Evening star., 1922-03-19
AUSTRIAN CHILDREN
HAPPY OVER GIFTS
Express Gratitude to Wash
ington School Pupils for
Christmas Boxes.

: Pupils in the public schools of the
eleventh division are daily receiving
letters from Austrian children eX-
pressing thanks for the Christmas
boxes sent TO them through .. the
Junior Red Cross. The pupils in this
division supplied number of the
Christmas boxes for the destitute
children in European cities. particul-
arly in Vienna and Budapest.
The children in the eleventh
division entered into the project of
making the y Christmas boxes with
enthusiasm and true Yuletide spirit.
They were given free scope in tn, mat
ter that the boxes might contain only
such things as would please children.
When articles We're needed which
they themselves were not able to make
they selected the chi dren to mall. these
purchases. Children from the iinder-
sarten through to eighth graHe par
ticipated in this expression OF sXmpa-
thy for other little folks. Eight
hundred individual boxes wsre sent
from the division.
Educational Effects Marked.
The educa tionai effects of this work
on the pupils We're marked. New life
was put into the study of geography.
history. arithmetic and language. The
children became directly Interested i'll
the map of Europe. The! traced the
route which the steamer Carrying the
boxes would probably tal.-; tney csti-
mated the probable time OF The pas
sage; they talked Of the ."s,s o. the
Suferin. of the .tuStrias' cuilu,IE ar.d
why the children of tho United States
We're asked to help: the! found Il con
crete application of arithmetic bi eSti-
mating the cost of lining the packing
cases with waterproof paper. in eSti-
mating the.number of Individual boxes
that could be put into ii packing case
Of the size given by the Red Cross;
they attended TO the expressing to New
York and brought back to the school
receipts and bills of ladins-a first
hand experience on business methods.
What children would like to receive
and what articles were acceptable for
shipment furnished wideawakc topics
Tor composition.
After the lapse q t;rac sufficient
for return HAIL cnIidren asked:
"bo you think ine Austrian children
really got the Lo0ss2 Do YOU think
any Of them Will write to us?' Per
soma, cards aTi letters from Vienna
and Budapest answer these questions
affirma lively III, t'It srrival of every
foreign mai. ne coming of the
postman to the school building is
watched eagerly.
Sample Letter.
One child wrote:
My Loving Unknown Friend:
II received your package with
great joy and / give you my best
thanks. was lying in the bed sick
and the teacher sent it oyer to my
house.
My assirc is to go all over the
world, In all lands and to know all
the people, but it is only "A dream.
] am 4 poor boy and have three sis
terS. 1y, father is an invalid since
the great war and he cannot work. .
y am happy because | have two
more years to go to school, then l
anu going to learn to be a locl:smith
and help my parents.
I'VE have three and four story
buildings in my city stream on
one side. the Blue Danube. goes into
a canal in the middle of the city. The |
city hall is like man sitting on a |
horse. Everything is made out of
iron.
II close my letter with many
thanks from me and my parents and
sisters.
II beg YOU for an answer"
Teachers and friends have trans
lated the letters.