Evening Star Newspaper, November 14, 1936, Page 9

Books—Art—Music WASHINGTON, D. C, FEATURES he Zoening Has SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1936. PAGE B—1 UNCLE SAM’S AIR SCHOOLS DRAW HUGE STUDENT BODY RADIO PROGRAMS POPULAR Five Broadcasts, Offering Wide Variety of Cultural Appeals, Are Regularly Scheduled; Research Results in Many Fields Are Popularized for General Consumption. By John Frazier. TILIZATION of the vast re- search facilities of the Fed- eral Government through a series of daily Federal broa east programs is now an accomplished fact. ‘These broadcast programs, consti- tuting a radio school of the air, are meeting with tremendous popularity throughout the United States. More than 2,000 letters daily are coming into the Office of Education, sponsor of the programs, attesting their popularity. ‘They have been going but a very short time. Analysis of radio programs in the past has indicated that the average educational prpgram has stirred little enthusiasm in the public mind. Pro- grams were not listenable. Yet the radio is regarded as one of the greatest mediums .ever given into the hands of man for educational purposes—if it could be utilized. Today five radio programs are put out by the Federal Radio School, and all are listenable. Four of these pro- grams are based upon findings and discoveries of the most-renowned scientists in the world. From every corner of the universe there pours into Washington material used in these scholastic broadcasts. This material ranges from data on the beginning of the earth, the moon, the stars, to the developing story of man and his civilization; from the first bateau of primordial man to the winged clippers of today’s skies and future possibilities in very field of en- deavor. “Have You Heard,” the first of these Federal programs, is made up of a body of facts, of natural science tidbits that tempt the mind and make it eager to want more. These curious and spec- tacular facts range the entire scien- tific world. They catch the listener's attention and focus his mind on the atory to come, the explanation of the | fact so curious and unnatural. “Have you heard that your clock is never correct?” “Have you heard that ants plant gardens and grow theif own food?” “Have you heard that all the insects in the world would weigh more than all the rest of the animals put together” There are thousands upon thousands of such scientific morsels lying around our doors daily for edification and in- crease of the knowledge of our minds. “Have You Heard?” asks you about them and then gives the answers. TIJACH broadcast in “Have You Heard” is devoted to one special subject—the moon, earthquakes, flow- ers, fish and so on. Following the broadcast supplementary material sup- plied by the radio school is sent upon request. This material has been pre- pared from accurate scientific data, checked and rechecked for accuracy. Further, in order to make the pro- gram more listenable, sound effects, to convey realism, music and dramatiza- tion are used. The speech, the talk, the lecture are taboo. | The second of these experimental educational broadcasts is called, “An- | swer Me This” This is a social science program. It covers current events, civics, economics, government and related subjects. ‘“Answer Me This” usually is a series of about 20 questions and answers. It covers a particular subject. Say that subject is the Olympic games, recently com- pleted in Germany. Questions are asked about these games, their origin, their development, the number of na- tions participating in them today, the significance of the circles interlocking in the flag, whether the men and women athletes compete against each other, and so on. The answers to these questions are given immediately. After such a broadcast the radio listener has the complete story of the Olympics, or any other subject that may be chosen. This broadcast embodies distinctly the element of contest. It presents a challenge to the mind seeking in- formation. In addition to being a popular broadcast with the public, “Answer Me This” is having quite a run now as a parlor game. It is being used to make pleasurable the long Winter evenings in the home, both with children and guests. Here again, music, sound effects and dramatiza- tion are used to make the program more gripping and entertaining. The most interesting and by far the most popular of these scholastic broadcasts of Uncle S8am is that titled “The World Is Yours.” Response to this program by the public has been overwhelming. The Smithsonian Institution is a storehouse of treasure. It has ex- hibits at which the intellect must marvel, exhibits gathered from the four corners of the earth, from the sea and the dark interior of caves and bottomless canyons. . These exhibits trace the scientific and historical de- wvelopment of man and his civilization. There are stuffed animals, birds, cases of beautiful butterflies, skeletal remains of prehistoric monsters, and fossils replete with natural history Jore; human artifacts replete with the ancient cultural history of man, steam engines, airplanes, automobiles, | | and achievement belonging to the | dead past; makes it a part of the living present. ‘This broadcast covers subjects sep- |arately. The sculptured group may | be the subject, cast in bronze depict- | ing the life of the African savage; the istory of taxidermy, of aviation, of | transportation. Facts, figures, infor- mation, learning are all poured into the broadcast. The subject is human- | | ized for appeal. In connection with this program, informational material goes out before the broadcast, in the case of the material asks the radio listener to fol- low it during the broadcast. In this manner a panoramic picture may be had, with the broadcast, of the sub- ject being discussed. Everybody is familiar with the ad- | venture cartoons that run in the daily and ‘Sunday newspapers. They are | others, after. Mailed in advance, this | extremely popular with the children— |and grown-ups. Their particular ap- peal to the impressionable mind is re- sponsible largely for the use of the | same idea in putting across the safe- | ty program of the radio school. The “Safety Musketeers” is a mythical | club. Its membership is composed of boys and girls, men and women, ani- | mals and automobiles, horses, boats, skates and all other paraphernalia used by man and child. ‘The “Safety Musketeers” program | utilizes dramatic example. For in- | stance: The mythical club goes for a swim. In the club is one bad boy, one more venturesome than the others. | He goes where he is told not to; he ‘tlk!S chances that make the other children talk in whispers. He wil! not listen to the mentor of the club. | As & consequence the inevitable hap- | pens. The villianous little fellow dives Loff the spring-board and strikes the bottom with his head. He does not come up. He is stunned. His lungs fill with water. “Hero” goes to his rescue. He dives in, ugs the victim to shore, proceeds to give him first aid. The club stands by and listens to the interjections of how the willf:'] little fellow is saved. Thus drama- tized there is presented to the radio audience a first-hand lecture on first aid in drowning. 'HE “Safety Musketeers” program carries on it everything that has to do with safety. There is a “safety in the home” program, a “safety boat- | ing” program, a “safety skiing” pro- gram, a “safety camping” program, a “safety motoring” program and so on. These programs have behind them the full support of all safety organi- zations in the United States—the A. A. A., the National Safety Council, the | Red Cross, the Boy Scouts and Girl | Scouts. Literature on this program | goes out after broadcasts upon re- quest, ‘The fifth program is the “house pro- By James Nevin Miller. ROBABLY you have never heard of Messrs. Jenkins, Douglas, Cullen, Jamieson and Scott of the American Auto- mobile Association. Even so, every Washington motorist should make a special point of meeting these worthy gentlemen. Friends refer to them as the “quintuplets of local motordom.” And for an excellent reason. Put them all together and they spell “highway knowledge,” with special emphasis on comfort and convenience in the interests of those who love to zoom along the broad highway in search of fun and recreation. In his capacity as chief of the National Travel Bureau, Elmer Jenkins probably knows more about roadway conditions throughout the country than any other man; H. J. Douglas of the District of Columbia section of the travel bureau stands alone as an expert in lining up pleasant motor trips anywhere in the United States, Canada or Mexico; R. W. Cullen, chief of the cartograph de- partment, is America’s most capable designer of road maps; David F. Jamieson is his able assistant; whereas James T. Scott has few peers in the matter of keeping the Nation’s motor~ ists informed regarding detours, re- pair jobs and changing roadway con- ditions caused by floods or storms. JENKINS, & quiet, unassuming chap with a truly delightful personality, is forever dashing all over the Nation on behalf of better motoring. One week he may be addressing the Chamber of Commerce of Salt Lake City on the subject of safer driving, next week he’ll be looking into high- way improvements in California, whereas a scant fortnight later he may be in Boston, talking over plans for a more up-to-date highway map of the Bay State with executives of the local motor club. This genial chap is busy. But never too much so to discuss his favorite subject, better roads. He's a veritable walking encyclopedia when it comes to almost any subjett relating to the interests of Mr. Average American Motorist. Jenkins has been with the Three A’'s about 10 years. Prior to his present affiliation he was a suc- ;‘a-;ul map publisher in Rochester, Douglas, long. lean and lanky, with ts, | & shock of unruly black hair, is ex- 7Eg avg Bodul b 5! ceedingly popular among his associates because of his never-failing courtesy. fenkins, However, this recent of George Wi Ummflm‘t’yn: special Just about as efficient in his unit of the A. A. A. Working under him are 10 well- MOTORDOM’S QUINTUPLETS Jenkins, Douglas, Cullen, Scott and Jamieson of American Auto- | mobile Association Represent “Highway Knowledge” for Benefit of All Drivers. from the Washington Loan & Trust Building. EVE'RY day from 4:30 to 6 they may be seen parading around behind a counter somewhat remindful of but many times larger than the kind |used by bank tellers, except that there's no barred cage. They hand out untold numbers of maps dealing | with every section of the country. Telephone calls alone average 300 a day. These are handled from an enormous switchboard situated at a large table in the approximate center of the room. However, the major job of these capable youngsters is to teach Mr. Average Washingtonian Motorist to become “road map conscious”; in other words, to route the local trav- eler along the most desirable motor Journeys. As is well known, the big automo- bile touring season starts the first of May and winds up the last of Sep- tember. During the season recently ended, Douglas says, his boye actually put out over the counter, on member requests, 40,914 marked routings or planned trips. For the same period of 1935, they issued 33,734, so that this year there was an increase of over 7,000. The figure for 1934 was 28,574 and 27,457 for 1933. Thus motor traveling out of Washe ington has been steadily on the ine crease during the past three years, according to actual statistics. Not so long ago the Touring Bue reau gathered the following interest- ing figures as to the destinations of motor travel last Summer: Destinations. Nearby States New York City Northeastern States Southeastern States North Central States .. South Central States Percentage. 222 44 These figures demand & bit of ex- planation, Douglas says. Of course, the nearby States referred to are Vir= ginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. As might well be expected, Virginia is the most traveled of all, because of the tremendous interest taken by mo- torists everywhere in Skyline Drive and the new Shenandoah National Park. N‘lx‘.l‘ in popularity to these sections is Colonial Virginia, notably York- nd Williamsburg. Norfolk, especially Virginia Beach. In Maryland the most traveled spots are the region along Chesapeake Bay, the beach resorts, particularly Ocean City and those in the neigh- borhood of Annapolis; and the va- rious mountain areas, notably around Cumberland. In Pennsylvania, the mountain re- sorts- lead the pack. In fact, most of the motorists’ requests ~bout the Key= stone State relate to the Pocono area, taking in Delaware Water Gap and Stroudsburg. Of all the cities within s 300-mile radius, New York is most in demand. Among | most popular, Outstanding points of | attraction in New York State are | Saratoga Springs, for racing enthusi- asts and lovers of invigorating baths | and mineral waters; the Adirondacks resorts, Lake George, Lake Placid and | Ssaranac Lake; the Catskill Moun- | tain area and the State park around | Bear Mountain; Long Island, South- ampton, Atlantic Beach and other ‘regutgflm. In New England especi- ally popular are the Berkshires, Maine and the White Mountains, Cape Cod and the Boston and Providence areas. According to the Travel Bureau, Asheville and the surrounding moun= tain area is asked about more fre- quently by local motorists than any of the other resorts in the Southeast- ern States. Exceedingly popular also are the recreation spots along the Canada.” So says H, J. the Northeastern States | New York and New England are | gram.” It is titled “Education in the News.” It keeps the public informed on the entire field of education, a $3,000,000,000 industry in the United States. It covers such topic: “De- velopment of the Forum Idea 'What Handicapped Children,” and the like. Dramatization and vitalization of the programs put out by the radio school to see what is needed to make them “stick,” have made for their success. Music and sound effects to hold the attention and feed the imag- ination play their part. A new step now being plannei by cational Radio Project, direc! This,” program. scores for future programs. Project. concentration points at Dallas and Fort Worth. ©Of the Western States, the especial- ly popular region last season was the Rocky Mountain area, including the national parks, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, et al. deal of motoring into California, ‘Washington and Oregon. The greater part of Canadian travel has been to Quebec, the Gaspe and Callendar, | Ontario. The Gaspe Peninsula, situ- ated just above the city of Quebec on the other side of the St. Lawrence | River, is a portion of the Province of Quebec. It's easy to understand why so many Washingtonians, on their Cana- dian motoring journeys, include Cal- ‘lwlnky watering places of the social | | lendar, Ontario, as a side trip. Their | the Dionne quintuplets. Callendar, in case you didn't know, is about 221 miles north of Toronto, near North Bay. Douglas says that most of the ques- tions that are asked of the travel counselors come from men. This is easily understood, when it's realized the great majority of America’s auto- mobile traveling. However, when a lady comes in for information, she really fires away with a flock of questions. One woman, fot instance, recently wanted to know, Carolina Coast, including, in North | among a multitude of queries, where S “There’s an ideal route, madam, for your motor trip into Douglas, an executive of the D. section of the Travel Bureau. Probably he stands alone as an expert in lining up pleasant motor irips anywhere in America. Caroling, Moorehead City and Beau- fort; and the beach region in South Carolina, including Myrtle Beach, Georgetown, Isle of Palms; and, final- ly, the Great Smoky Mountain Na- tional Park of both Tennessee and North Carolina. Mmummlmhn}m’ requests about the North Cen-. tral States relate to recreation spots in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and the Great Lakes region. A lot of this is included in the A. A. A. routings to the Chicago area. So far as the South Central States she could get pasteurized milk for her baby. She was highly indignant when told that it couldn’t be answered in detail. However, she calmed down considerably when informed that prac- tically every little village or hamlet that even boasts a local health de- partment could furnish the much-de- ORE and more, today motorists are inquiring exactly what hotels are equipped with cooling systems during the hot Summer months. The answer is that quite a number. have them. However, there are compara- tively few west of Chicago, although there are & goodly number in the ex- treme Par West, especially on the ‘West Coust. (1) Maurice Lowell, production director of the Edu- program from the control room of a Washington station. (2 A listener answering questions on the “Answer Me (3) A group of Educational Project musicians in the radic workshop arranging musical stop watch controls the “show.” (5) Sidney Grazil, assists ant to the production director of the Educational Radio During the past eight months resi- | dents of the District have done a | | express purpose is to take a look at | that the males take the wheel for | Education Is Doing for Physically | | | the school authorities consists of ex- periments looking forward to the placing of supplementary material into the hands of millions. Today suca programs go only to the average listen- er. Another objective is working out of specially adapted programs. These would go to special classes—teachers, ' housewives, students. ting the “Have You Heard?” Radio (4) In the radio studio the | regulations concerning them. In this connection, it's interesting to point | out that quite a number of national and State parks are equipping their tourist camps with such conveniences. | So that within the very near future, | folks traveling with these motorists’ houses will be well accommodated. R. W. Cullen, as we mentioned earlier, chief of the A. A. A. carto- graph department, is perhaps Ameri- | ca’s most capable designer of road | maps. Like Douglas, he's the very | soul of courtesy. Cullen has been with | the organization since 1923. Prior | | to his present affiliation he served as| chief draughtsman of the Department | | of Agriculture and later worked with the Bureau of Public Roads. Certainly he's one of the busiest chaps in town. His section prepares virtually all the maps used by the organization for its 700 affiliated motor clubs, In gathering the rough notes needed for the maps, six road cars are utilized by the A. A. A. Ordinarily | there are six men on the road, known as “pathfinders,” working out of na- tional headquarters here. The larger cities, like New York, ‘Chicago, De- troit and St. Louis, maintain their own road cars and make a regular practice of turning in to Cullen’s divi- sion copious sheets of road notes, sketching major matters that later are sketched into the maps. ON HAND today in Cullen’s office are no less than 1,057 strip maps, 350 city map drawings, 35 State and | regional maps, notably those of the metropolitan areas, besides innumer- able special maps. All maps were designed for one pur- pose only, to help the average motor- ist. Which brings to mind Cullen’s| personal philosophy of maps: | “The average driver is far too much | inclined to think of a map as a sort of poster that you simply look at and read. As a matter of fact, you should first of all look at the legend and then at the map—in order to interpret it properly you must discover exactly what the various dots and hierogiyph- | ics mean. “The sheer perfection of the modern- day road map is of tremendous help in making the American people map- minded. More and more, today, folks are referring to atlases and geogra- phies. So that virtually every time they read a story or article concerning a section of the globe with which they're unfamiliar, they are forming the habit of studying maps with painstaking care. “Incidentally, today’s tendency is to make the road map as clear and sharp as possible, and to stress only the essential features. This in marked contrast to yesterday, when the typical road map used to be ultra- fancy in border and design. In fact, there were 5o many high-falutin’ doo- dads on most of them that it was dif- ficult, indeed, for the average man to interpret them quickly and conven- iently.” David F. Jamieson, chief draughts- man of the cartograph section and Cullen’s right-hand man, has a lot of interesting things to say about his favorite subject. Jamieson, by the way, has been working with his boss in the A. A. A. ever since 1924. Even prior to this time he was afliated with Jamieson—in the Bureau of Agri- - » _ - ' . ) necessary for devising these maps. Actually they had to cover far more mileage than this in order to get really complete notes. Again and egain they were called upon to re- track and double up over routes al- ready “logged,” as the technical term has it. LAST April the cartographers come pleted a new map of the National Capital area that is believed to be the finest in existence. It shows all the traveling roads within the ime mediate vicinity of Washington and Baltimore. It also gives the road (Continued on Page B-2.) VICTORY DANCE Young Democrats, Campaign Tasks Ended, Offer Olive Branch to Every One in In- terest of Own and Community Chest. By F. Jay Carmody. ITH as much zeal as they demonstrated in earning the party’s victory on No- vember 3, Washington's ‘Young Democrats are planning to cele- brate it on November 19, The celebration, to take the form of a Victory Ball, is a completely non- partisan affair. The youngest and most embittered young Republican or the most disappointed Communist can attend with the unabridged privilege of rubbing shoulders with the oldest and most important Democrat—or he | may even step on the latter's toes if | he thinks he can get away with it. The Young Democrats, on gayety bent, do not care. Theirs at the mo- ment is the task of making the Victory ball the largest and gayest social event of the preinaugural period. Admit- ting that there probably are more than enough Democrats in Washington and its suburbs to make a sizable get- together without the assistance of non-partyites, sponsors of the ball will take $2.50 as happily from political strangers as from friends. In one way, they would rather. While the primary purpose of the Victory Ball is pleasantly altruistic and one of the incidental purposes splen- didly so, the Ball Committee admits that all is not altriusm behind the plans for November 19. THE Young Democrats want to dance for joy, but they also want money for the Community Chest and for their own treasury. Campaigns such as that which ended November 3 are expensive. The coming of peace and what Jooks like political plenty has left the club's war chest depleted. It is out, therefore, to dance for dollars 25 well as for the sheer joy of dancing. Despite the fact that there are many notable gaps in the guest list to date, sponsors of the Victory Ball are confident of one of the best big name turn-outs in the present ad- ministrations three and one-half year history. Acceptances from prominent party members coming in daily hint, they say, of a continued existence of the spirit of celebration which marked the President’s home-coming reception of the party's greatest drawing cards, will be master of ceremonies of the Victory Ball. The individual in ques- tion is William Harrison Dempsey, otherwise Jack, former world heavy- weight champion of the world. The committee in charge of arrangements received word today from Dempsey that he is willing to lend his services to the party’s biggest party. By way of giving Dempsey some ceremonies over which to exercise his mastery, the Ball Committee is are ranging one of the most elaborate floor shows Washington has seen in its long history of political celebra« tions. Even as this is being written, New York is being combed for talent that will make the floor show the greatest show of its kind on earth the night of November 19. Miss Edna Mae Nance, chairman of the Publicity Committee, says so and she ought to know. Godfrey Wickware is chairman of the Committee on General Arrange- ments for the ball and Harold Blane ton is vice chairman. Robert W. Burton is chairman of the Finance Committee. Royce Givins, assisted by W. R. Kavanaugh, is in charge of the Ticket Committee. DMORATION! are the special province of Miss Eleanor Duff and distinguished guests will be re- ceived by Frank Wickham, national president of the Young Democrats’ Club, and Acey Carroway, national executive secretary of the organizae tion. Membership of the Reception Com« mittee includes Mrs. 8. Jenkins As- bury, Crystal Key, Edna Mae Nance, Grace Spellman, Lucille Laurer, Eleanor Lamke, Mrs. W. R. Kava- naugh, Ruth Berman, Katherine Irwin, Helen Durkin, Eleanor Duff, Mrs. Perry Coleman, Lee Schaefer, Mrs. Walter Bramhall, Mrs. William J. McGuire, Mrs. Charles Hanowell, Frances Shapiro, Audrey Haukaas, Allen Foley, Margaret Speiss and Bil= Hie Musslewhite. Mrs. J. Borden Harriman, Mrs. Arthur M. Condon, president of the National Democratic Women’s Coun- on November 6. It was the festive that event, indeed, which stim- original interest in the cil, and Mrs. Florence Jackson Stod= dard, only living relative of Andrew Jackson, will be patronesses. The ball will be held at the Willard