The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1915-12-14
Trip Through Toy Stores Convinces
One That Part of America Will Be
Prepared for War.
MANY SOLDIERS, CANNON,
RED CROSS DOLLS, SHIPS, ETC.
Hardware, Clothing, Drug, Variety,
Book Furniture and Music Stores
Have Many Gifts.

The United States may be unla,
mentally unprepared for war, but al
least it can't be said that Santa Claus
is to blame. He has certainly done
his share.
A trip through the toy stores OF
Bemidji and an examination of the
Christmas goods will convince one
that there is one part of America
that is undeniably in an excellent
state of military and naval prepared
ness. From present indications the
Bemidji nursery will soon be in shape
to repel any attack upon the nations
life, property and honor.
Santa Claus Militant.
Never within memory has Santa
Claus been so militant. Anybody
| would think from the samples of
| wares shown hereabouts, that he was
advertising line of Krupp goods or
travelling for the Bethlehem Steel
company and carrying a side line
for one of the big shipbuilding con-
Germs.
There are soldiers without end, and
bristling cannon and more warships
and submarines and things than any
boy or girl ever saw before. There
are Red Cross dolls, too, with all the
paraphernalia for the work of mercy.
But there's no dove Of peace, no evil
dence of pacifsm.
Genuine American.
It is noticeable, too, that these
warlike toys are for the first time
genuinely American. Santa Claus
may be a German saint or German
American, saint, but this year he
isn't even using the hyphen. The
supply of toys that formerly came
from Germany has been greatly cur
tailed by the war. Santa seems to
have established a lot of factories on
American soil and used strictly Am
erican models The soldiers and sail
ors look like natives. Their uni
forms are familiar.
After a trip through the Bemidji
stores one feels that after Christmas
morning, then, the country will be
safe. Just ask any young Bemidji
commander of company of infantry
or a battalion of artillery or a sub
marine flotilla whether the United
States need fear any power on earth
Other Presents Displayed.
Other than toy shops, however,
there are many Christmas presents
being displayed in Bemidji stores.
Hardware stores, clothing stores,
drug stores, variety stores, book
stores, furniture stores, music stores,
jewelry stores, candy kitchens, green
houses and grocery stores, too, are all
logging their windows, show cases
and display counters with all the
attractive and enticing articles that
the inventive brains of Americans
ever concocted.
One need not wonder long nor
| look far for either the most practical
or the novelty kind of goods.
Drug Store Presents.
Among the proper and appropriate
| Christmas gifts in the drug stores
are stationery, dresser sets, manicure
sets, smoking sets, shaving sets, per.
fumes and many small items of prac.
tical and useful designs. Dishes o1
cut glass and rare and beautiful qua.
lity are also in the list of enhancing
commodities.
Hardwares Offer Variety.
Hardware stores have Joined the
competition of the variety stores this
season by placing in their stool
toys Of all sorts and description
Aluminium ware, carving sets, librar,
lamps, sleds, toboggans, skis, guns
jack knives are to be included in
these stores stocks, all of which ar
extremely tasty presents for any
|