Evening star., 1919-12-24
SAINT BRINGS GIFTS
TONEW AMERICANS
Citizenship Classes Guests
at Old Central High
Celebration.

\ real United States" Christmas
party for the benefit of the children
and their parents affiliated with the
Various classes of the division of citi-
Zenship training of the Department
of Labor was staged at the old Cen
tra1 High School building.
The assembly hall was filed with
more than 200 children, their parents.
teachers a nd friends. The men and
women who have come to America
from many countries and are now
enga ged in becoming americans"
were keen in their desire that their
children should have the benefit OF
Christmas as il is understood in the
little old L. :. A
on the stage WAS huge. brilliantly
decorated Christmas tree, backed by
decoration of flags of the native
countries of all the men and women
in the school. In front of the stage
We're the children. seething with ex-
citement over the prospect of really
seeing Santa Claus
Committee of Students
committee composed of two rep
resentatives of each class in the citi-
zenship school had charge of the ar
rangements for the party.
They found the tree, trimmed it.
hung it with electric lights, decorated
the hall, tied up bags of candy and
bought the presents. Nearly every
country in Europe was represented
Z.
Italy and Hungary worked with the
American born teachers to make the
little ones happy motor bus COM
pany in the city contributed the use
OF one of it's largest buses. which
brought fifty little children from va
rious remote parts of the city and
took them safely home again.
1t was no easy job to keep the eX-
cited children moderately quiet in
various rooms in the school building
the hall was ready, until the interna-
tional orchestra. which is one of the
boasts of the school. tuned up, and
Santa Claus had safely alighted from
his sleigh with his pack. Many were
the earnest queries that those in
Santa Claus really was coming and
whether he really could get down the
chimney. Public opinion veered to the
belief that he could, because the
chimney of the school was larger
than in peoples houses. Several bud
ding Raphaels made chalk illustra-
tions of the rotund white-bearded
gentleman in the act of descending
the chimney, with his reindeers wait
ing right around the corner
Entertaining Program.
When the inspiring measure of a
march gave the signal there was a
stampede of little feet. Natural music
music of the orchestra. under the
direction of c. E. Christiani. and
violin solos, held them quiet. even
though it delayed the arrival of Santa
Claus Mr.. brennan of California held
parents and teachers spellbound
while he gave capital sleight-of-
hand performance, always tanta iz-
ingly assuring them that they could
discover how to do the tricks and then
mystifying them still more.
At last sleigh bells gave warning of
the approach of Santa. And it is
probable no more realistic Santa Claus
was ever seen in Washington. John
Drotar, who imperSopated the saint.
circled the hall chanting an old Hun
Earian folk-Song, powerful, ruddy.
white-beared presence who revived
the very best glamour of Christmas
lore.
When the lights in the hall were
lowered and the tree shone forth with
its myriad .winkling colored lights
a great cry OF delight went up. There
was a rush to the stage. In spite OF
small eager feet, in spite of the fact
that the native tongue of the COM
mittee might be French or Greek or
Italian or Hungarian and the children
chartered a Juvenile Babel of their
own except for those who were old
enough to go to school and SO came
out strong in emphatic American, the
line was kept until Santa's pack. the
piles of gifts around the tree and the
TOYS on the tree were gone and the
little arms were full.
Classes Growing Daily.
Under the sympathetic leadership OF
Miss Maude Alton, recently appointed
director of education of foreigners,
and the corps of teachers who are
devoting their lives to this work. the
citizenship classes are daily growing
larger There is already an enroll
ment of 435 men and women in the
night and day classes. These classes
are held at the old Central High
School and in various other centers
school buildings and homes, wherever
and whenever it is possible for the
hard-working men and women to find
time to attend.