I ' -
^v/?k^i 411 aY#J I2I4^H 4 21
Christmas Abroad Stirs
Memories of Yule at Home
By BAUKHAGE
Newt Analytl and Commentator.
WNC Service. 1616 Eye Street. N.W.,
Washinjton, D. C.
WASHINGTON?Christmas 1946!
The second one in seven years
when one could really talk about
"peace on earth"
without shamed
and downcast
eyes. While
armies struggled,
who could think
of the message to
the shepherds
from the angels'
chorus promising
peace on earth for
all men of good
will?
My last Christ
mas word was
sent to you from
the ruins, where, Baukhage
one year ago, I
experienced the saddest holy-day
season of my memory. It was in
shattered Nuernberg with my
thoughts on its rubble and the ruins,
ugly symbols of man's Inhumanity
to man, the negation of our Saviour's
teachings. I had pleny of food and
drink and shelter and was clothed
in the uniform which is a reminder
of a career of which I am proud
despite its implications. But I was as
homesick as any young soldier in a
lonely outpost with the threat of bat
tle about him for I could picture
my own hearthside and the little
group about the happy tree, my
own tinseled packages unopened,
and my empty hands reaching out
vainly over the oceans too wide to
span. And all about me were the
signs of anguish, cramped souls,
pinched bodies and the wreckage of
the handicraft blossomed in stone
and canvas and parchment which
has enriched the world through the
centuries.
I stood In the desolate little
square faced by the wreckage
of bnildings, thinking of what
Bndyard Kipling called "Christ
mas past." You may know the
poem, breathing the nostalgia of
an Englishman still clinging to
his boyhood memories of Eng
land, contrasting them with
what he saw about him in India.
"Oh the white dust on the high
way! Oh the stenches in the
byway! Oh the clammy fog that
hovers over earth! And at home
they're making merry 'neath the
white and scarlet berry?what
part have India's exiles in their
mirth."
Nuernberg! In the shadow of her
ancient castle grew a tradition which
lived on to modern days; a tradition
made eternal by the woodcuts and
engravings of Albrecht Ducrer
whose 500-year-old house still stood i
but only as a fragile ghost which
soon must yield to demolition
squads, a hollow shell despite the i
proud persistence of its storied fa- |
cade; a tradition made by the l
Meistersinger whose memory was i
enshrined in the home of Hans
Sachs?a house now only a shapeless '
pile of rubble.
For the second time I had occa- 1
sion to recall the yearning in those
unhappy Kipling verses. The first 1
time was more than two wars be- 1
fore. We two lonely Americans i
looked down from the window of |
our little room in a pension on the I
Boulevard Montparnasse in the Lat- t
in Quarter on a snowless, aching 1
Christmas in Paris. Below was n j
deserted convent garden. If only the
figure of a single nun had broken
the damp stillness curtaining leaf
less trees and withered flowers! But
no. they were all deep in their devo
tions and not even the faint echo of
the evensong or the moan of the or
gan reached us. Nor was there
holly or mistletoe (no white or scar
let berry), for the Latin Christmas
bears little resemblance to ours.
Long months had stretched to years
since I had seen a lighted Christmas
tree, evergreen festoon or a bright
ribboned wreath, or listened to the
'ringing crunch of footfalls in the
powdery snow, or sleighbclls?no
'novelty then in our northern clime.
I thought then of Kipling's lament
of the exile and understood him
?when he said, "faint and forced the
laughter, and if sadness follow aft
er. we are richer for one mocking
Christmas past."
Today as Yuletide rolls around
once more, despite the shadows that
fall across many a hearth, and the
postwar worries that beset us, we
at least can glory In the heritage I
of an American Christmas in the
land which the God of our Fathers |
has bequeathed us.
Almost a month before Christmas
Day, John Lewis had a hint that re
assured him, temporarily at least,
that he would not spend this year s
holiday in jail. Judge T. Alan Golds
borough spoke the comforting word.
He said, in discussing the con
tempt charge against Lewis, that he
believed "nobody's comfort would be
disturbed whatever the outcome.
How merry this season will be for
the man who defied the government
and brought down the wrath of hall
a dozen nations upon his head is a
question. It would be interesting in
deed to be able to look beneath the
brow adorned with the bristling eye
brows and thatched with the ilttck
grey hair that was once so black and
bellicose.
This season in the nation's capital
isn't as merry a moment as it is
in most cities, for this is a city of
transplanted folk, most of whose
homes are too far distant to be
reached on a short leave or via the
restricted purse that is the portion
of most government workers. As X
write, the President expects to jour
ney back to Missouri and his own
family circle. Many of the officials
will do likewise.
While Houae a '
Center of Featiuity
In other years there have been
more festive Christmases.
The little ceremony which be
came a custom during the
Roosevelt regime when the Pres
ident was driven out into the
crowd about the municipal tree
wflere he touched the button that
illumined it baa been discontin
ued. That event which drew
many a lonely Inhabitant to the
crowded square served to bring
a holiday touch to Christmas Eve
and the knowledge that the Pres
ident later on would be sur
rounded by children and grand
children while he read the
"Christmas Carol" was a rather
cheering thought.
There is on record the time when
two White House children, Charley
and Robert, one of them now a pres
idential aspirant himself, cut a
mammoth Christmas pie given to
their father, William Howard Taft,
by the International Bakers' associ
ation. It was 32 inches in diameter
and weighed 92 pounds.
There was a grand celebration,
too, when Theodore Roosevelt, et
familia, spent his first Christmas in
th White House. The White House
police were not the least of the cele
brants?the new president distribut
ed no less than 87 fat turkeys among
them, the messengers, ushers, gar
deners and stablemen. This was
credited as being the largest lar
gesse ever distributed by a presi
dent. President McKinley always
gave turkeys to the married em
ployees. but notsas many or as big
ones; the Franklbv Roosevelts al
ways had some souvenirs for the
White House staff. What President
Truman's gift will be this year has
not been announced at this writing.
Back in 1892 when Benjamin Har
rison spent his last Christmas in the
White House there was no prejudice
igainst things German and the high
joint of the celebration around the
ree in the library was the reci ta
lon of German poems, taught them
jy their governess, by this Harrison
irandchildren, Ben and Mary.
That was a real children's
hour and we have a careful ac
count in the Washington Star ot
that date to authenticate It. (No
nylons or mink coats were men
tioned.) "There Is a complete
set," says the Star, "of real
baby furniture, the bed quite big ?
enough for Uttle Mary Lodge
McKee; a dressing ease, with a
glass Just high enough fer her to
peep Into and arrange her front
hair, and the cutest Uttle wash
stand, with aU the totlet appU
anees. aU from Mrs. Harrison,
to her tiny granddaughter. A set
of lamb's wool mil and tippet
for Uttle Mary was lying near,
and a steam engine, atted out
with every modern appliance,
and which srill chase around to
the llveUest style fer Uttle Ben
jamin. He has a hook and lad
der, a complete outfit, s set of
parlor croquet and a doll baby
or ts?e."
After all, it Is the children who
mske Christmas, for Christmas was
made for them and it is by their
grace that we oldsters can relive
it over through them.
BARBS . . . by Baukhage
"I would rather be right than pres
ident" is an old saw. Try to be
president these days if you are Ifft.
? ? ?
When the animal kingdom re
places the human race, the science
of supersonics will have to be re
vised. Whan your canary sings,
any pup can tell you you haven't
beard the halt of it
I
The Russians, who hate the bitter
taste of quinine, says McGraw Hill
(my ever potent source of Impor
tant information), have developed a
new industry employing thousands of
honey bees to make honey mixed
with the medicament. The Soviets
know how to pass out the bitter coat
ed with the sweet, this development
would tend to Drove.
ALONE AND GUILTY . . . Alone, and apparently unnoticed by passersby, BMW Boss John L. Lewis
leisurely walks from his anion headquarters in Washington, D. C., after Federal Judge T. Alan Goldsbor
ough found him guilty of contempt of court and fined him $10,000 in addition to the $3,504,000 fine levied
against the union.
WINNING PHOTOGRAPHS . . . Results of the first major
photographic contest to be held since the end of the war
recently were annonnced by judges of the Graflex photo eon
test. The grand prise winner, "Grand Ma," by George Burns,
Schenectady, is shown right. Other winners shown are "Win
ter's Blast," by Frank Nichols, Bayonne, N. J., and winner
of the pictorial class "January," a farm snow view by El
wood Armstrong, Detroit, Mich. More than 8,(00 photos were
submitted in the contest.
NEW CORN KINO . . . Newton L Halterman, Rnshville, Ind., who
was crowned "Corn King" at the International Hay and Grain show
In Chicago recently. Halterman credits his snccess in winning the
honor to "good (arming practices, including the application of mixed
fertiliser to the soil." He also said that hard work was a factor.
His son, Lair, 11, added to the family honors by taking second
prise in the Jnnlor corn event. Halterman is shown with the yellow
dent hybrid corn exhibited.
NEW AMBASSADOR . . . Former
undersecretary of the treasury, O.
Max Gardner, North Carolina,
who has been appointed by Presi
dent Truman as C. S. ambassador
to Great Britain to replace W.
Averell Harriman, now secretary
of commerce. Gardner reported
to London immediately.
trnui UFFKU BULUTIUN TO D. R. FEOBL.EM . . . Michelle Etehe
nrrj. Km, shown wtth her brother, Domlnick. She wrote a letter
to Secretary of State Byrne* soifestiny a plaa for estabHshinc the
future it a to* of Trieste. Michelle's plan calls for selection of com
mittees elected hy the people of Trieste. Michelle, who Urea in New
York City, became interested in world peace efforts after her father,
Trt. Alfred Etebeyorry, was killed la action soar Luenbowf la ISM.
YOUNGEST ATTORNEY . . .
Mrs. Marilyn Sber, San Pedro,
Calif., was only II last April, and
is believed to be the youngest girl
ever te pass tbe California bar ez
s in button She bad to wait one
year before taking exam.
CONTINUED FOOD SHORTAGES
WASHINGTON. ? Speaking of
holiday food, here is a prediction
on various items on the housewife's
shopping list and how long they will
remain difficult to buy.
CANNED TOMATOES?Will con
tinue to be short at least until next
July. In the crop year ended with
July, 1946, supplies were so short
that we consumed 16 million cases
of canned tomatoes, about half the
normal demand. In the current crop
year, ending July, 1947, there will
be a slight increase to approximate
ly 21 million cases, but this will
still be far short of demands.
CHOCOLATE ? Slight shortages
of chocolate will continue for the
next two or three years, due chiefly
to shipping difficulties in trade lanes
from Brazil and West Africa.
SALMON ? The very unpredic
table salmon continues to run late
and short in the waterways of Alas
ka and our northwestern states. Nor
mal salmon production in prewar
years ranged between five million
and eight million cases, but in the
season which ended in September of
this year, less than four million
cases were packed for the Ameri
can market.
TUNA ? Fanciers of tuna fish
salad will get all they want, due to
a record-breaking production this
year of over four million cases, 35
per cent above the 1945 tuna pack.
BANANAS ? Shipments of ba
nanas from Guatemala, Costa Rica
and other Latin American sources
will continue below normal for at
least another year.
ATOMIC ENERGY VS. COAL
One thing the striking miners
don't realize is that they are work
ing for an industry which soon will
be as out of date as the old stern
wheeler of Mark Twain's Mississip
pi river days. Unfortunately, what
they especially don't seem to realize
is that their present strike is has
tening the end of the coal industry.
A brief news item from the little
town of Louisville, N. Y., tells part
of the story. Its 150 families have
converted to oil, making it the first
completely oil-heated town in the
USA. Others are bound to follow.
Some industries had started con
verting to oil even before the strike.
Natural gas piped east will further
cut down consumption ? especially
as coal becomes more expensive
and more uncertain.
However, this only tells part
of the story. The rest of the
story began on Angnst 5, IMS,
when a bomb was dropped on
Hiroshima. Scientists have been
working ever since on the prob
lem of harnessing atomic en
ergy. Already Poland is con
structing an atomic energy
power plant. In the United
States the first atomic power
plants should be completed in
two years.
Naturally the coal, steel and oil
inter.*jts are not anxious to encour
age this. Nor are the big power
companies, whose water power in
stallations would be scrapped.
These incidentally are the same in
terests which have blocked the use
of natural gas in the Big Inch and
Little Inch pipelines.
Science, however, can be retard
ed, but not stopped. And when atom
ic energy is used on a wide scale,
scientists estimate it will be much
cheaper than coal or oil. When that
happens, coal mining will be just
as obsolete as the journeymen wag
on builders of 1880. And unfor
tunately for the coal miners, the
more uncertain they make the sup
ply of coal, the more they spur the
development of atomic energy.
? ? ?
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS FIGHT
Despite all the talk you hear
about a "dog fight" in house Demo
cratic ranks over the election of
minority leader, you can write it
down that John McCormack of Mas
sachusetts, majority leader since
1940, will win out.
Inside fact is that Sam Rayburn
of Texas, outgoing speaker, not only
has Informed McCormack by tele
gram that he intends to stick to his
decision against running for the
minority leadership, but also has as
sured McCormack he will back him
to the limit for the post.
However, don't be surprised if
Congressman Francis Walter of
Pennsylvania is put in the field as
?a candidate against McCormack?
even though Walter made the un
popular move of opposing use of
natural gas in the government
owned pipelines. Some southern
congressmen have been proposing
Walter as a "compromise" choice
to avoid a party "split."
Another minority leader prospect
la statesmanlike Ewing Thomason
of El Paso, Tex.
? ? ?
FROM THE DIPLOMATIC POUCH
U.S.-British military officials in
Rome, learning of a plan to scuttle
the Italian fleet, have tried to de
commission it ? without success.
Intelligence reports are that Italian
officers are awaiting the British and
French attempt to take over the
fleet?then will sink it . . . The
Portuguese government has vetoed
a new American proposal for per
manent military bases in the
Azores. The U. S. government con
siders the Azores even more im
portant than Iceland.
CLASSIFIED,
DEPARTMENT
APTOS. TKPCE8 * ACCESS. !
WE BUY
USED TRUCKS
ONE or a FLEET
Generous Prices RUid!
If you want QUICK actios
See 8ALAW1TCB First
1100 Washington Blvd.. BalUmere If. MB.
BUSINESS ft INVEST. OPPOR,
EARN *100 per day profit with Master
Concrete Tile Machine. Materials and mar
kets everywhere. Descrip. literature free.
CONCRETE MACHINERY COMPANY
Bex XX48B .... Hiekery. W. (L
FARM MACHINERY ft EQUIP.
BILL BAZOOKA PROUDLY announces
the adoption of the famous Salsbury MB
engine as standard power unit for the
Bazooka auger type grain loader. A 6 h.p.
engine weighing only 56 lbs.! Ask your
dealer about our Bazooka Rainbow Unit.
WICHITA SUPPLY A MFG. GO.
818 W. Waterman. Wichita X. Kansas.
_ FARMS AND RANCHES
CHICKEN RANCH, modern In San Ber
nadino Co. Healthful climate. Equipped
and house furnished. $19,000. Terms.
O. F. KNODEL Newberry. Califerate
HELP WANTED?MEN
STITCHING FOREMAN?Unusual oeQor.
tunity for man with several years' experi
ence as a foreman in dress or sport skirt
facfory to join old established company
and take full charge of stitching at their
new branch at Oscala. Florida. Submit
complete history of your experience to tea
BREW8TER SHIRT CORP.
P. O. Bex 100
Oscala. Florida.
ONE expert Loo per fixer for Sotco ausd
Wright steady dial loopers, steady werk.
excellent pay. MOER8 MILLS. DVCL.
P. O. Bex 470. Nashville t. Tean.
HELP WANTED?WOMEN
GRADUATE NURSES
Housing facilities and good meals ad
Hahnemann Hospital. Philadelphia. Pa.?
600-bed modern, general.hospital; central
ly located, walking distance to shopping
and amusement districts and historical
interests: choice of service: opportunity
for University study; has fully accredited
School of Nursing; promotions on merit
and ability; October 1st new salary scale;
liberal personnel policies.
Write er Call DIRECTOR OF NURSING
SALESWOMEN: To handle men's and
women's novelty line of cosmetics for fuH
or part time: a real Christmas spedaL
MADAME WHITE COSMETICS
7304 Lyndale Aye. 8.. Minneapolis. Mian.
MISCELLANEOUS
CHRYSLER MARINE ENGINES
Immediate deliveries most all models.
JOHN HUGHES CURTIS. dlstrlbater
West Nsrfslk. Va.
CHRYSLER MARINE DIESELS?Imme- i
diate delivery 3 models. JOHN HUGMES 1
CURTIS, distrlhsters. West Nerfelk. Ya.1
WANTED TO BUY
WANTED: ALL KINDS of woodwork**
machinery, planers, single and double sur
facers. moulders, stickers, band resaws,
rip saws and saw mills of all kinds: alss
power units. Give full description and
condition, also prices.
TOM NORTON. Dealer
P. O. Bex 12X9. Petersbarg. Vs.. Ph. Sid.
WANTED?Raw Furs, Deerskins. Hides.
Tallow. Fats. Skins. Prices are hidter.
Don't sell before you contact us. Keystone
Hide Co.. Dept. WNU. I.sseaster. Fa.
JcfL IfouA-JlduAfL filUf.
1A. S ScwinqA. (Bond*.
???????????????
HERE'S THE ANSWER
TO A PERMANENT JOB
?
A Plaee to Live and Monty
In tho Bank!
.Write now for a position as
hospital attendant! Receive
$1,180 a year with regular pay
raises; living quarters; meals;
laundry; vacation with pay
and sick leave. Opportunity
for advancement. No require
ments except good health,
sixth grade education and
ambition. Courses open in
practical nurses' training.
?
Men and Women Write to
MARYLAND EMPLOYMENT
COMMISSION
22 light St, Baltimore 2, Mi
Starts Relief in 6 Seconds
.from All 6 usual V ? !?'*. I
COID PKIFAKATION (SfCfN
(**TAIllTt OK UQUIO
Caution* Take only as dktderf
WNU?4 51>^H
Ami Yoar Strength ?o4
Energy Is Below Par
ft way be conod by disorder of kid
ney (unction that permit* pnlne i m
Want* to accumulate. Far truly ?oar
people fed tired, week and ebesds
when the kidney* fail to remove en?
ncida and other trnete natter (ran cbo
blood.
Tea nay n*er nagging butada
OMMIII patak hniahn MMA
?P n^tt^Ug^|nini ?eiKinp
tfee with smarting and bwdai bn*
other alfB tbat something la irwt odb
the kidney* or bladder.
There shonid be n* doubt tbat prompt
treatment la wiaer than siglist don
Dean's Pill*. 1? I* bettor to rely an a
n*HlHni tbat bn woo wui*M>ap
proral tbaa on aunt blot tenfarinlV
known. Dean's bora ben tried and Mb
ed many ream. Are at all drug aMm
Got Draw* today.
QidlkUlIll.