Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-24

lo4NlpoAN, ANoNs oN'
T Asst night was Thanksgiving night
- in Iondon--and 1 think Americans
1t started with n real Thanksgiving
dinner. My American readers will Won
der why | record that obvious fact. But
please remember we folks in London
are living today In beleaguered island
we are on war rations," and our food
must be measured out to us In due
portions
Yet real Thanksgiving dinner"
took place at the American hut
How on earth did you manage 70 get
those turkeys?" ] asked Mr.. Robert
stuart, the secretary, as | watched
Lady Ward and Lady Alastair lnnes-
Ker deal out generous portions OF the
elusive (in wartime , bird And how
on earth have you squared the Food
Controller for tCnight?"
Mr.. stuart laughed heartily.
Didn't you know that those turkeys
few right across the Atlantic from
America" he said, 80 the Food Con-
troller has got nothing to do with
them
The hut was literally packed with
men. In The big concert hall real
American band was strumming-a
band which has nobly faced fire and
death hundred times on the western
front with the Canadian army. Every
bandsman is an American.
Heavens. how those men can play :"
said Lee White, the popular American
actress who had come to entertain the
men.
And then the games began.
The men were divided up into teams
Each team wore it's college pennant
There were about 40 men to each team,
headed by n captain, and u Chccr-lcader
800 participants in all a was cap
tain of Cornell.
| had about 30 men in my team. and
sometimes co, There were 12 husky
American sailors. with voices like fog
sirens. our cheer leader was an cnor-
mously big fellow of the Flying Corps,
with abnormal chest expansion and alb
normal lung power. He led my 60 men
in a yell that made the rafters ring:
Cornell, Cornell,
l yell, l yell,
Like
CORNELL"
noises.
There we're couple Of Rooscvelts
Rough Riders, twenty American soldiers,
small crowd Of Australians, three Brit
ish naval officers and three army Of
icers from the American Embassy, who
/ swelled the throaty numbers of my
1 team Before the evening was over |
! had fifty Americans on the team
We We're some hefty bunch" as the
little negro member of the party de-
! cared. IL sailor who had been just a
| little lonely til the games began, and
whom | Communicated into the Cornell
/ team.
He won a prize, too. did that little
negro, and for a curious achievement
| I sent him up before the iudges--Mrs
Astor and some other prominent Amer
| icans--as representative of Cornell
| University in the widest grin"
| Ills mouth was extraordinarily elastic
| His smile was ear to ear" There was
another sailor--a white man---on Har-
ward team, who ran the little negro
very close. This mans smile was OF
the shark variety.
But the little negro won. His display
will be glad TO hear of the wonderful
party given at the American hut in
London for their far-away soldier and
! sailor sons.
1t was a glorious party--a night OF
great hilarity and games and dances
| and publications. 1t is with the "morn-
ing-after" feeling that sit down TO
write for l am stiff after last night IS
running of races and fox-trotting and
one-stepping, and stunts" of every sort
and variety.
But | am very happy. For the Thanks
| giving party at the American hut in
4 London was voted unanimously n huge
success.
of shining worries was brillant-and
inches wide
The competitions in which each team
participated were numerous one OF
my Cornell men--a very large marine
exce!led particularly in the chewing
! gum competition. He raced the Others
along the hall. picking up packets OF
chewing gum, which he chewed indus.
triously. When all the various brands