The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-12-09

Ff-S-o&ICTORY may and victory
M ! : J !. ]
IIcTSEzSNI1SE%2I may go, but future triumphS
i1k0EHS1Ak0E defeats can ever soften for
iIkLN&WEXH Europe the memory of this dark
tIK8NMV&H Christmas of 1916, the saddeSt
FH&0JNWNSJH she has ever known. Pride in
tA22AS the present and faith in the fu-
ture sustain everyone of the
warning peoples in their eXaltatiOn of sacrifice.
But at Christmas Christmas, the feast of the
home and of the ADMINISTRATION dies. and only
sorrow. the sorrow of the bereft individual,
mains. says the New York Sun.
1t is very different Christmas Europe is ap-
Iroaching this year from that of two years ago.
Then the shock and excitement of the beginning
of the war still tingling. In England the
question of munitions is today of no less i'm
portance to the popular mind than, two years ago.
was the absorbing question of getting a plum
pudding to every man in the trenches. There was
still talk of the kaiser's dining in Paris and dis
cusSions to which ruler should lead the tri-
umphant allies in procession through Inter den
Linden.
Victory seemed a much simpler matter then
than it does today. Everyone admitted then that
victory would be bought only with sorrow and
sacrifice Now everyone knows, with the hard
knowledge of experience, that victory will be
bought only with sorrow heaped sorrow and
sacrifice heaped sacrifice. 1t is this knowledge
borne in on every home however exalted or how
ever humble that makes the Christmas celebra-
tion of 1916 in Europe a solemn sacrament of
sorrow.
OF all the warning peoples Christmas means
the most to the Germans and on none will the
sacrifice of the traditional customs of the day
fall so heavily. There is no blood and iron in
the German Christmas. There is instead ten
der and appealing sentiment that is typical of
all that is best in the German character. The
whole world is indebted to Germany for the
Christmas tree and for many of the most delight
full of the Christmas stories and customs that
Americans have adopted their own. The Ger
imam Christmas is day for the home the family
land the children, with its every custom endeared
by generations of tradition.
The real German Christmas celebration occurs
IFS served elaborate and hearty feast, consist
ing of long series of traditional Dishes all
lin a state of wild excitement During this meal
the Kristkind makes its appearance. This figure
is curious product of sentiment and magma
ton. queer combination of the Holy Child the
Igood fairy and Santa Claus. It is rep
PRESENTED in the country district by half-grown
fchld made up angel, who goes from door
ito door calling for the good children giving sweet
meats at house and begging them at the next.
After dinner comes the great moment when the
doors opened into the Christmas room where
the lighted tree has the place of honor. The tree
is always placed near window so that every
passerby and share it. A walk through
the deserted residence streets of any German
town at this hour Christmas leaves
DRY of Christmas cheer and spirit that never
be forgotten.
By nine O'Clock the family is ready to eat again.
n light supper including still more of the tradi-
tionaI Christmas dishes. Every one. rich poor,
has Nuremberg ginger cake its shiny brown sur
face decorated with almonds and raisins and
with the word 'Weihnachten" and the year
worked out in pink and white frosting. Stolen.
a sort of plum cake, and many sweet biscuits
of various shapes and sizes, all indispensable
parts of this feast.
But this year, with shortage of fats her
food supply severe to demand serious at
:tention on the part of the government there is in
Germany butter milk for the Christmas
cakes, tallow for the Christmas can
dies. To many people this little homely depriva-
ition will bring realization of the seventies OF
WAR vivid and compelling than even
the sight of the fast-growing graveyards. With
1.-TWO million graves in the land with dire
icessity robbing her dearest holiday of its dearest
symbols no trumphs of make this Christ
mas of 1916 anything but sad and sorrowful
feast in the homes of the German empire
In Austria the Christmas celebrations as
varied the races and religions that make up
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