Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-12-26
Christmas Puts New Resolve
Into the Men Preparing to
Fight Americas Cause
Over the Seas.
Pictures of the Day Among
the Men Behind the Lines
French Refugee Chill
dren Not Forgotten by the
Big-Hearted Sammies.
By ]. w. PEGLER.

WIN the American Army IN FRANCO,
Dec. 1e.-Christmas day, 1s17-an
American Christmas in France, a
merry Christmas. Christmas full
Of such creature comforts as food. to-
bacco. candy and presents, but Just
the same a Christmas every man in
Americas army was glad to put be-
hind him today. There was many a
firm jawed American fighting man
over here in France whose thoughts
went roaming back over the submarine
infested seas to home folks" and a
home Christmas-and who took a new
resolve to do this Job of democratizing
the world in the most businesslike
fashion.
1t would require q modern-da San
IA Claus with an exceedingly busy
span of reindeer and highly trained
reportorial instincts to tell of the
Christmas day spent by every Ameri-
can unit now in France.
CHRISTMAS DAY PICTURES
The best the United Press CORE
spondert can do Is to give those back
home tnia series Of pictures of Christ
mas day in France.
A giant Sammy sentry, standing In
the snow outside a quaint village ho-
tel, giving pennies to three little
French refugee children, who had just
finished singing a real honey, Christ
mas carol. An expert on languages
might-just might-translate his re-
marks to the youngsters to the effect
that they'd better run along home and
see what the American Santa Claus
had put in their stockings that morn
ing.
Downstairs in a roughly finished no.
tel dining room. A dozen Sammies
have dragged in an ancient tin pan
piano. They were clustered around
singing Holy Night" An ex-member
of the Minneapolis symphony orches-
ira was the pianist
One hundred and fifty officers ban
quoting in a barrack- like structure
down one village street-singing the
Immortal "F-o-r-r-r it's always fair
weather" The singing to a critical
ear sounded just a bit flat and unen-
thusiastic.
The $50 were plainly thinking of
wives, children and sweethearts back
home and trying to camouflage.
LETTERS FROM MOTHER.
Y Nj. C. A. barracks-any one of a
dozen, rather serious faced men tear
ing seals on Christmas packages, read
ing over and over letters from mother
God bless you and bring you back
to me-"
Dozens of snow -blanketed villages,
like the little town of Bethlehem, nes-
in, I,a ralIave-on1 ms
leans, billeted in stables, sleeping
themselves in hangers.
An American hospital-sick and
wounded receiving bounteously from
the Red Cross-tobacco, candy-some-
times the recipient was sternly for
hidden to eat-and plenty of presents
from home folks.
Thousands of little French refugee
children, who learned of Santa Claus
for the first time and got that i'm
measurable thrill that comes with the
opening of queerly bullying stockings
Thousands more who learned all about
Christmas trees and the treasures al
through the day. the wondrous toyi
and candy which moist eyed Sammie.
getting ready to fight the Boche. hat
bought for them.
Plenty OF turkey and trimming!
everywhere-even to thousands Of
American railway engineers. strung
from close to the front to seaport.
The United Press correspondent !!
writing this close to the point wher'
that Minneapolis symphony man II
teasing melody out Of the 1anglint
wires of that resurrected piano. Thu
bunch" has finished Holy Night
now One hears a shout:
HERE, CAN THAT SENTIMEN
tai STUFF"
And Immediately the pianist had t
slam the worries like mad to race alonl
with the believing. swelling chorus
taken up by the voice of every maj
within hearing.
Goodbye Broadway, Hello France.
And SO it was a merry Christmas.