GI’s From West Front
Arrive In Holy City
Bv RELMAN MORIN
them for this sixth war Christmas
are expected as agaiuoi
000 normally.
Planes are arriving here not on
ly from the battlefields of France
and Italy but also from North Af
rica. the Mideast and the bleak
shores of the Persian Gulf but only
a few can come. The war is near
er its climax now.
There are not any generals here
this vear and only a few high
ranking officers. Most of these
khaki clad pilgrims are plain sol
diers.
li you have seen the average G.
I. on his usual leave behind the
lines, brimming with hfe and high
spirits you would not recognize
him here. Something of the ancient
mystery of this place seems to
touch him the moment he steps
down from the army bus bringing
him in from the airport.
Firs: he is a little disappointed—
he does not see Christmas trees
and the familiar red and greer
ornaments, tinsel and artificia.
now and all the things he is ac
customed to find in shop windows
1
Then he goes along tne street
jto the Y. M. C. A. where the Red
Cross is quartered. There he finds
a tall tree appropriately strung
with electric lights. He begins to
!feel more at home.
At the Red Cross arrangements
are made to take the soldiers to
Bethlehem where guides take them
'into the cool high-roofed Church of
the Nativity. They descend a short
flight of stone steps to the spot
where the manger originally stood.
A bright metal star inlaid in the
locks marks the place.
A soldier nudges a sergeant. The
sergeant takes off his weathered
overseas cap. fumbles and drops
They all will be coming back to
Bethlehem Sunday night, Christ
mas Eve. Relays of Army buses
will bring them from Jerusalem.
They can not be billeted in the
little village because every one of
its 60 spare rooms and hotels is
1 filled.
The soldiers will hear and see
the midnight mass in the church.
They will hear the joyous swell
ing strains of “Hark the Herald
Angels Sing Glory to the New-born
King.-’ A choir of 2.000 voices all
Polish officers and men will sing
the Christmas songs in their native
language.
The silvery sound of Bethlehem’s
'bells with an American choir sing
ing inside the church will be broad
cast to the whor'd.
In addition to the religious ac
tivities a round of social events
has been arranged for the G. I.
pilgrims ending with a b i g Red
Cross dance Christmas night—but
the important moment for them all
will be at midnight Sunday at Beth
lehem.
-V
A adult has ordinarily 28 pounds
of blood, and at each pulsation
the heart sends 10 pounds through
the veins and arteries.
—-1
I Bear .Ifolfea -1
II see the sparkling Christmas tree at home,
The decorations hung with wistful care.
And know that as you fastened each in
place,
You wished (as much as I) that I was there.
But as the family is gathering
To celebrate this holy Christmastide,
I, too, will be engrossed in contemplation
Of the Star, still serving as a guide.
For duty's call has brought me overseas
And I will stay until the job is done;
But we who serve a road have come to
know
Preserving our traditions can be fun.
And so you bravely trim the tree at home,
And I can see it, though we're far apart,
For through improvisations over here
I feel its warm reflection in my heart.
T/4 Alice E. Hesse . Allied Force Headquarters, Italy j
Red Cross To Broadcast
Greeting To Prisoners
WASHINGTON. Dec. 23— UP) —
The International Red Cross will
extend Christmas greetings via
shortwave to the more than 3,
11 >0.000 prisoners of war held by
! belligerent nation* around the
! globe.
In addition, the American Red
Cross has cabled Christmas greet
ings to all American prisoners of
war and civilian internees.
The message to be broadcast in
a wide variety of languages
through the international comrhit
j tee of the Red Cross in Geneva.
Switzerland, follows:
"The international committee
of the Red Cross wishes to con
vey at this holiday season, to
all prisoners of war and civilian
internees scattered throughout the
war-torn world, a cordial message
of comfort.
‘‘The committee is well aware
of your sorrows and anxieties.
I It also realizes how much more
painful the absence from home
becomes with the passing of time.
"With that thought in mind, the
international committee of the
Red Cross and its three thousand
collaborators in Switzerland and
abroad devote all their energies
to bring you help and assistance
and they all send you. as well as
the ones you love, their sincere1
good wishes.”
Basil O'Connor, chairman of the
American Red Cross, said domes
tic radio stations, as well as short
wave transmitters, will carry the
message to the German, Italian
and Japanese prisoners of war
held in this country.
PATCH'S GREETING
General Of Seventh Army De
plores State Of War
WITH THE U. S. 7TH ARMY,
■ Dec. 23. —(IP)— Lt. Gen Alexander
M. Patch sent the following Christ
■mas message to his men today:
‘‘This year many of you will be
spending your Third Christmas far
from your homes and your loved
ones. You have become accustomed
to living among strange foreign
surroundings dunng past Yuletime
seasons. It is not expected that this
year will be very different and I
cannot wish for you the impossible
—that you will pass a merry day
—I can merely extend my thanks
and appreciation for your splendid
achievements in speeding the day
when we can be reunited with our
families so we may once more
say ‘peace on earth, good will
toward men/'
-v
Banquet For Roosevelt
And Truman Is Planned
WASHINGTON, Dec. 23.—W—A
reception and banquet in honor
of President Roosevelt and Vice
President-Elect Truman will be
given by the Democratic Presi
dential electors the night before
the inaugurat’on.
Michael Francis Doyle, of Phil
adelphia, chairman of the Elec
toral College, announced the af
fair will be given January 19.
Members of the cabinet, the Su
preme Court and high military of
ficers have been invited.
On the following day, Doyle said,
the President will give a recep
tion at the White House to which
the electors have been invited.
COST OF LIVING
Increase Of One Tenth Of One
Per Cent Reported
WASHINGTON. Dec. 23.—(/'P'—
The Bureau of Labor Statistics
index of living costs rose one-tenth
of one per cent between mid-Oc
tober and mid-November.
This put the index at 126.5 per
cent of the 1935-39 average, 1.9 per
cent above the level of a year
ago.
Secretary Perkins’ monthly re
port, released today, estimated
' that items covered by the index
represent 70 per cent of the ex
penditures of families who had
incomes ranging from $1,250 to
1 $2,000 in 1934-36.'
1 -——>--—
■ ■ "
—- I
I Col. Dave Schilling,
Fighter Group Chief, .
Is Top European Ace
LONDON, Dec. 23.— <#> '7Co1
Dave Schilling, whocommands an
^t^aK^e inX? Euro
pean theatre today by getting
German planes, making .
bagged 34 1-2—of wmch 24 1-2 were
in the air and 10 on the ground
The 26-year-old Traverse City,
Mich., pilot led his group into one
of the fiercest dogfights of the
war when thev tangled with 250
German Messerschmitts an d
IFocke Wolfs and shot down 35 of
them.
In his lifetime O. Henry wrote
600 pieces of original fiction.__
WO 1
The Torch of Liberty-symbolizes our fa i th
in freedom for all. Its fulfillment is our
Christmas wish thisjycar.
MILLS and ALLEN
Purina Dealer
hristmas mm
fr,whlS rar- Is m a11 precedin2 years, we want to join the many good
friends who wish you prosperity and happiness for the coming New Year.
We send our 1944 Christmas Greetings to you, filled with a sincere appre
ciation of your patronage during this past year.
Conscious of the handicaps and misfortunes of war, we pledge our full
cooperation to the task of helping achieve final victory and peace.
HYMAN SUPPLY CO.
We desire to extend to you Greetings of
the Christmas Season and to express cur
sincere wishes for your prosperity in the
coming year. May the cordial relations
existing between us continue.
Rogers Grocery
Harbor Island
To all the Soldiers, Sailors and Marines, WACS, WAVES,
SPARS, and to all the many thousands of men and wo
men in the United States who are working for Victory
. . . our very best Christmas wishes and our heartfelt
hope that the coming New Year will bring complete Vic
tory.
To our employees, Customers and Friends who are shar
ing the burdens of war we extend our wishes that Peace
will soon come and bring joy to your homes.
★
BLOCK'S CANTF&DE SHIRT (Q.
HAVING A
BRIDGE PARTY?
NEHI BOTTLING COMPANY
New Wrightsville Highway
TO OUR CLIENTS
and All Whose Needs
; We Have Had Opportunity
To Serve In 1944
i
Our Wish
For You In The New Year
Is
Good Health and Peace from War
*
Moore-Fonvielle Realty Company
“Realtors’’
201 Princess Street
W. A. Fonvielle, Pres.
Lucile M. Ferrell
Roger W. Hewlett
Q- B. Snipes
Lloyd W. Moore, V-Pres.
Florine DeVere
Eleanor Dixson
Louis 0. Fonvielle
Waddell Watters
W. D. Jones, Sec.-Treas.
Paul A. Bergen
Lula S. Pulliam
Margaret T. Hewlett
Jocelyn Peck