The Moving Picture Weekly (1917-1919)

THE MOVING PICTURE WEEKLY 5 Capitol Theatre Crowded with Children To Hear "SAFETY FIRST" Warning SECRETARY OF WAR BAKER ADDRESSES GIGANTIC CONVENTION OF 6,000 SCHOOL CHILDREN IN NEW YORK'S LARGEST MOVIE HOUSE, CONGREGATED BY THE MOST IMPORTANT SAFETY-FIRST ADVOCATES IN THE U. S. CECRETARY of War Baker addressed six thousand children from the public schools of Manhattan at the Capitol Theatre, New York, on Saturday (January 10) and thanked them in behalf of the Government for the conspicuous part that the little ones had in the winning of the war. The occasion was the great "SafetyFirst" rally, organized by Harry Levey, general manager of the Industrial and Educational Department of the Universal Film Manufacturing Company; Secretary of State Francis M. Hugo, Superintendent of Schools Ettinger, Police Commissioner Enright, a committee of one hundred headed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., the automobile interests led by H. S. Firestone, and Director Edward Bowes of the Capitol, having for its purpose the inauguration of an educational campaign to reduce the tremendous loss of life due to automobile accidents. The children cheered the Government representative to the echo, and Secretary Baker departed amid an ovation in which the loudly-voiced approval of the youngsters mingled with the strains of the Police Band playing the "Star Spangled Banner." The affair was the largest gathering of school children ever held in New York under roof, and presented all the physical characteristics of a political convention. Great banners bearing the identification of the various school districts and the names of the district superintendent of education in charge, marked the divisions of the house. The children, honor students from the graduating classes of one hundred schools, filled Broadway long before 9 o'clock, and greeted the arrival of the distinguished speakers with outbursts of cheers. The enthusiasm reached its height when Secretary Baker, who had not been announced, appeared as the surprise speaker at the meeting. The feature picture shown was "Careless America," made by the Universal's Industrial Department for H. S. Firestone, of the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio. Many new scenes were made specially for this occasion in order that the SECRETARY OF STATE HUGO, AT INAUGURATION OF EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO REDUCE TREMENDOUS LOSS OF LIFE BY AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS LOUDLY CHEERED. UNIVERSALE "CARELESS AMERICA" SHOWN. best possible lesson of "safety first" might be carried home to the school children. During the course of the meeting Secretary of State Hugo said that more than one thousand theatre owners in New York State had made application to run the picture at similar meetings, and that not withstanding the fact that "Careless America" had been exhibited more widely than any other picture ever made, he hoped that theatre owners throughout the United States would show the revised version without delay. In his address to the children, Mr. Hugo said in part: "When we stop and consider that during the last five years there have been over 1800 children killed in this State from automobiles, the importance of this great meeting is more easily recognized. I believe that we should educate the children of to-day to the perils of our streets and highways from automobiles. It is just as essential as their a, b, c's to bear in mind the motto: "ALWAYS BE CAREFUL." And there is no better way than to utilize the film, driving home this message of safety first in a way that will be remembered in the months and years to come. "While you are children you have a responsibility, a responsibility that must necessaidly increase with the growth of the automobile, you must do your part in the great movement by exercising more caution in crossing the streets; you must cooperate with the police and with the city, watchful in their efforts in your behalf. There are careless children and there are careless automobilists. You have a great work in front of you, for as you have heard this message today you must carry it to your homes and to your playmates." Miss Julia Arthur recited the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" with a musical accompaniment by the Police Band, Miss Arthur later made this dramatic announcement to Mr. Hugo: "I never recited the 'Battle Hymn of the Republic' before such a won (Continued on page 34.) The committee in charge was made up as follows : COMMITTEE OF 100 John D. Rockefeller. Jr., W. D. Stewart, Frank H. Hitchcock, Charles M. Brown, Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler, H. B. Bliss, Nicholas F. Brady, Harry J. DeBear, Bear Admiral Jas. H. Glennon, W. C. Poertner, Otto Kahn, Putnam Drew, Dr. Joseph F. Johnson, W. P. Held, A. H. Smith. Wm. Parkinson, John McE. Bowman, Harry W. Gaston, Frederick Stuart Greene, C. H. Larson. Mrs. John Blair, A. G. Southworth, Annins S. Prall, Carl Laemmle, Robert L. Morrell, Harry liaVler, Edward M. Tierney, Charles Bond, Judge W. Bruce Cobb, Theodore D. Pratt, Judge Frederick House, Harry W. Bobbins, George F. Chandler, Herbert W. Baker, Byron B. Newton, Glen. B. Shriver, Mgr. M. J. Lavelle, Geo. C. Donahue, Mrs. Ogden Mills Beid, Trescott Goode. Mr. Robert Grier Cooke, C. V. Poe, D. H. Morris, John T. B. Gren, Jefferson DeM. Thompson, Duncan Curry, George W. Sweeney, Henry Caldwell, Mrs. Henry Ollesheimer, Burton Brown, Clarence H. Mackey. Frank W. Crane, George Armsby, C. E. T. Scharpe, Mrs. Helen Hartley Jenkins, Lawrence P. Hardy, Dudley Olcott, 2d. Lawrence Perry, C. B. Alexander, Coleman Du Pont, Col. James A. Blair, Jr., VV. E. Severn, Col. M. Friedsam, Eugene Thompson, Edward J. Bowes, G. Wotherspoon. Mrs. Freda Warburg, Chester B. Fox, Thomas \V. Lamont, D. C. Adams, Jr., Judge Elbert H. Gary, Davison Brown, Grace Strachan Forsythe, J. C. Wetmore, William Braden, Louis WUey, Vincent Astor, Miss LoueUa O. Parsons, Col. Ernest K. Coulter, Samuel Walter Taylor, Hamilton F. Kean, C. M. Geiger, Alexander J. Hemphill, George H. Doran, Robert W. Chambers, H. S. Firestone, Mrs. Howard S. Gans, B. H. Cochrane, B. M. Little, John N. Wierck. Miss Lillian D. Wald, P. Archibald, Mrs. Ellen A. O'Grady. P. A. Powers, Boyal K. Fuller, Messmore Kendall, Frederick H. Elliott, Elmer Thompson, Miss LuciUe Allard, Edward B. Maguire, W. G. Wheleer, F. CoUarderry, Franklin Q. Brown, Joseph S. Taylor, W. A. Woods, Cecil A. Kidd, Osmond Bar' ringer, Edward W. Stitt, Joseph K. Ohl, James Lee, Dr. William L. Ettinger, William O.Flaherty, Frederick D. Underwood, John T. Nicholson, Walter W. Nicholson, John P. Conroy, Justin B. Weddell, Mrs. John F. Tawger, Lee J. Eastman, Thomas F. Condon, Mrs. Robert G. Clarkson, Mrs. Arthur H. Scribner, George W. Perkins, Arthur 8. Som»rs, Maj. Raymond W. Pullman, Mrs. Buth F. BusseU, William W. Miller, George P. Byan, H. S. Firestone.