The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-02-28
R ReguIarS Giving Christmas
Party to Stricken Villagers
Touches Heart Of Y, M c,
A, Entertainer

A college boy, N at least a man who
was a college boy when he quit North
western university at Evanston, III last
May to go 10 Europe but who was
years older when he came back, enter
tanned three audiences m Oklahoma
City Yesterday with songs OF the
trenches, singing them here just as he
sang them all over England and wales
last summer, and in the fall, to the
British and American troops scattered
in the little town between Paris and
the front
Jack Barker is the mans name HIS
home i, in Ginrd, Kan lie was sent
down here with the compliments OF The
bankers Of Kansas City 10 cheer up the
bankers OF Group Three, Oklahoma
Bankers association, who met here yes
lcfday. and cheer them up he did The
bankers would erappIe with war prob
lem or some other pcrplcNlng feature
Of their business and then would come
a demand for more Of Jacks music
lack would sit down 9t the piano to|
play his own Accomplishments and re-
lcye his chest OF some dtty like,
Broken Doll" or Pack Up Your
Troubles IN Your Old XII Bag" and II
would carry the bankers far away from
present day troubles for Jack even
taught them the KIT bag song and made
them sing i
Regulars Give Party
In between these summons Tor the
war time troubador reporter managed
TO get lack Barker in corner and ask
him what the most ptiiul sight was he
had seen in France. So Jack told how
the American regulars had made a real
Christina, possible for the old men,
women and children Of little French
village
"The French did not know what plans
the American soldiers had in the air for
them" began Jack, 1T happened in the
! little hamlet where | was on Christmas
day. You cannot publish its name but It
was Us miles north OF Paris.
"You must remember that the Amerl-
can troops in this village were case
hardened regulars, men living away
from family ties for years, men regard
ing soldering as their business and
manner OF earning a living with the ele-
ment OF patriotism, ! am afraid per
hans often in the back of then minds
But a few days before Christmas they
i had taken up collection among al
the men Of their unit amounting tC
| 500 francs.
Gifts For Everyone.
"This was entrusted to the Y. NC
A. authorities and sent to Y M. c. A
hcadauarters in Paris where the cit.
was being literally combcd to buy u
all the available toys for French child
rem. Christmas day arrived and am
, bilious young troopers were given
: chance TO exercise their newly acquire,
French by going to every home in IN
village calling on the families TO as
semble at a certain time at the Y. NJ
, c. A. hut which had seating capacit
Of 500
AT the appointed time all came. TIL
|, regulars had taken pains to select
French speaking Santa Claus. lie wa
dressed like real Santa too II
made fine speech to the villagers an
: could do it because he had lived man
: wears in France before joining the arm,
| know he let the eagle scream som
IS and must admit he probably told thcr
X the Americans had come to save Franc
d and repay the ancient debt, ha
VI thought that part of France bare {
o ANYTHING that could be used for
e Christmas tree but the dough boys Iva
+ had rare luck and tree rcallst
q enough for the not too critical, was Il
r back ground for the Santa Claus. II
x army electricians had strung both II
ID tree and the inside of the hut vii
r hundreds of lights
&C. The Best Sight In France.
e "Thcre were only very old men, won
en- and little children to receive the so