 72 amphibian planes, 59 trans- port planes, 479 training type planes and 110 l;fl.u:eu of all types in reserve, or a total of 1,892 planes of all types in active service and reserve. Though the law provides that the chief of the Air Corps and at least two of the threesassistant chiefs and 90 per cent of the efficers of each de shall be flying officers, the provisions of the law in this respect today are far exceeded in the service. Maj. Gen. James E. Fechet, chief of the corps, and all three TS are rated as airplane pilots. Of the colonels, 1 is an airplane pilot and 2 airship pilots. There are only 19 officers in the entire Air Corps on a non-flying status, of whom 7 are cap- tains, 4 first lieutenants and 8 second lieutenants. The Air Corps today relies upon a continuous system of education and training to keep its personnel at the peak of efficiency, an important factor in this system being the Air Corps schools. There are schools for officers, enlisted men, pilots, mechanics, photog- raphers, radio operators, parachute rig- gers and others in personnel of this growing branch of the country’s defense system. In addition to the school training given all officers and men there is a large amount of actual field training unfl!rgme by the Air Corps troops at tactical stations and during maneu- vers in the field, ‘The basic Air Corps School is the flying school, which is divided into primary schools at Brooks Ficld, San Antonio, Tex., and March Field, River- side, Calif., and the advanced school at Kelly Field, San Antonio, Tex. A great West Point of the air, which will com- bine the two types of schools, is being constructed at Randolph Field, San Antonio, which has become the train- ing center of the entire Air Corps. Air Corps officers of fleld gradé at- Every Reserve officer in the District will be interested in the latest ruling relative to the status of officers of the Organized Reserves regarding hospital- izatior, at Government expense for the treatment of an injury incurred while on duty for training. Under the new ruling a Reserve of- ficer suffering injury during an en- campment is permitted to proceed to his home to arrange his personal affairs before submitting to the required opera- tive treatment for the injury. They hospital fcr the required medical treat- ment at Government expense, and re- main there until the disability resulting from such injury or disease cannot be | materially improved by further hospi- tal treatment. During the period of hospitalization they are entitled to the same pay and allowances they were en- titled to receive at time such injury i was suffered or disease contracted. The law limits the time to not exceed six months for payment of pay and allow- ances. . Cavalry Reserve officers of the Dis- trict will meet at the Fort Myer riding hall this morning at 9:30 for instruc- | tion n equitation, under the direction of | Lieut. Col. Arthur G. Hixson. Two in- structional conferences will be held at | local Reserve headquarters tomorrow evening, viz, Quartermaster Corps and the Chemicai Warfare Service. Capt. E. P. H. Gempel, C. W. 8., will conduct the Chemical Warfare conference, at which will be taken up the mission of chemical troops. Lieut. Col. 8. G. Green, O. D., on duty in the office of hief or will discuss be- ma- chine gun and will be displayed, taken apart and the functious of the various parts ex- inwellgence hwocove officers wa.s Inect at Reserve juarters in the Walker-John Bui ‘ednesda; ng, at which time Maj. W. E. Shedd, ir., C. A. C. (G. 8. C.), will lec- of military *TWo couferences will be held Thuss- are then permitted to return to the Army | GROWING AIR CORPS IS YET FAR BEHIND SET STANDARD Development Has Increased in Heavy Ratio—Five-Year Program ls» Well Under Way. tend the Air Corps Tactical School at Langley Field, Hampton, Va. Due to a lack of majors and higher officers in the Air Corps, however, owing to a faulty promotion system in the Army, many captains, and even . lieutenants, are among the students at this school. In the tactical school the officers are taught the handling of large Air Corps units and the duties and problems of other branches of the service. ‘The Balloon and Airship School is located at Scott Field, Befleville, IIL, but due to lack of funds this school has been out of operation for several years, training of this sort being car- ried on only in the tactical units. ‘The Air Corps conducts an engineer- ing school at Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, to which are sent officers with special mechanical talents or those who show a grasp of problems of aeronautical engineering. Among the other schools for Air Corps officers’ are the Advanced Navi- gation School at Kelly Field and courses for officers in such specialized subjects as photography, engineering mainte- nance and communications, carried on at the Air Corps Technical School, Chanute Field, Rantoul, IIl Schools for the enlisted men, the technicians and mechanics of the Air Corps, also are located at Chanute Field. Practically every trade neces- sary to the functioning of the Air Corps is taught here, among them the trades of airplane mechanic, welder, aircraft armorer, parachute rigger, radio me- chanic and operator and acrial photog- rapher. After the men leave school they are required to keep fit and to this end a definite and comprehensive system of training is carried on at every tactical station and Air Corps post. There are now 17 Air Corps stations in the United States, to which air or- ganizations are assigned as follows: Bolling Field, Washington, Air Corps Detachment; Brooks Ficld, San Antonio, Tex., Primary Flying School; Chanyte Field, Rantoul, Ill, Air Corps Technical School; Crissy Field, San Francisco, 91st Observation Squadron; Duncan Field, San Antonio, Air Corps Training Center; Fort Crockett, Galveston, Tex., 3d Attack Group; Dodd Field, Fort Sam Houston, Tex., 12th Observation Squad- ron, 1st Photo Section; Kelly Field, San Antonio, Advanced Flying School; Langley Field, Hampton, Va., 2d Bom- bardment Group, Air Corps Tactical School; March Field, Riverside, Calif., Primary Flying School; Marshall Field, Fort Riley, Kans., 16th Observation Squadron, 9th Photo Section; Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, Materiel Division, Engineering School; Maxwell PField, Montgomery, Ala., 22d Observation Squadron, 4th Photo Section; Mitchel Pield, N. Y., 9th Observation Group; Rockwell Field, San Diego, Calif, 7th Bombardment Group, 95th Pursuit Squadron; Scott Field, Belleville, IIl, 21st Airship Group, Balloon and Air- ship School, and Selfridge Ficld, Mount Clemens, Mich., 1st Pursuit Group and 15th Observation Squadron. In addition, Air Corps troops are stationed at the following Army posts, acting as an air service to the arms stationed there: Edgewood Arsenal, Md.; Aberdeen Proving Ground, Phil- lips Field, Md.; Fort Leavenworth, Kans.; Camp Bragg, Pope Field, N. C., and Fort Sill, Post Field, Okla. There are Air Corps repair and stor- age depots at Fairfield Air Depot, Os- born, Ohijo; Little Rock Air Depot, Lit- tle Rock, Ark.; Middletown Air Depot, Middletown, Pa.; Rockwell Air Depot, Rockwell Field, San Diego, Calif.; San Antonio Air Depot, Duncan Field, San Antonio, Tex., and Scott Field Air Depot, Scott Field, Belleville, IIl. Organized Reserves day evening at local headquarters, viz., that of the Ordnance Department and Pinance Department. The Ordnance meeting will be_conducted by Capt. J. W. Walters, O. D., who will discuss the ammunition company and typical depot organization. First Lieut. H. Snyder, Finance Reserve, will conduct the finance conference, and he will discuss pay and allowances of officers. _Air Corps Reservists will meet Pri- day evening, at which time will be dis- cussed the method of making pilots at the Air Corps training center, . The office of the executive officer for Reserve affairs, created for the purpose of facilitating the business of Reserve officers and the Organized Reserves in the War Department, has been trans- ferred from the office of the Assistant Secretary of War to that of* the chief of staff. The Reserve movement has grown to such that it was deemed to have an office in the War Department. especially charged with Reserve affairs. The new office is located in Room 217 of the State, War and Navy Bullding. Col. C. D. Herron is the present executive officer of this office. Eight instructional conferences will compose the 1930-31 inactive duty train- ing schedule of Medical Reserve units allocated’ to Washington, the first two of -‘which have been held. The major- ity of thé conferences will be conducted by Col. Thaddeus Troy and Col. Albert N. . Col Baggs will address the December 5 meeting and also on Janu- ary 16, 1931. A. Zalesak, Infantry Reserve, 183¢ K street, who was advanced to a tain. He will remain assigned to the 320th Infantry. Second Lieut. Law- rence E. Fouchs, Signal Reserve, 4833 Kansas avenue, was promoted to be first lientenant. He will remain as- intel- | first lieu .—Potomac Post, No. s n:'mm"r'.'f ‘Sallors and u Thursday, 8 p.m.—Follow Me Post, No. 1830, Concord Club. Armistice day: Comdr. Thomas will place a wreath on the Tomb of the Un- known Soldier, Arlington Cemetery, Tuesday morning. The Veterans of Foreign Wars will also observe the period of silence, at 11 o'clogk, Armi- stice morning. After than hour, all thoughts will turn to the grand ball to be held at the Mayflower Hotel. The ministers of the foreign governments, together with the highest ranking offi- cials of the executive, legislative and judicial departments, military and naval attaches from the foreign embassies in Washington, and prominent social and civic personages will be present. Heading the list of patrons and patron- esses are President and Mrs. Hoover, Vice President Curtis and Mrs. Gann, Secretary of War and Mrs. Hurley, Sec- retary of the Navy and Mrs. Adams, and Mrs. John L. Dougherty. The fol- lowing officers of the Army and Navy have signified their intention of attend- ing: Maj. Gen. Summerall, chief of staff; Brig. Gen. Parker, assistant chief of staff; Maj. Gen. DeWitte, quarter- master- general; Brig. Gen. Fope, Maj. Gen. Boothe, Brig. Gen. Hines, admin: istrator of veterans’ affairs; Maj. CharlesDemonet, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Jahncke, Admiral Robert E. Coontz, who is junior vice commander- in-chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Admiral Stanley, acting chief of naval operations. Commander-in-Chief Paul C. Wolman, of the national organ- ization, will be escorted from his hotel to the ball room by the Overseas Band, Drum and Bugle Corps. Department commanders representing the Grand Army of the Republic, United Spanish War Veterans, Military Order of the World War, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Military Order of Foreign Wars, Loyal Legion and other veterans’ organizations will also be present. The ball will have the color and ro- mance of the brilliant victory balls that marked the first Armistice night. The music will be rendered by two orches- tral bands. The only solemn notes at the ball will be heard at 11 o'clock, wheh a silent moment will mantain for prayer, and the sounding of “taps” by a trumpeter. ‘Through the courtesy of the Fox management, the Fox Theater program will be presented immedia- ately following the memorial service. Communistic activities: Department Comdr. Thomas reports that revelations disclosed by the pending investigation of communistic activities in this coun- try by a congressional committee headed by Representative Hamilton Fish of New York uncovers enough evidence, as related in the press, to more than justify demands for deporta- tion As long as these alien groups are allowed to preach their doctrines in public mass meetings and through the wholesale distribution of pamphlets, he declared, the Veterans of Foreign Wars will again reaffirm its belief in estab- lished American principles and loyally support the organized government. The V. F. W. Overseas Band, Drum and Bugle Corps will turn out Armistice day for the purpose of escorting Na- tional Commander in Chief Paul C. Wolman from his hotel to the Ma; flower Hotel ball room. Wednesday eve- ing a rehearsal will be held at 339 Pennsylvania avenue, but thereafter the corps will meet at its newly secured 20th Marines Armory, on Fourth street near Louisiana avenue. Maj. Don 8. Knowlton, surgeon of Equality-Walter Reed Post, has announced his awarding of an artistic cup to the most valued member of the V. P. W. Band during the present administrative year. National Capital Post will not meet | until November 25 and the post auxil- iary will on that night install the fol-) lowing officers; President, Mrs. Florence Muschlitz; senior vice president, Mrs. Gladys La Scola; junior vice president, | Mrs. Dorothy Depro; chaplain, Mrs. Katherine Lawson; treasurer, Mrs. Rosa- lina Morana. Mrs. Josephine Cardoza will act as conductress and Mrs. Chris- tian Scheible as secretary. Visits to Mount Alto and St. Elizabeht’s Hospitals will be made during November, under direction of Mrs. Sara K. Oswalt. Department Comdr. Thomas installed the following officers of Equality-Walter | Reed Post last Thursday night: Com- | mander, John I. Spreckelmyer; senior | vice commander, Herbert O. Allen; | junior vice commander, Howard W. Woerner; quartermaster, Ernest J. St. Jacques; chaplain, William L. Smith; | advocate, Nathan H. Gluegk;. surgeon, Dr. Don S. Knowlton; officer of the day, Jay D. Coulter. Comdr. Spreckel- myer announced the following appoint- ments: Adjutant, Leon A. E. Chagnon; historian, John D. Wischhusen; pa- triotic instructor, Arthur C. Fowle; guard, Eli L. Hoover; sentinel, Robert F. Sims; color bearers, Manley C. Law- ton and Howard R. Parezo; color guards, George Ryan and another com- rade to be later designated: James H. Reed as chairman of the Relief Com- mittee, Past Comdr. Nathan D. Gold- en as chairman of the Member- ship Committee; Joseph F. Beattle as chairman of the Entertainment Com- mittee and Daniel E. Campbell as chair- man of the Budget Committee. Federal Post Auxillary gave a mas- querade card party at Naval Hospital last Monday evening. The arrange- ments were made by Mrs. Adelaide M. Grant, chairman, Hospital Committee, and Mrs. Rosina Luebkert, president- elect of the auxiliary. There was a program of dancing, card playing and refreshments were served. George Half- pat and Elmer Firstsinger contributed vocal and piano selections. Front Line Post met October 27. The following were- elected to member- David Rosenberg, Bernard V. Rhodes, Joseph M. MeclInerney, J. Purcell, Phillip Talbot, Peter Mio- dusevski and W. C. Orebaugh. The post celebrated its fifth birthday anniversary Thursday night. Post officers were elected: -Commander, Dr. A. V. Cercell; senifor vice commander, W. P. Boehm; junior vice ‘commander, J. L. King; quartermaster, W. J. Harrington; chap- lain, Rev. F. J. Hurney; deputy chap- lain, W. McCutcheon; advocate, C. B. Jennings; officer of the day, F. Benne- dette; surgeon, B. Suls. Past Post Comdr. Hooley was elected to fill vacated office of trustee and Comrade McCon- ville was selected to fill vacancy in office of deputy trustee. The Armistice ball box purchased by the post will be elz‘ll,! guest-veterans from A umfzo: the chairmanship of Comrade McConville. Front Line Post Auxiliary installed officers last Thursday evening, with Mrs. Ada Harrison, national president of the ladies’ auxiliary, officiating. The officers are: President, Mrs. Virginia Cercell; senior vice president, Leonelda junior vice president, Carrie H. Hooley; treasurer, Emma Boehm; chaplain, Mrs. Shaw; trustee, Mary B. Guillermain. other an an- to- ht at Soldlers, Sadlors Kmong. the. Specil gcete. were. Mrs. ong special guests were Clay Keene Miller, national legislative chairman, who has also been made a Distributors . 3 Stromberg Carburetors CREEL BROTHERS 1811 14th St. N.W. Pecatur 4220 . | chairman. by Miss Bertie Backus, principal. member of the National Legislative Committee_of the Daughters of the American Revolution, of which organi- zation she is a member of Ruth Brew- ster Chapter; Mrs. Edith den Broeder, department chief of staff; Mrs. Guil- tired president; Mrs. Lola " lent of Potomac Auxil- iary; Mrs. Ruth Campbell, president of Equality-Walter Reed Auxiliary, and Mrs. Dorothy, president of Federal Auxiliary. The installation ceremony was held jointly with Front Line Post. American Legion, U. 8. 8. Jacob Jones Post will meet in the board room of the District Build- ing at 8 o'clock tomorrow night. The election of officers will take place. The following are the candidates: Com- mander, Mrs. Helen Sprague and Mrs. Amy Hammond; senior vice command- er, Elsie Pinney and Catherine Crowley; junior vice commander, Mary Weide: chaplain, Emma_Bliss and Gladys Al- len; historian, Helen Opitz and Cora D1 ; quartermaster, Margaret Ed- wards and Ella Chambers; sergeant at arms, Jean Coates and Edith Arm- strong; color bearers, Mary Tracy, Ruth Marks and Amelia Boberg; trustee, Jane Breen. The advisory council met Thursday night at the home of the welfare officer, Helen Sprague, the finance officer, Charlotte Berry, acting as hostess with Comrade Sprague. In a letter to Dept. Comdr. Dr. B. C. Parent-Teacher Activities All material for this column must be in the State office, Room 101 Bur- lington Hotel, by the first mail on Wednesday preceding the Sunday on which publication is desired. “The November conference of the Board of Managers of the District of Columbia Congress of Parents and Teachers will take place Tuesday at 1 pm. in the Burlington Hotel. Please phone for luncheon reservations to the State office tomorrow. ‘An urgent appeal for clothing is sent out by Mrs. E. J. Dowling, State student aid chairman. Those having children’s unused clothing telephone North 6046 or take same to Health Cen- ter, 1464 Columbia road. “All presidents are requested to ap- point a recreation chairman and send name, address and telephone number to the State chairman, Mrs, Andrew Stewart, 1442 Clifton street. ‘The conference of presidents of the Junior High School Parent-Teacher Associations will be held in the State office tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. Peabody-Hilton-Carbery. ‘The regular meeting will be Tuesday at 8 p.m. Adams. The Adams Association meets to- morrow at 3 p.m., the topic being “Education Through Reading.” Mrs. Lucile Reiner Stebbing will speak. A surprise feature is a play by the Gareth Players, under the directon of Miss Ellen Kent. Columbia Junior. The assoctation joined with the chil- dren last Friday to celebrate Hallow- een. Prizes were awarded to Billy | Thompson, 7B1; Betty Lee Terron, | 9A2; May Palmer, 8A2; prettiest cos- tumes, Erreda Thompson, 9B1, and Harry Titchener, 8Al; funniest cos- tumes, Sophie Solomon, 9A2, and Fred Hughes, 8Al; George Seymore, 8Al, and Nicholas Laios, 7B2. The associ- ation meets Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. Mot- to for the year: “Child Welfare.” Brent-Dent. The association meets tomorrow at 8 p.m. at Brent School. Mrs. Conway, | principal, and six of the teachers have joined the character study class. Bowen-Greenleaf. | The association meets at the Green- | leaf School, Thursday, at 3 pm. A play-will be given. ‘Wheatley. The association meets Tuesday at| 2 p.m.,, in the school auditorium. ‘The subject will be “The Contribution of Books to Education for Faithful Citi- zenship.” The speakers are 3 Florence Rogers, supervising principal of the sixth division; subject, “How to Cultivate a Taste for Good Reading in the Home”; Mrs. Shepard, adviser on children’s reading, Public Library, sub- ject, “Making the Best Use of Public| Library Facilities”; Miss E. E. Horvau, | third grade teacher, “Improving and Using the School Library.” Grant. A benefit will be given at the Circle Theater tomorrow, when the picture of | “Byrd in the Antarctic” will be shown. Children will be charged 10 cents, ults 15 cents. & IdThe association met Thursday. The slogan for the year is “Better Citizens, and for the month of November Is “Better Citizens Through Better Books. Mrs. Philip K. Stebbing, reader’s ad- | viser at the Public Library, and Mlss:, Nell Boyd Taylor, executive secretary, Federation of University Women, gave talks. held Keene. The board has approved buying a | standard attendance banner. The next meefing of the association will be to- morrow at 8 p.m. in the school building. Howard Starling of the American Auto- mobile Association will speak on “Safety.” Gage. The association meets tomorrow at 8 pm. Mrs. J. N. Saunders, president of the District of Columbia Congress of | Parents and Teachers, will speak on | “Character Education.” Entertainment will be furnished by the McKinley High School Glee Club. Thomson. The next Parent-Teacher meeting will be Tuesday at 2 o'clock, at which time Mrs. Elwood Street will address the association. Business High. The association will meet Wednesday, featured by an address on “Patriotism,” by Louis Ottenberg, and a geography exhibit under Miss Hay. The Execu- tive Committee meets at 7:30 p.m. Park View Platoon. Seven hundred attended the Hal- loween party in the Park View Build- ing. The party was supervised by Mrs. J. McKay, ways and means chairman. Powell Junior High. The association will meet Wednesda at 8 pm. It will be a “Back to School” night, with the faculty in charge of | p) the program; Miss Lucy Mortimer, Members will be welcomed Woodridge. “Know Your Child” is the theme for the year's program of the Woodridge Association. Mrs. Lloyd Miller, chair- man of the program committee, an- nounced meetings as follows: Novem- ., “Children’s Reading”; | Decernber 18, 2:30 p.m., Christmas pro- gram by the school children; January 15, “Problems of Childhood”; February AVIATION Needs Alrcraft Engineers and Draftsmen COLUMBIA “TECH” All Branches of Engineering, Drafting PR A, B Day and Evening Se: gl Cpretantenes gl Register Now for Feb. Ei Classes. COLUMBIA TECHNICAL SCHOOL 1319 F St. N.W. Metro. 5626 Wednesday evening Hotel, as follows: Mrs. F. ner, president; Mrs. Rita E. Callahan, first vie P. E* Gertrude , historian; Mrs. Lillian K. Urban, sergeant at arms, and Mrs. William D. Mulkey and Mrs. Jeannette Warren, color bearers. They will be installed at an open meeting December 4 together with the officers of Kenneth Nash Post. A meeting of Vincent B. Costello Post No. 15, was held in the board room of the District Building Tuesday. Twenty-two candidates were elected to membership—17 by reinstatement and 15 by application. Those admitted by reinstatement were Edward Talbert, Charles F. Doyle, Cirillo Maggenti, Henry A. Peckham, Biagio Ambrogi, Ralph E. Fisher and Willlam J. Rockett. Thosé admitted by application included John D. Long, A. J. Horton, Leonard J. Furbee, William H. Smith, Frederick B. Burke, Walter S. Wilson, Frederick Levy, Dr. F. M. Dimas-Aruti, Wilbert S. Eskite, Walter A. Somers, Tke Jacobson, Patrick J. Doyle, George C. Hicks, Arthur F. Johnson and Robert A. Moyer. ‘The meeting scheduled for November 18 has been postponed until November 25, when the post will hold its annual turkey ball in the Immaculate Con- ception Hall, Eighth and N streets. 19, “Founders’ Day”; March 19, “The ‘arent-Teacher Association and Your Child"; April 16, child welfare; May 21, fathers’ night, “Understanding Par- ents”; June 11, “The Call of the Out of Doors,” installation of new officers. John Burroughs. Miss Sophia_Gurevich, dental hygien- ist, is now in John Burroughs School to clean the teeth of the children and | (G give them lectures on care and nutri- tion of the teeth. The association realized $50 from the sale November 1. Mrs. Miller's and Miss Bryan's 1A- 1B grades enjoyed a Halloween party last Friday. Similar parties were held in each room of the lower grades. From 3 to 5 p.m. Miss Lewis, the play- ground teacher, held a Halloween pa- rade and 18 ribbon prizes were awarded. The association will meet Thursday at 2 pm. Subject: “Home Life and Character Development.” Brightwood. 7 The association will meet Tuesday at 7:45 p.m, when E. R. Albrecht, the president, will start the Red ahd Blue Army membership campaign. Activities planned for the future are a card party November 21, at 8 p.m.; moving picture benefit at the Colony Theater, December 4, at 3:15 p.m. Petworth. The history of the Parent-Teacher movement was related to the Petworth Association by Mrs. J. N. Saunders, pres- ident ot the District of Columbia Con- gress of Parents and Teachers, last Tuesday. She urged sympathetic co- operation between the parent and the teacher. A group of pupils from Mrs. Johnson’s fifth grade presented a health play. Mrs. Johnson's class received the $5 prize for the largest attendance. Brookland. Mrs. George Green was elected first| vice president to fill the term vacant by the resignation of Mrs. Frank Mann at the board meeting, and C. N. Merillat was elected representative to the Dahlgren Terrace Citizens’ Associa- tion. Mrs. Schaller, health chairman, reported 490 children weighed and meas- ured last week, and Mrs. Walter White, Summer round-up chairman, reported five 100 per cent perfect children out of 29 examined in the campaign. The as- sociation will meet Tuesday. . Francis Scott Key, The association will meet Tuesday at 30 p.m. The Mothers’ Class, which | Was organized October 29, will meet | Wednesday afternoon from 1:30 to 3 o'clock, and regularly each two weeks thereafter. 3 The Executive Committee discussed plans for a membership drive in Poto- | poo; mac Heights. It was voted to extend the school milk fund to include milk for those children who were not in a posi- tion to obtain it for themselves. Because of crowded housing condi- tions at the school, members ol the as- sociation and of the Conduit Road Citi- zens' Association are urging school au- thorities to build a new unit to the present building. As a result another teacher has been assigned to the school, thus relieving conditions in the kinder- garten, first and second grades. Tenley-Janney. Mrs. Stafford and Mrs. Webb of the Janney stafl of teachers discussed the present curricuium before the associa- tion Monday last. Mrs. W. E. Denton, former editor of the Parent-Teacher Sunday column, spoke on “P.-T. A. Publicity.” The study group meets every two | weeks, on Wednesday, in the Janney | Auditorium at 1:30 pm. Dr, W. A.| White, superintendent of St. Elizabeth's Hospital, addressed the group last Wed- | nesday on “Mental Hygiene and Home | Adjustment.” Dr, Loren B, T. John- son, child specialist and consultant at the Washington Life Adjustment Cen- ter, will speak November 19. The Halloween benefit card party | showed the sum realized is not sufficient | to meet the obligations of the associa- tion. Unless it is increased through | paid-up membership, other money-mak- | ing projects will be necessary, which is contrary to tne aim and purpose of the parent-teacher organization. Mrs. E. Faest was nominated treasurer to suc- ceed Mrs. H. K. Cumming, who has | resigned. Bancroft, At Tuesday’s meeting of the associa- tion the election of the quota of 11 dele- %nw& to the State congress resulted as ollows: Mrs. Willis Crane, Mrs. A. B. Custer, Mrs. C. T. Newman, Mrs. L. H. Bayliss, Mrs. A. S. Mangene, Mrs. Ber- , Mrs. Robert Hall, Mrs. George Hill, Mrs. Piedman, Mrs. Bright- hoff. The association will be repre- sented at the Mount Pleasant Citizens" Association by Mrs. James C. Grubs and Mrs. Hatcher. Lucretia Mott. The_association met October 23. Rev. D. E. Wiseman, president, made a short address, stressing the needs of several 1mfirovemenu about the grounds and building for the protection of both tel_sjthhen and puplils. ‘made | submarines are first-rate sport. offers an excellent chance for most of us to compare some of the stage stars of other years with the crop of today. Most of the modern luminaries get before the microphone some time or other, and I don't see any good reason why more of the veterans, who have practically retired, couldn't be persuad- ed to face the mike. Billie Burke is Jjust now up and at 'em over the air— who knows? She might stick—and why can't there be more? The rest of the Barrymores, for instance. (John has already broadcast.) Not that I mean to imply that they are at the retire- ment age. And Maude Adams. She's expected to return to the stage some time i the near future, and that would really be & good time for her to try the air waves. But name your own names. And to go back to Gillette. When he came off the air the other night, Laddie Seaman, who is around 12 years old, and who had had a part in the show, stepped up to congratulate the 70-year-old star on the fine job he mike novice, had turned in. I sup- pose the lad must have caught the old man’s fancy, for he began to talk him, ing him how he liked broad- casting, where he went to school and all that sort of thing. casting And again, both prefer laughter. But Rolfe still William Gillette on the air the other night in his old role of Sher] Holmes, it | hair rred to me that broad- gan m the first man to puf those old wax at a time. right and they recorded e came along. And then years later Yerkes bright idea, thought people - played records would like to see faces of the folks who for them in the invented a new kind carries the picture of the artists on face. In it he sank every had. England liked it, and records caught on over America had most of the and Americans weren't sides a legal technicality D!T"h‘: revenue from lang t wasn't so very lon and after the old Edison days {’em had been drumming for Victor Herbert and later with the Philhar-Monic Orches- tra. Back to music he went, and now he has his own dance band. Since it has more than 40 men, however, I suppose I really ought to call it & jazz symphony. Anyway, he's in for the more advanced symphonies in jazz, and all of thing. His beginning cious. Maybe he'll get his mililon back, !l"!!hi'! “What do you want to do when you | t0o. grow up?” Gillette asked at length. “I want to be a famous actor like you,” Laddie confessed. ‘Well, you have a pretty good chance, at that,” Gillette replied. “It was in the part you played tonight that Charlie Chaplin got his start.” You may imagine how thrilled the boy was. And it reminded several others that it was Gillette who discov- ered the famous screen comedian, when Chaplin was a lad in London. Young Charlie’s gowers of mimicry impressed him, and he gave the boy his first real chance. * ok k x EORGE HICKS had a grand fime up in New London the day he, Jimmy Wfllmmn and Skeets Miller put on that adcast demonstrating the Navy's latest method of escaping from sunken submarines. But George’s mother, who lives in Tacoma, Wash., thinks they g‘hyed a dirty trick on him by making him stay in that compart- ment at the bottom of the big test tank 0 minutes after all the rest had She wrote him a letter and As a matter of fact, the compartment at the bottom of the big tank full of water, simulating the coning tower of a submerged submarine, is so arranged that even with the hatch open, a con- traption still keeps at least three feet of air in it. No failure of valves or artificial “lungs” to work could have made any difference. Plenty of air to last for hours would still be there. George had actually drawn the safest n assignment of the lot. ‘When the boys came back from the broadcast they explained to everybody within hsnrhgrflut this story of sailors ough torpedo tubes of disabled subs so they could reach the surface and save their lives is just an- other myt Coming to the surface that fast would kill them. Now, equipped with the Momsen “lung,” they slide slowly up a rope, stopping at marked intervals to breathe and allow their bodies to adjust themselves to the de- creased pressure. Hicks says that when you get used to it, test “escapes” from Incidentally, the announcers, Miller and one of the field engineers will prob- ably be the only civilians for a lon; time to qualify as experts in the use of Momsen's underwater respirator. Right after Lieut. Momsen himself put them h the course of instruction the Navy Department issued an order say- ing that in the future the training would be given only to Navy personnel. George has written his mother all about it, but I hear she still thinks George should have been allowed to “cscape” too. * x % % YOU can’t impress Mildred Hunt with the idea that it was any great shakes for Amos and Andy to become movie stars. She says she’s one herself, and with an international following to t. It seems that while Mildred was in London late this Summer she and a party of friends decided to go to a restaurant for a snack after one of her concerts. They called a cabby, and all piled in. While she was entering the taxi, and while she was alighting at the restaurant, Mildred noticed that the driver was watching her closely. As a matter of fact, he even followed the party into the restaurant. No sooner were they seated at a table, when the driver came up and addressed | Mildred directly and a little brusquely, it seemed to her. Being a crooner, she wasn't used to being recognized in public and anyway, she couldn't see why it should make any difference to the driver if she were an American or not. “I say, aren’t you an American?” he peated. Mildred admitted she was. | “I thought so,” he said, seemingly| rather gratified. “I saw an American | movie the other day, and you know, an | actress in It was the living image of you. I cant remember her name.” “What was the picture?” of the party. “Mother’s Boy,” the cabby replied. “Was the name of the actress Mildred Hunt?” “Yes! thanks. I just wanted to be able to remember it.” ‘To tell the truth, Mildred had almost forgotten that she was featured with Morton Downey- member his swell tenor over the air?—in that talkie. And | when her friends told the cabby he was | talking to Mildred herself, he blushed, | grinned, and than ran full tilt for the door without another word. | And now Mildred is stumped as to re] asked one whether she'd better stick to broadcast- ing, go into vaudeville again as she did | last year. or give the talkies another whirl. My guess is she’ll stick to the air. She isn't very happy away from New York. I SUPPOSE nearly everybody knows by now the story of how B. A. Rolfe made a million or so—mostly in movies —dropped it all in Florida real estate | during the crash down there, and now is | well set to make another fortune in broadcasting. They got his shirt in| Florida, but now Rolfe spends his spare | Summer hours on his own yacht. And now another old timer is attempt- ing to stage a comeback. He is Yerkes, and he’s an orchestra leader, too. Yerkes is built on_the * K ok K dren to school on time to Telieve the danger in hurrying across streets. MOTOR OlL_ “BEST OIL IN THE WORLD" Retains lubricating qualities at high tem- peratures. Insures correct and dependable lubrication in all seasons and at all speeds. Try Autocrat and learn the vast superior- ity it has over the reg- ular run of motor ofls. Nothing 1s more important than through lubrication. AUTOCRAT—THE OIL THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTHERS Beware of Substitutes Try Autocrat the next time you need oil, and judge its advantages for yourself. At the Better Dealers 100°% PURE PENNSYLVANIA| McNAMEE'S QUESTION BOX Q. Are the Landt Trio and White on any program at ‘present?—Barbara Marvin, Charlton, N. Y. A. Yes, I know they are “on the 8:15,” and maybe on others I have over- looked. You may be interested to know that the brothers not only sing but work all the sound effects as well. Q. Can you give me a rough estimate of the salary usually given for local commercial programs, with two or three performers taking par$?—V. C. T, Rizhms?:;nd, Xll. " ce that would depend not only on the size of the city and the station but also on the ability of the perform- ers, even a rough estimate is impos- sible. At some small stations singers have been known to do a half-hour EnEmportant ‘ohe i o big chy. ¢ e one in a cf it be worth an advertiser’s whlley to :;’e‘nd hundreds of dollars for a fine enter- tainer and audience. Q. Has Clem Betts, in “Moonshine and Honeysuckle,” appeared in other A. Louis ery well on the air before he appeared as Clem. Three years. or so ago he was featured in broadcasts of O. Henry storles, all:d "mld ":‘ll," and later he was uie of e team of Gus Louie the Schradertos e wn Band program. It was Mason who persuaded “Lam had Vol:.flmnfl‘l in who::d stage plays he previously appeared, to try writing radio. The part of n o especially for him. Q. Are the Tastyeast J “Tom, Dick and )l'-hrty" e:;!.fl_l;g men?—N." Dawn Jordan, Brackend- 0, m, Dick and Harry work {from Chicago, while the Jesters go on in New York. Previously the Jesters, whose real ngmes are Dwight B, Latham (Pep), Walter Carlton (Vim) and Guy Bonham (Vigor), Engl: especially PR, Q. Kindly advise me whether Rudy sides e Fieseimann oy TR e le] cn:rx;a;,y N. C. ey . Rudy’s only other 3 those that eomiyrmm night dl‘l‘l’:, the Villa Vallee, one of New York's fashionable dancing places. trom the Westro oo o San e 'est ?—Irene Francisco, Calif. e A ih%hwmneu fmrnr:‘ ‘Texas. 3 eerio married?—J. T. E., To- ko S8 i 3 , is one of the about this radio character wm not be answered. He keeps everything about himself and his personal affairs a deep secret. Q. Is Eddie Thorgerson, the an- :louneer, married?—Jean M., Mobile, . A. No, he denies that he is even en- gaged, but there are some rumors tha: he may be'soon. Gossip says a certair. radio star might say “yes” to Eddie. Q. Why does N. B. C. allow Alwyn closely?—Mrs. ‘etheim, Be:d’nznh p South . Bach’s style of announcing evolvgd independently. I doubt it he ever- heard Cross announce until long after he had built his own style. Bach, too, you know, is a veteran announcer, even if he hasn’t been on the networks so long. The chief resemblance, really, is in voice quality and kind of pro- grams. Their styles are actually rather different. (Copyright, 1930.) e > adl War Prisoners’ Friend Dies. M. Gaston Chapelle, who during the ‘World War helped 1,500 allied to escape, has died at , France, aged 51. Chapelle was taken prisoner at Maubeuge ‘in September, 1914, and organized in the prison camp at Fried- ricssfeld a regular service for the escape of war prisoners, which was con- tinued until July, 1917. Five hundred of those who gained freedom Lh.l'vlah the efforts of Chapelle rejoined e [SIDIAICIE] OLIAR E} (Dmom|