New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-12-20
CHRISTMAS III R DAY IN
THE CANTONMENTS
Y. N. G. A. Plans Entertainments
in Every Camp in Country

New York. Dec. 20.-It's the SOL
diers' Christmas this year. Even the
children will take second place.
Christmas Is going to come not only
to every soldier In an encampment or
cantonment in the United States, and
TO every sailor on shipboard or in port,
but also to every man in a prison
camp, and to every man in uniform,
somewhere in France, or anywhere
else in the service, They will all cele-
braee Christmas, through the efforts
OF the Y. NJ. C. A.. in cooperation
with other organizations. Not one will
DC lett out on Christmas.
There will be Christmas trees, not
only IN every Y. M. G. A. building in
the United States where men in uni
FORM come. but in the base camps in
the training zone in France, and even
behind the trenches, where the impro-s
Vised angels on the top boughs shake
with the re1 erberations of the German
gums, and carols are sung to the ac-
compartment Of exploding shells.
There will be gifts, wrapped as daintily
as IT, they were intended for some
cody's best girl, for many Of the men
who haven't gotten any from home.
when they come into the Y. M. c. A.
nuts on Christmas Day. And men
coming wet and cold from the
trenches will warm themselves around
real Yuletide logs in the freplaces in
the Red Triangle huts. g.. F.
Scrubby Christmas trees with care
fully-saved bits Of tallow candles as
their only decoration will bring the
holiday spirit for time even to the
prison camps in Siberia, where the
Bethlehem story will be read in Y.
NJ; c. A. huts, and an ochestra made
| W. Of the prisoners of war will play
Holy Night" on instruments Of their
own making. Secretaries will greet
men who speak no English with
Merry christmas!" and they will un-
derstand. No children in the United
States are more excited over their
Christmas preparations than the pris-
oners of war over theirs.
Thousands Of packages addressed
merely to Some Soldier, Somewhere
in France" left the Atlantic ports on
the early November boats. The move.
ments OF the troops over. there make
1t unlikely that some Of the person
ally-addressed presents will get to the
men by Christmas Day, but as far as
possible the Y. M. c. A. will see that
none Of them are, without a gift. The
soldiers and, sailors who are still in
the United States will be equally we'll
looked after by the holiday spirits
Not more than approximately one
third Of them will be allowed to leave
camp on December 20, but those who
can't go to Christmas will have Christ
mas brought to them, by the Y. M.
| c. A.
The people of Maryland will act
as St. Nick for the Maryland men at
| Camp Meade. Md, and Camp McClel-
Ian, Ala. They have raised a fund
! which makes it possible to spend
about a dollar and a. half for the
Christmas present Of every Maryland
| man in uniform.
Two Thousand soldiers at Camp
Meade would be real Christmas out
! casts II it were not for the holiday
=, Kindness Of their comrades: There
| will be no trees for them. no cele-
! bration in the Y. M. C. A. buildings,
| or visits from the home-folk. for they
are the victims OF something as old
been Guaranteed with the measles.
They will not lose the holiday. en-
! tirely, however, for choir organized
under the auspices Of the Y. M. C. A.
| will march through camp singing
Christmas carols. pausing in front of
the barracks where these men are
| isolated to cheer them with all the
Christmas hymns In their repertoire.
In Camp Jackson, South Carolina,
each soldier who comes Is the celebra-
! ton will bring with him a gift for
some other soldier. not to exceed ten
; cents in value, which will be col
lected at the door. and redistributed
! afterwards. Home folks, the real
/ home folks who make December rs
| Christmas, can't be there. Of course,
but the Y. M. G. A. has done it's best
| to fill the gap left by their absence.