The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-22
SOLDIERS ID MAKE
 YULET|DE REAL ID
 FRENCH CHILDREN
Millions of Gifts Will Be Dis tributed By Real Santa Claus in the Regular
 Costume

Paris, December 5.-An American Christmas for American soldiers and for French children is the great Yuletide project of the American expeditionary force, aided by the Young Mems Chris tian association Thousands of tinselled trees, decked with presents have been distributed in readiness for the day, thousand of red Santa Claus costumes with accompanying white whiskers have been provided and thousands of Christ mas entertainments have been prepared for presentation on Christmas Eve in the Red Triangle huts-"his home over there"
 The Americans have shown the French what they can do in the way of fighting and now will present their peculiar ideas in the way of celebrating the day of uni versal good will, the birthday of the Prince of Peace. Last December, when there were less than 2O00o0 American soldiers in France, and these mostly bus- jed training for the great knockout which they delivered to militarism this summer, the boys in khaki and the " workers managed to show small sam pie of the American Christmas idea to the French. This year the 100000 Amer jeans here will import Americas Yule- tide bodily and set it down on the sacred soil of France where the people have learned to expect the Tanks to do ev- erything on the grand scale.
 The celebration will divide into two parts, the Christmas for the American boys so far from their own firesides and the gift day for the youngsters of France so long denied real observation Of their beloved Noel.
 To each of the 100000 soldiers in the American expeditionary force the Young Mems Christian association will present a box containing two bars of chocolate, package of cream candy, two packages of cigarettes and tin of tobacco. In addition each man will receive Christ mas card.
 The red triangle organization has ar ranged for the Christmas Eve entertain ments in the "Y' huts, 1900 in number. as well as in the 1500 Foyers Du Soldat maintained with the French army. A comedy sketch written exclusively for the American soldiers in France, has been i'll the course of secret rehearsal for weeks and will be given the greatest premier in theatrical history of first nights simultaneously on the night of the 24th, with hundreds of original casts. The entertainment department of the Young Mems Christian association sent out the dramatic coaches, who rehearsed the soldier-actors in their parts and fur nished the necessary costumes and make- up.
 This same entertainment department also arranged to put on as many pro- fessional vaudeville and dramatic shows in as many huts as the 89 professional companies of actors at it's command could give on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and night. By using the fast trav- cling motor transport of the ..Y,'' these actors, who were sent over by the Red Triangles entertainment department and Americas Over There Theatre league will be able to give from four to six shows in a day, bringing joy to thou sands of men in uniform.
 Amateur talent, however, will be the mainstay of the festivals entertainment Working on the theory that young men enjoy most the entertainment which they get up themselves, the "Y'' secretaries have arranged unlimited minstrel shows at which plenty of local hits" and encore verses taking off the members of particular units will count heavily in