El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-12-24
CHRISTMAS AND OUR WAR PLAN
TO RESTORE PEACE UPON EARTH
Is

This Is the first Christmas Of our participation war,
and Christmas spirit reflects the war spirit It IS
inevitable Our hearts bent upon the struggle.
We read war, think and live It IS always N
varying degrees before remote as we OF Fl Paso are from
blood soaked Europe. Christmas Is peTmeated with it.
We giving our gifts this year not less generously
than before differently. There less of the rich and
useless Of the helpful FL Paso merchants report no
smaller volume OF Christmas gt buying than usual last
Christmas excepted for army OF national guard troops
bought heavily but the gift buying this
year Is Of practical kind Early IN the season the
Of usefulness sounded 1t appealed with force
fitness the public mind Merchants say purchases Of
TOYS to stock the sleigh of Santa Claus have been as
ever, for Christmas is the day Of the children primarily
For grown ups very ornamental and very expensive gifts
been bought much rarely The simpler and disable
things have been chosen for gift exchanges There is
neeo TINS year Tor agitation Tor the formation Of the So
ciety for the Prevention Of Useless Giving
Postal clerks say the Christmas mail both ways of
FL Paso has been enormous The parcel post traffic
throughout the country has been unprecedented Probably
Christmas presents by parcels post than any
other The usual Of traffic is due to the addition
Of $4,000 In the army and hundreds of thou
sands the navy the list of those normally away from
home Every soldier has and sailor has TO have his presents
Of COURSE His relatives and friends him. If
he lacks relatives and friends the Red Cross society
that present IS sent him Thus piles up the Christmas
mall filling not only, but whole trains This great
shipment to military camps and ships is one manifestation
of the spirit at Christmas.
Another is the Christmas campaign for funds for the
Belgian children such as has been carried on IN FL Paso
recently It has resulted IN bringing IN fund of
than $1,000 be spent bringing Christmas cheer TO SUI
feTing people. Not large sum IN itself, It VIII fit IN with
sums raised In other localities for the purpose and
all combined VIII make large total
Even the toys this year peculiarly warEke IN Fl
stores besides the time honoIed drum, toy rifle and
wooden soldiers these things: machine gun
which really shoots; which also shoots; sub
marine which fires little wooden torpedo which blows TO
pieces wooden ship if you hit It in the right place;
trench mortar; apane Tor scouting the enemys
lines and great many games Of kind another
seems strange for to be IN at Christmas time
season Of the year peculiarly dedicated peace and good
viii possessing deeply religious and very unwarke sig
niicanoe We only reflect that all the Of
e-e g
restoration Of peace earth and good viii toward
through the overthrow Of menacng power which has dis
1upted the peace Of the world violated all Christian prn
cples committed every evil deed and embarked all
conquerrg expedition based its violence Unless
power right its dominion unless Justice
restored the world, there be security, peace
but a truce and universal goodwill.
It with this thought IN mind that Americans OBJ
Christmas With and though perhaps WITH
less the nement of former years. least with salts
faction In the thought that country has not proved
lecresnt 10 its plain duty Christian nation.