Evening star., 1917-11-10

The home spirit which characterizes
all activities Of the employees of the
United States Department Of the In
terror today was esain demonstrated in
setting an example for all other govern
ment departments to make Thanksgiv-
ing day one of cheer and welcome for
lied here for the nations defense.
The woman employees of the department
are planning to invite to their official
home on Thanksgiving day 100 enlisted
men who wear Uncle Sans uniform. They
are very insistent that only enlisted men
are to be their guests. They are going to
prepare a first-class Thanksgiving dinner,
with all the fixin's. with cigars and cigar
cites They are going to be hostesses
themselves and see that every man invited
feels at home and has a good time. They
are going to show him they feel honored
in having each one of the 100 as their
guest.
Open House at Club.
After the dinner in the big restaurant
Of the Interior building they are going to
take their 100 soldier boys to the Home
Club where e5ere VII De bere ana i
be more Smokes" and all the women
want is to be able to send each soldier,
each private back to his camp feeling that
he never had such pleasant Thanksgiv-
ing day before.
The women themselves started this. and
when they sought official sanction they
found Secretary Lane enthusiastic as al
ways about whatever is of heart interest
and spreads the home spirit
Committees have been organized and
a holiday feeling of good cheer and
fellowship permeates the big Interior
Department building today as plans
are maturing for this new bit of "hospi-
tality" in cooperation with The Stars
suggestion that soldiers, sailors and
marines be made welcome in the homes
on Thanksgiving day.
Formal Notice Is Given.
The first public intimation of what
was being planned came today when
every employe of the Department re-
ceived the following notice from the
committee of women:
The ladies of the Department of the
Interior are arranging to give a
Thanksgiving day dinner to 100 soldier
boys in the restaurant of the new In
terror building at 1870 on the afternoon
Of Thanksgiving day. After the din
ner a reception in honor of the boys
there will be music and dancing.
"In the formation of the National
Army many young men will be away
from home on Thanksgiving day for
the first time. 1t Is likely that a num-
Der Of them. although amply provided
for by Uncle Sam. will feel the loneli-
ness of being away from home on this
day of home days. and In extending a
friendly handclasp and this bit of
cheer the ladies Of the department
realize that an opportunity is afforded
to express in some small way an evil
rifces that these men are SO gallantly
and so bravely making"
Has Pick of Fifty Invitations.
Who wouldn't be marine? The
"boy" of Gen. Barnett's force at
Quantico who has come way across
the continent from the Pacific coast
and who wanted to find farm near
Washington on which he could spend
a ten-day furlough can have his pick
of about fifty invitations. The first
mail today brought in nineteen In ad-
dition to those already extended The
sister-in-law of a Marine Corps major
telephoned in that the California boy
will be welcome on their fine estate,
which is the second best hunting
grounds in Virginia-and so it goes.
Another one of the helpful things
, that the soldier guest editor has been
able to do for men in uniform brought
| him a note of thanks today from the
Frenchwoman for whom he located
two French officers at Fort Myer. She
writes: Many thanks for your kind
+! Office in finding these French officers
| for me. You have done SO much to-
ward all the soldiers that I felt con-
| fdent if I asked your aid you would
! help me. Very respectfully yours, and
again many thanks"
| In memory of soldier sons. as foI
their own boys in service, the home
makers of Washington are flooding the
| soldier guest editor of The Star with
4 invitations to be distributed to moth
1 ers' sons far from home. The senti-
ments expressed in these letters are
| very appealing.
l. One Example Given.
For example, here is an extract from
| the letter of a woman who is going to
entertain two service men, but does not
want her name used:
| Il should prefer to have some young
man who is an orphan. as 1 hope to
have the privilege Of helping to make
pleasant the life of some boy after he
! gets into the trenches, who will have
no mother to write to him. 1t would
seem an additional pleasure to remen-
ber some boy over there whom one