Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-12-01
PACKING CHRISTMAS
BOXES FOR SOLDIERS
Limitations Tint Would
HuEe Made Old Santa Claus
Shed Real Tcnrs.

NEW York. November so.-of
course all Of YOU who have some dear
limit for .dispatehing q christmas box
many of you found diiiIcai,y in 0 adjuss
ought TO have. to Uncle Sans idea Of
the proper size and weight Of SOL
diers Christmas gift Now magnify
and. and you will gain some notion OF
the wholesale disturbances Of mind. of
which a friend Of mine has been an
AS volunteer worker. she was as
signed by the Red Cross to duty as an
story she tells of her experiences, is, |
think. rather interesting.
They were all so patient" she said.
those mothers, and young wives, and
sisters. and sweethearts of our soldiers
at the front. Many OF the older women
WEI , unable to speak English, and to
bearing their gifts for our inspection.
It must have seemed an unnecessary
before their eyes the little parcels they
had meant should only be opened by
very much more precious fingers. But
great and good eS Uncle cPPafssM nm-doufbmtee
less believed by some Of them to be
TN sa.ReI foE ASEs bs that
for Antonio. SHOULD be unfolded in or
der that nothing be hidden in the folds
OF socks or handkerchief, the good Jew
ish or Italian mother had not fault
to find.
line OF waiting relatives placed the
boxes they had previously received
from us and taken =, home TO aii with
the size those boxes were limited to by
the Eovernment--9x4xS INCHES; not as
opportunity for Santa Claus TO be very
generous. and moreover. there was a
long list of prohibited articles, includ-
Df 49, l,r-l,,
cordiais, or any sort OF liquid in glass
necessarily barred bottles Of cologne
Imagine my having to remove from
It's nest between two handmade socks,
slender bottle of rose water upon
ing the words, ITO make you think OF
me-" Ordin try Christmas or New Year
was very strict against any other form
There were six Christmas-gift pack
ing stations in Manhattan. and / am
reJoiccd 20 say. the one TO which /
was assigned was in n district that is
chiefly Inhabited by the humble and
war-work one discovers that self de-
mails and lit lie sacrifices are met with
much more OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, and pa
triotism. by the poor, than by the we'll
TOTO. cannot possibly fancy the
women OF uptown, standing as pa
us, nor sub he al sh% T,b who c came to
10 our overhauling OF the gift-pack-
ages they had prepared.
II was sometimes pitiful to see the
look OF disappointment on the face Of
a mother who had filled a box with
fresh home made cake and a bottle OF
Jam. when told that the jam couldn't
possibly be accepted, and that the cake
would probably turn modify en- route
Put In nuts and cigarettes. I sug-
gcstcd: But jamie doesn't smoke she
replied. Then her face frightened:
nerhaps he ooes now she said. and
surely II her jamie doesn't use ciga-
rcttcs, he is entitled to some sort of
badge Of distinction.
IN one box ] found an old silver
watch wrapped up in a bit OF cloth.
Ieiger!. said the woman as l drew
IL forth. and she then. through an in
10 the boys father. who had died since
the lad left home. Under the rule, |
was obliged 10 turn 1t over to a post
oihce official. who made Il minute eX-
animation OF It's insidcs TO see that
" was really an innocent 'zeiger,' as
fernai machine. The Widowed mother
made no protest"
II was further explained TO me by
my lriend that most perfect system
had been used to prevent any overseas
soldier from receiving more than one
box. Empty boxes were issued only to
persons who had received labels from
soldiers authoriz, ing them to act. Some
times relative would appear with
uui'I'a'!VH ~ iaociS. III SuCn cases,
unless all the extra labels were sur
rendered. notification was sent to all
the other 1--WE girt-packing stations
that no gift for soldier So-and-So was
TO be accepted at any OF those stations.
The weight OF each box was limited
20 three pounds and cents postage
was demanded from each donator. to
carry 1t via parcel post, over TO Ho-
boken. Which / didn't know Hobokcn
was in France" said one buXom woman
to my friend. but, bless me. it's q poor
one would Kick at the TOLL"
But. as said above. she doesn't live
In the Kicking" sta tion of this ma
jestic city.