The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-24
XMAS SPIRIT
WILL RULE IN
THE TRENCHES
Men on Western Front EX-
1rctcd to Make Truce
of Their Own.
NATIONS SENDING
GIFTS TO SOLDIERS
sn.cinl cahle Despatc1 10 Tns srN.


IoypoN. Dec. eat is likely that the
CHRISTMAS spirit will soften Tor a few
hours the bitterness of conflio, on the
long battle front between the Belgian coast
ard Alsice and that habit ana thouShts
Of home viii accomplish what d!plcmacy
and the Church faila1 90 do-produce a
brief truce.
There is a very definite belief hero mat
neither Germans nor Allies will on Christ
mas pay actively pursue their business OF
killing each other. and that chogusos OF
Old songs WI, supplant m menta:.i% the
laundering guns ard popping corHS The
tu.ilaiss OF rife ire.
Much viii depend. however. on She nu-
tnaty Of feeling. II Christmas Day be-
s,rs with q lull ia the fighting and neither
SIDE attempts to take advantage from the
Inactivity of IN" other there may he 3
wonderful story to tell on Saturday Of
how 100000 hghting men closed ;htir
eve. to savagery and miseries CT war and
made a pretence at leas; at happiness
and gaycty and good feeling.
TIL Germans. 1t is known. are making
great Preparations to celebrate Christmas
in their trenches and camps. The aver.
age German feels somehow as II Christ
mas was peculiarly Teutonic insti-
tuition. and il may be that German COM
mardets and German soldiers will he
eager enough to lay aside their rifles.
The Kaiser will he at army headuuar-
ters-he passed through Cologne with
his staff yesterday-and the reports from
Berlin are that his commanders will pro-
vide a fine celebration IN his honor. II
is possible that the celebration Will MOI;
take the form Of furious onslaught:
against the allied lines. Al Germany
Is sending Christmas gifts to the army.
ard special effort has been made TO pro-
vde the soldiers with many of the CONT
forts and luNuries Of home Christmas.
Paris rather feels that there will he
little bloodshed on Christmas Day. and
as usual takes the lead in the French
effort 20 make the soldiers OF the republic
happy. SO many boxes OF Christmas gifts
have been forwarded that the army trans
port j. fairly overloaded The gifts are
useful-voollens. warm clothing OF all
sorts boots knitted things. wines. cigars.
cigarettes. sweetmeats. In Paris the gay
ely Is a little forced. but the Government i
hack in the capitalh the people mr." s'ill
thrilled by the Prcmicrs fine stouthe Artel
speech and everything is subordina;ed ~
giving a touch Of happiness 20 the men IN
tAf ItltHtS
England has done her best TO give her
soldiers cheerful Christmas Tons OF
presents have been shipped to Belgium and
France. The royal family have sent cigars
ard daintles, and hundreds of wealthy
citizens have each contributed some I'M
porant item.
The fact that Gen .Ioffre and Gen
French have furloushed many British oiii-
GERS, permitting them to spend Christina.
.u England. supports the belief that there
rll be luli from Christmas eve until
she morning of the 26th. The London
Newspapers have decided Unanimously not
TO publish on Christmas Day, and the
Official Press Bureau will be closed from
r VI. tomorrow until Q i. VI. Christmas
The King OF the Belgians will do his
pant toward making Christmas pleasanj
ior his valiant little army. Every Bel.
gian soldier will receive from King Albert
box OF excellent Dutch cigars. twenty.
five TO the box. The band OF every cigar
VIII bear the inscription. User Christ
mas, 1914 Many persons IN this city
have contributed to a fund to buy pres.
ents for the Belgian soldiers