Evening star., 1914-12-13

means of transporting its observers
back to the fatherland.
Wherever there is a group of Eng
lishmen there VIII almost certainly be
a game of cricket. II the group is nu-
merous enough to have n place of woi-
ship. its members also will go TO church
with as much solemnity as II they were
at home. They will also manage to
have a Christmas dinner. with plufn
pudding. plum pudding concocted by
Spanish American cook requires cour-
age and unimpeachable digestion for its
consumption: but no Englishman in
South America will baIk at doing his
duty. regardless OF digestion
Many of the steamers in the South
American trade are English. especially
along the west coast. and most OF those
under the chilean and Peruvian flags
also have English captains Not one
of these captains would feel that he
was doing his duty as a loyal British
subject ff he did not provide his pas
sengers with an English Christmas din
ner.
Since most % the passengers are
dinner with the feeling that il is a
duty they owe TO the hospitality OF the
captain. Also. t.iey enjoy the novelty
of it, Ert aftet Yorkshire beef pud-
ding and suet and real roast beef and
the green gage tart and the crowniuc
achievement in the plum pudding with
the blazing brandy. ana then the nuts
and raisiEs. the South Americans go
out and sit on deck and smoke and say
thew do not care to go TO bed this par
ticuiar Christmas night.
Americans w;:o find themselves in th..
spaaisi.-Ameriean countries generally
cling to she -ecf national holiday. and
celebrate Taaa..ssiv.1- as the day OF
all cavy. bze :iicy do ROT forget Christ
Ira~ Commonly there is the exchangs
OF presents. and sor.,e special obserN
apce wherever possible
During the military occupation Of
Cuba the American soldiers and thu
civilian officials there tound them
selves hard pressed to secure Christina
observance as they had been accus
TONED to il, though thcy were not ;"
very far from home. Yet the Cubaus
always observed Christmas after the
manner of other Spanlsh-Americau
countries.
The practice OF going from house to
house. or store TO store. seeking Christ
mas gifts In groups. which is not un
known In many American towns and
villages. prevailed In Cuba. A Christ
mas gift OF this sort was known as an
'aguina ldo.
During the troubles in the Philip
pines. when Aguinaldo was worrying
The troops there and the administrator
in Washington. q Spaniard in Havana
although he had welcomed American
rule in Cuba. remarked to me, How
do YOU like your ChristmaS Eift In the
Philippines? You've got live agui-
naldo.''
one Christmas day celebration which
recall was thai of a trip to the
Caves of Bellamar. outside OF Matan-
zas in the volaute, or two-wheeled We
hicle. which at one time was about the
only means OF getting over the bad
roads of the island.
Many years ago IL was the common
method Of conveyance. but at the time
of the American occupation it was an
almost obsolete institution II was.
therefore. with feeling of genuine
holiday observance that some of US Oh
tanned yolante with the position,
and rode out to the caves. To the Gu
bans of Matanzas il was almost as
much a novelty as TO the Americans.
and it was only seen on this Christmas
day.
When the American military control
in Porto Rico was merged into the
civilian control under annexation the
Spanish Christmas customs prevaiied
there One of these was the cooking
main. This practice did not meet with
the approyal of American officials, put
most of them were wise epough not
to attempt to uproot IL at once
They may have succeeded IN sup
pressing the practice on CHRISTMAS GAY
by this time, but one who knows the
native Porto Rfcans and the persistence
of traditional customs may oe per
mitted to have doubts.
CHARLES NJ. PEPPER