Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-12-21
CHRISTMAS
FOR SOLDIERS

N111Slc i As1 IAo
FOR SOLDIERS
It's the soldiers Christmas this year.
Even the children will take second place.
Christmas is going to come not only y
every soldier in an encampment or can
tcnment in the United states, and 10
every sailor on shipboard or III port, bu1
also IL every man in a prison-camp. and
10 every man in uniform. somewhere
in France. or anywhere else in the serv-
ice They Will all celebrate, Christmas,
drought the efforts Of the Y. N. {. A. in
corporation with other organizations.
Not one Will be left out on Christmas.
There will be Christmas trees. not onl,
in every Y. NJ. c. A. building in the
United States where men in uniflam
come, but in the base camps in the train
ing zone in France. and even behind the
trenches, where the improvised angels on
the top boughs shake with the reverbera-
tions OF the German guns. and carols are
sung to the accompaniment Of exploding
shells. There will be gifts. wrapped as
daintiiy as if they were intended for
somebody's best girl, for many OF the
men who haven't gotten any from home
when they come into the Y. NJ. c. \. huts
on Christmas day. And men coming wet
ard cold from the trenches will warm
themselves around real Yuletide logs in
the freplaces i'll the Red Triangle huts
Scrubhy Christmas trees with carefully
saved bits Of tallow candles as their only
decoration will bring the holiday spirit
for a time even to the prison camps in
Siberia, where the Bethlehem story will
chestra made up 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. ard they will under
stand. No children in the United States
are more excited over their Christina !
preparations than the prisoners of war
over theirs
Thousands Of packages addressed mere
" TO Some Soldier, Somewhere in
France" left the Atlantic ports on The
early November boats. The movements
Of the troops over there make Il unlikely
. that some Of the Observation-Disclosures
presents will get to the men by Christmas
80 $3.50 O. I1i - iOSslbLf liS l NJ. u.
A. will that none Of them are withou,
"a gift- The soldiers and sailors who are
still il the United States will be equally
we'll looked after by the holiday spirits.
Not more than approximately une-third
of them will he allowed To leave camp on
December =, but those who cant 90 TO
Christmas will have christmas brought
to them, by the Y NJ C. A.
The people of Maryland will act as St
Nick Tor the Maryland men at Camp
Meade, Md. and Camp Mcclellan. Ala
They have raised a fund which makes
It possible TO spend about a dollar and a
half for the Christmas present OF every.
Mary land man in uniform
Two thousand soldiers ar CamD Meade
would be real Christmas outcas,s If |,
were not Tor the holiday kindness OF their
comrades There will be no trees for
them, no celebration in the Y. NJ c. a.
! buildings or visits from the home-folk
FOR they are the victims OF something a.
Old as Christmas, itself,-they have all
been quarantined with the measles. They
VIII not lose the holiday, entirely, how
ever, Tor choir organized under the j.
spices o! the Y. NJ. &. A. will march
through camp singing Christmas carols
! pauslng IN front Of the barracks where
these men are isolated to cheer them WIN
all the Christmas hymns in their reper-
! toire
! II camp Jackson. South Carolina each
soldier who comes to the celebration will
oring with him gift for some other SOL
dIer. not to exceed 10 cents in value.
"hlca Will be collected at the door. and
redistributed afterwards Home-foIks
the real homefolks who make Decep,har
, . Christmas. cans be there. Of course
nut the :. NJ. c. A. has done it's best ;,
MI the gap left by their absence. bv get
ing ne 1home-folks who live around the
camp 70 make candy and cake for the
Christmas party.
| Camp Dix, New Jersey will have .
community Christmas tree Of jts our,
with a tree in the y NJ. c. A. buiidi,e
and Christmas box for every man
amp Grant IN Illinois. will wake on
hilslhaas morning 70 the singing carols.
TOT winch glee clubs have already been or
eahizeo in the camp. In Atlanta, Georgia
each church will mother one unit of
lamp Gordon, and will look out FOR III
christmas presents at the Y NJ e.
Tee' \ Christmas pageant will also be
pHt On Tor the soldiers. with more than
9" men and women in the cast. And in
an the other camps throughout the Unit
ed States it will be the same.
christmas is made up as much or siy-
'hs as OF getting and the various Y N
= a buildings al the encampments late
~ nave been the scenes NJ fay.ri.L,,
puhoie wrapping Paper and Irvine have
peeh furnished by the Association. and
me men nave been encouraged in every
way possible TO remember the folks a.
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