Evening Star Newspaper, June 10, 1935, Page 46

S s e S o =\ "(zmz e >>\‘ =(“¢‘ o4 i How the Stage Was Set for The Shriners’ Convention Planning the Giant Reception for thel tsiting T'housands, Preparing the Elaborate 1cco- rations and Building Reviewing Stands Along the Parade Route Has Kept 11 ash- ington Busy for Weeks. g BY WILLIAM SHIPPEN. EEKS of enthusiastic effort under experienced direction enabled the local committees to perfect every possible detail of ar- . rangement for the Shrine con- clave — lighting, decorations, seating, transportation, revised traffic routing and housing, The men who planned this giant reception for the visiting Shriners still bore in mind the lessons learned at the great conclave here in 1923, They knew what they wanted, how to get it at the least cost of time and money, and they had a definite goal—to surpass Washing- ton’s previous showing. The lighting and decorations along the parade route on Pennsylvania avenue strikingly illus- trate the score of the preparations in this and other fields. The Oriental motif was carried out from Union Station Plaza to Seventeenth street, with amber lights and vari-colored flags. Shriners emerging from busy Union Station Baw a plaza before them fluttering with gay flags by day, alive with lights by night. Two American and two Shrine flags floated from every lamp post about the station and plaza. As they moved further downtown to Fourth ptreet and Pennsylvania avenue, where the parade route began, they saw lamp posts on either hand decorated with coconut palm fiber and fronds to resemble Fall palms. Each of hundreds of these bizarre “palms” bore an American and a Shrine flag. From Fourth street the parade route was a lane of golden glow light streamers, waving flags and palm fronds. Telephone poles espe- cially erected along the Avenue bore the stream- ers overhead. In the center of each hung sus- pended a Shrine emblem outlined in scores of lights. The streamers glowed with the Shrine colors— fed, yellow and green electric lights. These @ecorations along the ceremonial way reached @ grand climax at Fifteenth street, from which the Royal Court extended to Seventeenth street between elaborate roofed stands for spectators on either sidewalk, [4A T LEAST 10,000 extra lights lit the ap- proach to the Royal Court, while the Pourt itself boasted 30,000 more in its length of two blocks. Fifty-foot columns bore lights #nd streamers, rising amid Oriental decorations of heroic size—camels, the Egyptian Sphynx, ete, Gay awnings in Egyptian colors and huge Oriental fans, like peacock tails, lent color to the scene. The fans, six feet in diameter, were mounted on high poles and bore 100 lights each. Care was taken to have the decorations Bppear to advantage both by day and night. Experts from laboratories of 2 great alecirical manufacturing company consulted with the members of the Decorabions Committee in working out the lighting etfects This com- mittee is headed by Howard P. Foley, Was ington electrical engineer. This type of decoration was the most elab- orate ever undertaken here. in the process of development since February. Contracts for erecting the poles and wiring the huge system were let far in advance, thus saving money to spend on other entertainment features. Official decorations were augmented all over the city, where merchants, apartment house owners and householders hung out flags and bunting and arranged special displays in honor of the visitors. Charles J. Columbus, chairman Plans have been Maj. Ernest W. Brown. superintendent of Metropolitann Police. ~-Harris & Ewing Photo. of the Citizens' Subcommittee, led a campaign to enlist residents of the District in the zeneral decoration scheme. Congress several weeks prior to the conclave voted $50,000 to provide additional police fa- cilities and health accommodations. Local merchants and other residents of Washington raised a guarantee fund of $150,000 to provide Within one of the big covered reviewing stands, where thousands will watch parades, for arrangements and the entertainment of the visitors. The largest spectator grandstands were erected on either side of the royal court, from Filteenth to Seventeenth street, while for additional thou: i the line of march. Pioc the stands will go to help defray the cost of entertaining the visitors, The Utilities Committee, with Maj. Otio Ex man as chairman, had the of planning wransportation for the visiting ousands. Atded by numerous subcommitiees, man wranged for the rerouting ot b s and street cars and the placing of taxicab stands at the most convenient places. E district in which the Shriners were quartered was allorded a special service at the hours when the visitors were moving either to or from the downtown district. Up until a few days before the convention, Maj. Ernest W. Brown, superintendent of po- lice: William A. Van Duzer, director of tratlic, and Inspector Benjamin A. Lamb of the Traftic Bureau were working out final details of a city- wide traffic plan to go into effect during the parades and pageants. The local force was augmented by visiting details of police from New York. Philadeiphbia, Baltimore and Richmond, including both foot and motor cycle officers, at least 300 1in all Every effort was made to cause as liftle incon- venience as possible from parking restrictions and the stoppage of traffic across Pennsylvania avenue during the parades. Specialyschedules were worked out on every thoroughfare to aug- ment the flow of traffic. Under the leadership of Edward Anderson, an automobile parking committee made a sur= vey of all available vacant lots, with a view to taking over as much space as possible dur- ing the convention week, and arranging for traffic clearance to and from the lots. The housing problem was one which received experienced attention well in advance of the convention. A list of hotels, boarding houses and private homes offering accommodations to visitors, as compiled by the Greater National Capital Committee, was turned over to Shrine headquarters here many weeks before the first visitor arrived. Shriners who planned to at- tend the convention were asked to communicate their requirements as eaily as possible, Thus accommodations were booked and arrangements made to care for the overflow in Pullman cars parked on desirable sidings. More than 1,000 sleeping cars were used dur- ing the last conclave here and at least that many more will be brcught into play, housing s from tickets to This is how Pennsylvania avenue looked 8¢ night during the Shrine Convention of 1923, — Underwood & Underwood. Star Staft Photo officials say, before the present convention closes four thousand residents have made attrac- tive aceommodations avatlable and thousands of ochiers are acting as hosts to (riends among the visttors A pageant along new lines was planned by Maj Gen, Amos A s, U, S, A, retived, chairman of the committee arranging this feature Weeks of preparation went into the costumes and general scheme For the first time PFederal permission was obtained for various carnivals and other con- cesstons on Pennsylvania avenue Edgar C. Mortis, chairman of the Concessions Commnite tee, recetved bids and selected desirable appli- cants who wished to set up food and sott drink stands along the route of march The by no means hight task of arranging for the banquets and other social functions was in charge of John C. Koons and members of his Enterfainment Committee In all it was estimated that more than 1,500 Washingtonians actively participated in the work of arranging for the convention in the hops that the present conclave would be the jreatest ever seen by Shriners | What to See in Washin gton Continued From Page 7. major airlines connecting Washington with the Natwn., Twenty-four trips a day are flown between Washington Airport and New York alone Bolling Field and the Anacostia Naval Air Station, operate on opposites sides of the same field. The Naval Air Station is the home of the Flight Test Department, in charge of tests on all aircraft for the Navy. Both fields are the base for flight operations of all aviatiom officers on duty in the War and Navy Depart- ments, and Bolling Field has just become the home of three tactical squadrons, the first in its history to be based there. The Embassies More than 50 tiny plots of foreign domain dot the Capital, homes and headquarters for the Ambassadors and Ministers of the nations whose representatives are stationed here, The total value of lands and improvements of these ambassies is more than $6,000,000, with most of it concentrated along Sixteenth street, and out, the long stretch of Massachusetts ave- nue. Along the former are the missions of France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Cuba, Mexico, Honduras, Yugeslavia, Lithuania and Hune gary, among others, with those of Germany, El and, Japan, Belgium, Canada and Finland included along Massachusetts avenue. Washington Cathedral The Washington Cathedral, at Mount S, Alban eing built slowly through the years das ihutions come in from all corn ot t { Recently a large sum was pre- 5 L to the architects and builders, which wiil permit them to add to the south walls of the tran Mote than $10.000,000 already hiave been spent on this inspiring edifice, which rises 409 feet above the Potomac on the Mount L Alban st The bishop's rden is a special cature Hf the grounds. | Bureau of Standards TH:?. DUGH the Government's vast testing laboratory, the National Bureau of Stand- wrds, there s one general trip, daily except Saturday, Sunday and holidays, beginning ag 2:15 pm Ihe bureau deals with standards in all fields Continued on Page 14, R P A, S e | — THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, JUNE 10, 1935.