| Show I wg T w Hotel Caters Exclusively to ii f Servicemen A and Their Families I f t LS All i 1 a t z j I One of the most unusual hotels In the nation is located in Washington Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington D. D C. C where despite nightly sellouts accommodations are provided far below OP OPA A ceiling prices It is the United Nations Service Center formerly the Capitol Park hotel now under the exclusive management management man man- of the Recreation Services of the War Hospitality committee The only hotel in the United States taken over completely for this purpose purpose purpose pur pur- pose it is perhaps the largest Canteen Canteen Canteen Can Can- teen in the world for servicemen of all the United Nations and is operated operated operated op op- as a voluntary community project along modern health and sanitation lines The United Nations Service center has everything from everything from its own newspaper newspaper newspaper news news- paper Flags Abreast to a free Cree nursery nursery nursery nurs nurs- ery for children of traveling servicemen service service- men Washington D. D C. C is such a hub for the armed services that the Canteen despite the hotels hotel's size was I forced to take over an adjoining school house converting it into room for more beds a total of available sleeping accommodations nightly The huge center was officially opened October 27 1943 and there has been a virtual sell-out sell of accommodations accommodations since It is the only Canteen Canteen Canteen Can Can- teen that accepts the wives and families families families fam fam- of servicemen as well as those In uniform No reservations are accepted ac ac- first first come first served This is true of both officers and enlisted men Just recently the visitIng visitIng visiting visit visit- ing serviceman was honored He was Petty Officer c 3 Stanley Wick- Wick lund of Boston Mass stationed at atthe atthe atthe the naval air base Patuxent River Md Has Own Police Force Actually it looks like the headquarters headquarters head head- headquarters quarters of the general staff except that 74 former employees of the Capitol Park hotel are still working there as members of the Canteen staff Everything that occurs at the Canteen must be approved by the military district of Washington and the Potomac River naval command A hour 24 duty is maintained by the Shore Patrol the Patrol the Canteens Canteen's own police po- po police lice ice force Though much of the Canteens Canteen's varied varied varied va va- ried accommodations are free some services are rendered on a cost basis basis basis ba ba- sis which astounds the average 4 l a rJ T kJ Typical guests at the Center are Petty Officer c 3 Stanley o of f Boston and his wife When came in the door he was told that tha t he was the one-millionth one serviceman to register at the hotel The Wick Wick- lunds are shown resting in a corner of the nursery where they have pu put t seven months Bobby to bed Washington civilian This is true of laundry service clothes dryers washing machines valet shops barber barber barber bar bar- ber shops and the impressive cafe cafe- The cafeterias are tremendous projects in themselves There are two two one each for officers and one enlisted enlisted enlisted en en- listed men Miss Rochelle Z Z Kendall Kendall Kendall Ken Ken- dall of Dallas Texas is the Canteens Canteen's Canteens Canteen's Canteens Canteen's Can Can- teens teen's food expert and nutritionist Pointing out that the most modern and sanitary methods of food catering catering catering cater cater- ing had been employed there she said Every governmental stress on basic nutritious foods has been observed by us as has the general governmental theme of utmost sanitation sanitation sanitation sani sani- tation during this wartime crisis We have for example employed single- single service paper eating and drinking utensils almost exclusively in place I of obsolete and sanitarily inadequate dishwashing equipment thus avoiding avoiding avoiding avoid avoid- ing the possible danger of transmission transmission transmission sion of disease from to mouth-to-mouth via poorly washed common eating and drinking utensils More than paper cups w weekly ekly are used Nursery Is Send God to Mothers The free nursery at the Canteen according to Mrs Luther Gulick the send God t to nursery chairman is a o mothers and children traveling g through Washington Employing two registered nurses nurse s on an hour eight-hour shift each and on one e child educator or psychologist th the e nursery operates 24 hours a day There are 60 volunteers in this department department department de de- alone all having passed a an n intensive course in child care before e acceptance Since its opening 2568 8 children have been cared for with h the average between 9 and 12 months month s of age The youngest guest of th the e nursery was a old day infant But most unusual is the nursery's Baby Ferry Command This is a group of uniformed women n who roam the city's Union station a block away and route weary mothers mothers mothers moth moth- ers and children to the Canteen Should a child or mother be ill bot both h army and navy dispensaries in in th the e city are on call for emergencies Apparently nothing has been lefto left lef t to chance in this greatest of all Canteens It is a mighty institution that has grown out of this war an anis andis and andis d is a living testimonial of the home fronts front's contribution to the war effort effort effort ef ef- fort in general and to the serviceman serviceman serviceman service service- man his and family in particular |
