The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-12-10
BIG ,UnDER1AkIne FOR
0lD SANTA CLAUS
Making Rounds Among Chit
drcn OF Germany.
IL JOURNALISTS BELIEF
American Scribcs Travelling Through
Country Encounter Countless NUM-
her of Tiny Tots.
by DAMON RUNYON.

France) We adVentured today into
the land of little children. Never
did any one see so many Riddles as
there are in that section of Germany
through which the American army is
passing. Junius wood. OF the Chi
I cago News. argued that they must
grow them on vines as much as they
| grow grapes along the sunny slopes
and hillsides OF the Mosclle valley,
! so numerous
4 Tom johnson. OF the New York
! sun, held to the theory that it prob
| ably rains children instead of rain
drops in frequent showers which fell
lover this regioa. Neither Johnson
! nor Wood have any children, where
fore 1t struck us their ideas on the
subject were rather vague. With the
authority Of father of two we under
took 10 put them in their place.
From TTer TO Bernkastel every
little village along the Moselle fairly
/ boiled with adolescence. } when the
horn of our automobile sounded i'm
Il narrow street in one of the small
towns, out popped children. They
looked out of the doors They sour
ried from around houses. They
hulged from windows. Ranging in
size from knee high to a grasshopper
on up, they rushed after the slow
moving car trying to hook behind.
We felt like a lot of journalistic
| pied pipers. Mr. Johnson began OBJ
! serving the children with some inter-
/! est and spoke of them as pink
checked little ones. obviously dwelling
on this phrase with regard to its po-
,tentialities in story about the mat
ter. We pointed out with parental
! authorita iiyeness that some OF them
seemed pale and under -nourished,
venturing the theory that it was prob
ably due to lack of mix.
MIR. Wood stoutly oontended that
children should not he raised on milk
anyhow. citing Chicago evidence to
bear out his contention. However
we repeat Mr.. Wood has no children.
Lower New York Eciipscd.
The streets of the lebver east side
of New York are thiniy populated
Icompared to some of the German
towns. There We're little round faced
cotton-topped boys in quaint smocks
and yolumirfous panties, and tiny
girls. with flaxen hair flowing in pig
tails down their backs. peering ex
lcitedly along the eurbs to see the cars
90 by. It was a thrilling event for
them. twas thrilling event for
rus. once our car stopped in the mid
die of the street in one of the larger
towns and great flock of youngsters
promptly swarmed all over it. Mr..
Wood viewed these manifestations
with some alarm. Mr. Wood can
not disenfranch ise himself from the
idea that the plumpness Of his woolly
black dog "Vesle, which always
rides in the seat beside him. appeals
l.. 49, l~4
/ youngsters.
"Vesle" himself is getting that
idea. He cringes under the friend
- lest hands. Mr.. Johnson began TAX
' ing "A gloomy view Of the number OF
= children. Just think what a job old
| Santa Claus would have il he tried to
2 see all these kids on Christmas" he
{ said IT'S taking advantage OF an
5 old guy
!, one chubby little fellow in his
) s,apa's discarded soldier cap shrilled:
J ~ tffaeE, 1sseep heoYah', AS we esttefHa
T. Il 1pwu. = The doug hboys are here,
observed Mr.. Wood. with Sherlockian
Q astuteness He was in there with
4 crowds of youngsters tugging at his
heels We passed several companies
r at mess and every company had It's
! fringe of children,
} Now and then we saw little Ger
$ man happily munching on a chunk OF
. American white bread smeared with
: jam 1t has be.n many days since
German children saw white bread
= They regard it as cake.
George Patulio. the magazine wri-
5 ter Was discovered standing in front
e of the first division headquarters
. gravely convers;ng with little people
] playing i'll the street. Come in and
1 see General McCilachin," he invited
Say. did You ever see many kids
+. in your hfc?
e General McGIachin is commander
3 Of the first division.
I. our men are getting along with
S the German people fine he said
e 'One reason is that the American
soldier il kind to children Say, did
4 you ever see SO many childrent
, streets Crowded with Kids.
We had not and then went on Ia
/ 1.-The town named Gittlich. 1t is the
seat OF the civil authorities. There
r we had to run with extra caution
Through the streets to avoid the chill
c idien We finally wound up in front
e of a hotel, where the veteran Six
teenth infantry had its regimental
\ headquarters.
There was big crowd Of kids in
a front. Out came the grixzled com
. mander of the regiment. almost STUN
? bling over some youngsters on tht
E steps, Say he said. did you ever
$ see SO many kids in your, life?"
Q Il guess added the commander
| rather proudly. we've got more kids
in this town thar any place its size
on EARTH
:, poor old Santa Claus" sighed Mr.
johnson. as we headed on toward
: Berncastel Mr.. Wood remained 81.
l lent. Near Berncastel, one OF tho
most picturesque river towns in the
world. topped by the ruins Of an an
cient castle on a high hill. we found
Lieutenant-Colonel Theodore Roose'
welt. Jr., commanding the Twenty.
sj sixth infantry. rimping about with
1.-THE aid OF a cane. Here at last wa,
a man who. by right OF heritage, any
: way, ought to be an authority on Ger.
,, tain matters.
! Say" he began. did you ever
see"
; - I'VE never did, we replied; tur:
ricdly. But Mr.. Wood here claiml
that they don't necessarily have tt
have milk. He has no children him.
self Remember that.
There was much Of the emphasis
of the old colonel in the youns
. coloneTs voice. as II came TO us as a