Evening star., 1914-11-09
All of these are filed with gift. that

All of these are filled with gifts that
are to go to the war widows and war
orphans of Europe from the boys and
girls, as well as grown-ups, Of America.
/ The first thing this morning a third
I room was turned over to the packers
not being enough for the immense
| quantities of stuff coming in from
every part of the country.
Maj Lawton. U. S. A. who is in gen.
! eral charge OF the work, has for some
time been supervising the work of pre-
pairing for shipment the Red Cross ma :
| terial that is going to the war zones.
But that job has been chiId's play be-
side the task with which he has been
wrestling for the past week or ten
| united, Intelligent efforts OF men direct-
| ed by army and navy officers could pos
, sibly have coped with the task and car
rted 1t through to completion within
the limited time available.
Regular Soldiers on Job.
Maj Lawton, by permission of the
Secretary of War, has had q force of
nearly 100 regulars from Fort Hamn-
ton and Governors Island on the job
for the last three days. These men. di-
vided into squads, have been directed in
the work by Sergt Michael ]. Farley
and Corps. William McCalpin, Fields
H. Bailey. Alfred H. Whitehouse, How
ard Dumise, Filio, Murray. Richardson
and Afford
The detachment of sixty bluejacke
from the Wyoming and Florida, under
the command of Ensign Baker is also
divided into squads in charge of petty
officers. The Wyoming's quota has
Carpenters Mate Fisher. Coxswain Cur
tbs. Gunner's Mate Heinemann and
Boatswain's Mate Carroll, while those
from the Florida are Boatswain's Mate
(second CLASSY Bittner, Boatswain's
Mate Cirst CLASSY Cregan and Coxswain
Fromme.
Wives and daughters of the officers at
Governors Island are also directing the
asserting and packing Of clothing. toys
and the like. They include Mrs. Wood,
Mrs. Dorey. Mrs Smith, Mrs. Saltzman.
Mrs. TRULY. Mrs. Lawton, Mrs. Bellin-
ger. Mrs. Black, Mrs. Young, Mrs. Brad
ley. Mrs. Chamberlin. Mrs. Glenn, Miss
Glenn. Mrs. Normoyle, Mrs. Wells and
Mrs. Humphrey.
Thousands upon thousands Of the
ly assorted and repacked for export.
More than 1000 new export packing
cases have already been used in this
part of the work. which would all have
been unnecessary had the generous
people of the United States been care
full to follow instructions and mark
plainly on the outside of each pack
age exactly what it contained.
Old Clothing Barred.
Over in a corner of one Of the huge
rooms is a mountainous pile of stuff
that shows why the Christmas ship ed
itor of The Star has insisted that no
soiled or badly worn garments should
be sent to go on the Christmas ship.
This whole heap is composed Of soiled,
worn garments-coats, suits, under
wear, hosiery. etc.-nearly all sound
and whole, but showing unmistakable
lndlcations of previous use. None of
this will be permitted to go on the
Jason. 1t is all to be sent to Ellis Is
land. where, at the quarantine station,
it will have to be fumigated. throughly
stringent quarantine regulations. Then
1t will be forwarded to the war zones
but not as Christmas gifts. No, sim
ply as "old clothing"
Maj. Lawton said today that no doubt
remains now that the work Of prepar-
ing the more than a million Christmas
gifts for export cannot be completed in
time for the Jason to depart tomorrow,
as originally scheduled. The Christ
mas ship cannot sail before Thursday,
for the whole big force will be neces-
sary in order to permit sailing then.
But nothing more will be received for
the Christmas ship. That has been
made plain. All that can be handled,
and maybe more, is already on hand.
No gifts, unless they are securely
boxed ready for shipment abroad, with
the contents of the box plainly marked
on the outside and consigned by ex-
press. with charges prepaid. will And a
place on the Jason after tomorrow.
That Is the final word of the man who
has the packing job in charge, and he
speaks like a man who meant exactly
what he said. F. g. n.