The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-11-07
SANTA'S SHIP !
IS FITTING OUT
Will Take Message of Good
Will to Europe.
COLLIER JASON THE BEARER.

Laden With Christmas Gifts From
Children of America and Others to
Orphans Made by War, She VIII
Visit England and France and other
Countries.
Not a day passes without news of
more killings in the frightful strife in
which Europe is engaged and some
men have calculated that by next
Christmas 100000 children will be
fatherless because of the war.
1t is to bring at least a little Christ
mas joy to these orphans that Amer
ica's Santa Claus ship will sail from
New York on Nov. 10 with a cargo Of
gifts from the children of America and
other well meaning persons to the chill
dren of the war stricken countries of
Europe.
The collier Jason has been designat-
| ed by Secretary Daniels to carry the
| Christmas presents. The Jason is $50
| feet long and 60 feet wide. Her hold
| is SO feet inches deep. She can carry
| 10000 tons. She is made of steel
throughout Her cost was 1901, 900.
| The commanding officer of the ship is
| Henry T. Merriwether. who ranks as
master in the naval auxiliary service.
Jason Is Uncle Sans Contribution.
With the assignment of the Jason
everything has been done that can be
| done by the government TO make the
children's Christmas movement a sue
cess.
The navy department has been work
ing on the itinerary of the Jason. 1t
is expected that the first stop will be
made in England. From there the col
lier will cross the channel and prob
ably go to Hayre. since that is the
nearest port to Paris, provided that
| port is still an open port by the time
] the Jason reaches the other side.
All the foreign countries have as
sured safe convoy to the Santa Claus
ship. France is going to give her a
reception, and so is England, and. as
for the other countries that will be
visited, everything points to a grand
| welcome.
Interest in the Christmas ship
throughout the country has been slim
ulated for several weeks by influential
newspapers in various large cities,
which have been urging their readers
to contribute gifts for the children of
Europe.
Wilson Greatly Interested.
John Callan OLaughlin, the Wash
ington correspondent of the Chicago
Herald, wrote:
Think of it. children of America.
President Wilson, your president. is
int taI in, ha NIL 70
send Christmas gifts to the fatheress
little ones of war ridden Europe.
The ambassadors of the countries at
war, the men who are on duty at the
capital of the nation looking after the
interests of their respective nations.
| say that your gifts will be received and
bring joy and comfort and great thank
{ fulness to those boys and girls whose
fathers are dead and for whom there
can be no Santa Claus unless you take
his place.
isn't it marvellous that you can so
stir the world; that you can get the
United States, which is neutral to join
I with Great Britain. France and Russia
and Germany and Austria and little
Belgium, all of which are belligerents
that is mouthfuD, in sending a ray of
light through the gloom that covers
Europe?
What does all that mean?
l 1T means first of all that through
a the work of your brains and your
: hands VOC are going to make a little
a girl or little boy smile through his
tears on Christ's birthday.
, isn't that worth working for?
Then it means that war will pass
by the ship that carries your gift ia
5 the poor, fatherless child; the shiF
f with the stars and stripes. your coun
try's flag, and the streamer of white
with the star of hope, Christ's flag
and the single word 'Inasmuch.'"