Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-10
CHRISTMAS PREPARATION
UNDER WAY At CAMP lee
.s~
Tree and Other Yuletide
IL Features.
MEN ANXIOUS ABOUT UNIFORMS
Whole Camp 10 Get Five Days
Leave During Holidays, and Men
- Want Full Regalia to Show Theft
Home Folks.
Ry A STAT Correspondence

/. n
! CAMP LEE. VA. December AL
.thouEh Christmas Is some weeks off. ii
lis tho main topic OF conversation
amcne the men of the Eishtieth Divi-
sion. They are talking of furloushs.
OF seeing their homefolks and friends
.aEain. Of entertainments here, and else
where. TOO, in cases where the men will
no, be able 10 so home. but spend
their leave in nciGhboring cities.
Christmas is by all means the most inn
portant thine in the lives of tho men
here to-day.
1rifty per cent of them will be al
flowed 10 leave camp ut a time. The
first half will make their departure on
December 22. the second quota leaving
iElc days later. Every man will be
allowed to be away from the canton
mcnt for five days. No extra time Will
he given to allow for that consumed
in travel TO their homes, and return to
camp. There arc very few men in the
.canionment who have not made appli-
lat ion for Christmas leave. Even those
who arc under measles quarantine are
in hopes of getting away, and it is
believed the ban will be lifted by that
time. but IL Il Is not II will be
real disappointment TO the troops.
Preparations are under way to make
the camp the scene OF many lively
Gbletide festivities. Principal. among
(which will be put up under tho direc
;tion OF division headquarters. II will
he located a short distance from head
quarters in The center Of the camp.
Naricolorcd incandescent lights will
add beauty to the scene. and a program
OF carols appropriate to the season will
be rendered.
John II. Driscoll, the division musical
director. will have charge OF the music.
Hundreds OF the soldiers will be trained
,-fcr the occasion, and the numerous
hands in the camp will be on hand to
furnish the necessary Instrumental
, music.
In addition to this celebration the
men have gone ahead with prepara-
tions to be hold In the various barracks
OF the cantonment. These will not all
he held the same night. but will be
distributed through the entire holiday
season. II will be another opportunity
for the array OF talent in the camp to
show what &; can do when IL comes
to entertainment.
1t is hoped that all OF the men will
be able TO be completely uniformed
by tho time they leave :or their Christ
mas holidays While for the most
part the troops have been issued cloth
ing. there arc many mon who have only
part Of their uniforms. and others
who have not received any part or It,
This IS due to the inability Of The gov
eminent to turn out the uniforms as
Rapidly as they AFRO needed for the new
National Army.
WANT MEN TO LOOK GO0D
WHEN HOME ON LEAVE
Officers here wish to have the men
show u7 as well as possible when thew
return to their homes Then, too It
has been pointed out. II makes the men
feel more like soldiers If they have
"a hn
prise for the home folks when they see
their sons or brothers walk in at
christmas, and they SEQ n tanned, we'll
sc'-ur, erect. brisht-eycd fellow in
stead Of in many instances the some
What carcless-appcaring ono he was
when he left his home for tho training
camp.
The new Orercoat o: only knee
lcuGth, which has ben ordered for sill
OF tho men before they 20 abroad. is
hcin- distributed about the camp. The
troops like il much better than they
DO the o'd-style long coats. Thcss
short ovcrcoats were ordered FOR the
mon for wear in France because II has
been found that the mud will be caught
by the longer ones, and this will i'm.
pcde progress, in addition to being en-
,rcinely uncomfortable. Tnu new coats
give tho men snappy appearance. ana
are also II big saving in cloth, as al
on every ~. r cons TO make another.
Tie frs, real winter weather struck
tho camp to.da!. and sent al! of til
mon who rcma incd here indoors. Be
cause ot tho biting wind that swept
TIE place. a, d the frozen ground, none
Ut the football games were played.
Even tho cver-nopuiar medicine ball
and basketball. which the men usually
have out on the company stl vets on
SUNDAY. were Withdrawn
ISut In the barracks everything was
snug ard warm. and here the men
. spent tho day and received their WISH
tors. The latter. however. did not
show up in any large numbers. The
comfortable barracks made the day
. pleasant for the men. where they
, gathered around the pianos. ran tae
talkinC machines. brought out the
domiuocs or checkers. read letters or
wrote hong and then there was al
: ways the bunch OF them that had .
corner al! 20 themselves where they
discussed the war. their training and
their officers.
This morning Earl Mitchell, the we'll
known pianist OF Pittsburgh. with an
especially traiped choir @: troops from
tho Pennsylvania regiments. Furnished
the music at the service In ST Joseph's
Church. in Petersburg Miss Clara
HUM arrived here TO-DAY. and will
sing for the troops from the keystone
state tomorrow. Miss HUM sang
with the choir this morning. She is
well known among the iitts5urGhers.
ana they are GLAD 10 have her enter
tain them with her voice.
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