The times., 1900-12-23
CHRISTMAS ATTHEFRONT
Troops in Camp and Field Well
Provided For.
Dsinties Shipped in Time to Reach
the Orient-SOldicrs in China Only
Will Experience Home Weather.
Revelries I'm the Philippines May
Be Disturbed by Calls to Arms.

Christmas will mean more TO the boys
of the army this year than it did one
year ago 1t will mean feast of good,
tender American corn-fed turkey, rich
plum pudding, red appetizing cranberries,
and some OF the other things which go to
make December 25 the greatest festal day
OF the year. A year ago things were
quite different. and it so happened that
many of the boys in blue serving with
their regiments in some OF the far-dis-
tant islands did not get the Christmas
dinner intended for them until well to-
ward Washington's birthday. The reason
was that the Government authorities were
not prepared to spread the annual feast
over SO large a territory.
Efforts have always been made to i'm
prove the character of the mess on Christ
mas Day and add thereto some of the
dainties which make the occasion more
homelike, but then it was comparatively
easy matter, for all of the boys were sta
toned in garrison or camps in this coun-
try. Last year they were scattered from
the Kennebec to Cayite, and because the
Christmas supplies did not reach them
until long after Christmas the lads either
had to partake of the ordinary mess, for
age for poultry, or purchase extras out
of their own pockets.
This year things will be different, for
the War Department has gone at the mat
ter having the experience of last year. in
full remembrance, with the determination
that the boys should have reason to re-
toice at the coming Of the holiday, and not
regret the fact that they are in the serv-
ice of Uncle Sam. Early last fail, long be-
fore the department stores and the jewelry
shops began to make preparations for their
holiday trade the War Department sent TO
Chicago and msde arrangements for the
purchase Of large supply of turkeys from
the big dealers IN Packingtown, and for
thousands Of plum puddings and bushels OF
cranbcrries. The shipment Of these began
under the direction of the Commissary De-
partnient long ago, and all transports 60
ing out from San Francisco for weeks past
have carried in their hulls these rich edi-
bles intended for the Christmas dinners of
the boys in distant parts Of the Philippines
and in China. Illinois, Indiana. Michigan,
Wisconsin, and other Western States con-
tributed the supply of turkeys and one
Chicago firm filed an order for 5000 plum
puddings.
1t was the intention Of the War Depart
ment TO supply every army post and garri-
son Of the United States, no matter where
that post or garrison might be. The tur-
keys and cranberries and puddngs and
other presents were to be in the Philip
pines in time SO that the portion OF good
things thst belonged away up at Appsri,
on the north coast of LuZon, or away down
at Tawi Tawi, the little island almost in
sight of the coast OF Borneo, could be de-
ivered in time. The supplies that had to
be carried to the little garrisons away up
In the nountails Of Luzon and to the lit
tie seaports OF tEe Islands south were all
to be given to the commands for which
they were intended in time for Christmas
not WaEbington's Birthday. Life is hard
at best for the men on foreign service with
the colors. and the soldier at Christmas
time is apt TO become unhappy and home
Sick. and 1t was the intention to lessen
that feeling as much as possible and make
the boys IN kahki as happy as possible un-
Ger the circumstances that the elaborate |
preparations have been made by the Gov |
ernment 1t has all been kept secret un- |
I'll now. Uncle Sam did not Tip it off, to |
the reporters prematurely.
Cuba and Porto Rico of course, will be |
easy to supply. being only four days by |
boat from New York. and both islands be- |
ing fairly well supplied between the more |
important cities by railroads. Besides, II |
Is only day and 4 night by steamer |
across from Florida to Havana. and Christ |
mas cheed can easily jump across the |
short distance and then ramify all over |
Cuba. Hawaii. tpo Will be easy to supply. |
because there are SO many lines of pas |
senger steamers plying between China and |
Japan and America that stop there. and |
all of the Government transports to the |
also call there.
China VIII not be hard, as all of our |
troops. except the legation guard who are |
In China, are at Tlentsin. The legation |
guard al Pekin are only eighty miles from /
a5id the railroad. which Is par |
TALLY repaired, can carry the supplies |
through without trouble. The men who 1
Will be the hardest to reach, OF course, |
VIII be the small detachments scattered l
about in the Philippines There are sixty |
soldiers there. and they are 1
spread broadcast over all those many ISL |
ands OF LuZon down to Tawi Tawi. The !
seaport towns will not be SO hard to 1
reach. but the troops stationed back in the |
interior will have their troubles over |
their Christmas
Only in China will Christmas seem |
much like 1t is in the United states-that |
is, as far as the weather is concerned. |
In Pekin and in Tientsin there will be |
snow and ice, with naked trees and |
gloomy skies But all the colonies are |
in the tropics, and the day will be as |
warm and clear and the sky as blue and |
SoIt as June day IN the United States In |
the Philippines Christmas comes at the |
hottest time of the year and while II |
seems odd TO the people in America. yet |
II is true that sunstroke On Christmas |
Day is an unusual thing in Luzon. |
The soldiers in all the countries will have |
baseball games, football matches and |
cock lighting where the commanding Of !,
hcer does not forbid Il, and even where |
he does, IL a good, quiet place can be |
found. In all the towns there will be |
games of baseball that viii be attended
BY everybody from the colonels down. and I
the eolonels will lead the roofing. In Ma
Mia. Black Wonder, from the Twenty
NTH, will also probably have a six-rcund
go or to decision with the Serapping
Unknown from the Twenty-sixth, and
other fistic maryels and prodigies from the
various regiments will be matched. ard
the ringside will be packed with soldier
boys and Filipinos. The great racing
event of the year in the Philippines will
lake place out at the track of the new
Manila Jockey Club. and speedy little ma
tive ponies that officers have discovered