New-York tribune., 1918-12-23
Big Red Stockings 10 Com
tain Gifts for All; Chill
dren and Poor Families
Will Not Be Forgotten

New York's will be largely SOL
d'er's Christmas this year. In the
plans for Christmas celebrations out
side the private homes the fighting man
comes first. In all, Father Knicker-
booker expects to play Santa Claus to
nearly 100000 Of the American bows
whose successful Job cover there"
gives Christmas fuller meaning this
time. There are $4,000 wounded men
III local hospitals whose stockings will
be filled first, and more than $4,000
visiting service men are expected in
Town that day In private homes prep
aratlons are being made for soldiers
not of the family circles. Through the
medium of the War Camp Community
Service thousands OF visitors have been
invited 20 New York homes for Christ
mas dinners and the tree.
Santa Claus mas delegated 80 the
New York County and other local Red
Cross chapters the principal part Of
the pleasure of making Christmas for
the wounded in New York hospitals
oiiio SSOA SSSHl pretty IluCU llhc lHc
cid ones back at home.
Gifts for the Wounded
There are 42O77 wounded men and
casuals in local hospitals and nearby
camps, nut not one of these will awake
Christmas morning without seeing
hanging at the foot of his bed positive
evidence that the sentres were asleep
the night before, and that bearers of
large rcd stockings, bursting full, were
able to slip past the guard unchal-
lenged.
The task of filling these red stock
lngs with candy, cigarettes. knives,
chewing gum, razors, etc, will be COM
lleted to-day by women volunteers at
New York Chapter headquarters. In
addition 10000 boxes of candy are be-
ing filled for the soldiers not wounded
at Camp Merritt.
Nor will the wounded men have all
their gifts when those red stockings
are unpackcd Various organizations
will visit the hospitals, bringing gifts,
flowers and entertainment. At o. m.
Red Cross Christmas tree will be
lighted in each hospital ward.
For the visiting soldiers on Christi
mas Day there will be dinners, dances,
theatre parties and the hospitality Of
private homes.
Celebration in Hoboken
The officers and enlisted men and
women at the Hoboken port of embark
alton are not waiting until Christmas
for their celebration, which will be one
of the largest of the season.
Ten thousand army, navy and
marine corps men, Red Cross workers
and civilian employees, are expected
on Pier this afternoon. There will be
big Christmas tree, two military
bands, presents and refreshments.
Major General David c. Shanks, com
mander of the port, and Vice Admiral
Albert Gleaves, commanding the crui-
ser and transport service, Will be
present
The National League for Women's
Service will begin a series of Christmas
week entertainments with, a dance and
party tonight at the Soldiers, Sailors
and Marines Club, PSI Madison Avenue.
Avenue.
To- day and tomorrow, beginning at
10 am, there will be special movie
shows at the Strand Theatre, to which
a wound stripe will be the ticket of ad-
mission.
Series of Entertainments
At all war camp units and other
rendezvous of service men there will
be special entertainments Christmas
Eve. There will be many other Christ
mas Eve affairs for soldiers. Mrs.
George J. Gould will give an after
theatre party at her residence to the
soldiers of Aberdeen Proving Ground,
who are presenting Alta Boy" at the
Lexington Theatre. Three thousand
pretty partners are guaranteed for
fighting men at a dance d. the Seventy
first Regiment Armory. Children of
cur Allies will be special guests at the
,~l,+ oc 1c
Madison Square at p. m. Each child
may bring a uniformed guest. Instead
of a bright star a golden star will
shine at the top of the tree this time
in memory Of the absent ones. The
tree will be lighted and there will be
entertainments for soldiers every night
during Christmas week.
A party for soldiers children will
be given tomorrow afternoon by the
Woman Apparel Unit at the Bush
Terminal Sales Building, Forty-second
Street, NeSr Broadway.
Stockings Will Be Filled
Christmas morning every man who
went to sleep in a service mems club
or dormitory Will start off the dav
right by opening his eyes on stocking
a. the foot of his bed This stocking
will be built on large dimensions and
A'i'SU Hi~ii eh~ eiiiHSo q uSiitlllc, man
wants.
The following are some Of the items
on the service mems Christmas Day
calendar:
The League of Catholic Women will
be hostesses to soldiers and sailors
with appetities at 184 East Thirty
eighth Street and at the Cardinal
Farley House, on East Twentieth
Street. After the dinners there will
be entertainments and Christmas
trees.
One thousand American and Allied
soldiers will feast at the Hotel Astor
at 10 a. m, the guests Of the Rocky
Mountain Club.
All day there will be free vaude-
vile performances at the Pershing
Theatre, Madison Avenue and Forty
fourth Street.
Colored soldiers and sailors will be
entertained at the 18th Regiment Ar
mory.
Naval Coast Guards will have their
Christmas tree at the Municipal Ferry
house.
1000 To Be Dined
The National League for Women's
Service will dine 1000 men at 257
Madison Avenue. The doors will be