Bisbee daily review., 1914-10-09
THE cHILDREMs CHRISTMAS SHIP

Children, chidrenl What is this? fairy ship?
 Mo- not quite. though that's what one child called it.
 big, big ship b s and all your for long trip
 Where is it going?" What will it carry?" And what is it for?" And Not quite so fast! One ques- ton at atme Let's begin at the very beginning with
 once upon a time weeks and weeks ago. many coun- tries in Europe went to war The people who ruled these countries od-lashoned enough think that the only way decide things when nations disagree is to fight Of course we know better. don't we? We know that fighting cowardly and useless and really brave and nations decide things with their brains instead Of with their fists and guns But I'm afraid those rulers Europe did have quite good opportunities to learn what was right when they were young you Riddles have so perhaps we can blame them for making mistakes There wouldn't be any excuse for you to start war when you are grown up would there? Certainly not.
 But these foolish rulers started war and it grew to be much dreadful war than they had any idea it would be. And thousands of thousands of children's fathers had leave their work and their homes and go fight Thousands of fathers have been hurt and killed in this dreadful Many of them worked for Santa Clause making toys this year they could nt make them others like to help Santa out by buying some of the Christmas things for their little folks This the fathers away battle and there is money
 Those left behind are very very poor. No daddy to the living Mother and the older ones help all they can, but of they used doing the kind work that fathers Maybe there will be many a million children in Belgium Germany France and oth places who cant any suits or dresses this year. Some won't have any winter all nor any shoes. And for candy and playthings and filled stockings and Christmas trees why they are just simply out of the question.
 Or everybody thought they would be until
 Somebody thought of the ship.
 You see the ship is to be chartered by some people in America Chartered people have paid money (, the let them have for trip if it wer, their own)
 It's going to sail from America to Europe just befor Christmas. American children going to help nll i with toys and clothes and all of pretty fun ny and useful things for all the little foreign childrel whose fathers have gone to war
 The things you make yourself are best Pm sure tn kiddies who get them will appreciate them most Mex come Che things you send by selfdenial If you rockinghorse awfuy bad. a big beautiful dolly wit clothes that button and unbutton, and you feel brett Father Mother is planning get it you am if you asked have it little foreign chil whose father will never come home again-if it reall hurt to give t up, but you did give it up because yo wanted help the little boy or girl who is sorrowfu- don't you think that gift would a great dealg Eve if the child who to get it never knew how hard was for you? Even if one ever knew2 You'd know And 1t would make you happy that the other child wa made happy because you were brave.
 But of Fathers and Mothers and an grown-up can help, too. Undoubtedly they will buy things an make things and send them along. And an the ambas adors of all the warning nations have agreed that th Christmas ship win be given safe conduct its wa