Evening star., 1923-12-23
Children in Foreign
Homes of U. S. Capital
Big Christmas Array
Custom of Observing Event
in Their Native Lands
Gives Unique Touch to
Holiday in Diplomatic
Corps.

II it were possible to assemble all
the little people who brighten the
homes of the foreign contingent in
Washington, as their seniors will
foregather at the White House on
:. New Year day. it would present the
d most fascinating aspect of Christmas
customs in other lands. OF the
40O-odd units which compose the
diplomatic corps as at present organ :
ized in Washington, good third of
% the members are married and have
children varying in number from one
eve lamb. as in the family of Senior
Manuel Tellez' charge daIalres OF
Mexico, to the eight in the household
&, of the Ecuadorian minister and the
six in the Hungarian legation.
There are youngsters in every
numeral. five in the home of Senior
and Sonora Alfaro of Panama, four
in the Venezuelan legation, two in
that of Colombia and the same num-
ber in the only Portuguese family in
. Washington. the adorable little
daughter of Senior and Senhora
Leal; two small Lithuanians just ar
O., rived with DR.. and Mrs. Bizauskas.
II and two children in the family of
Mr.. Vinikas. counselor of the Lith-
uanian legation, a dainty little girl
e. of six, Matas, and Joseph. who was
r. born in the legation on + street a
= week before last Christmas.
Unique in the annals of Washing
: ton is the observance of the Saviors
" birth staged at the Polish legation,
, where three fine children-Fudorich,
ten; Mary, seven, and Adam, four
are in control of affairs from tomor-
row at noon. when the solemn feast
:. begins in Slavic countries, until jan
s. uary 6. The table for the Christmas s
feast is laid in the great hall which
, opens on Fuller street. and every
: where are national emblems of Po-
land, the white eagle and the mystic
star. in candies, in flowers and in silk
I ornament. and about dusk the entire
household of the minister, M. Wrob-
J lewslli, his staff and all their fam
p lilies, and the domestic corps as we'll,
. gather there, while the curtains are
flung back and little Adam, the young
son. stands by the window. No light
- appears anywhere in the house until
p the small watcher at the window an
d, nounces "the star the very first one
rrvisible in the east, and then the feast
begins as it has in the ancient land
'of Poland since it's conversion to the
Christian religion. They all sing the
beautiful Christmas hymn. Come. All
Ye- Faithful" and the national hymns
' of their country, and the tree is
q lighted and from every window can
'd1es and other lights blaze. The gifts
= are exchanged and the household fin
ishes a very crowded evening by at
tending midnight mass at ST. Paufs.
-, Sir Auckland Geddes and his family
will be reunited in their home in
: Kent for the first time in two years
and their holiday will be of the liveliest
and most typical kind. But there
are many other little folks here from
-Ithe realm of King George who will
" keep the festival after the traditional
ways. The small Chiltons, children
" of the charge d'affaires and Mrs
Henry Getty Chiffon, are half Amer
" lean, and they have spent more
ChristmasesS this country than In
their fathers land, and the presence
Of their grandparents. Mr.. and Mrs
Thomas O'Brien of Detroit. gives the
keynote of their celebration. But the
two children in the home of the mil
" ttary attache. Col. and Mrs. Graham
= Charlton, will have one of the hap
piest celebrations, for the boy, Win
from London all by himself in order
ITO be at home with his parents and
with little Moira. his sister, who is
. five. When Col. Charlton was assigned
to Washington he had already placed
80 his young son in school, and 1t was
determined not to interrupt his
studies until the Christmas recess
The lad will have some crowded hours
during his ten-day visit here. for a:
A. traveller he would command atten.
sturd{est and most manly, friendly
) and companionable boy one could
!, wish to know. He will travel back
p. to his studies the first week of Jan.
uaTy-
. The Scandinavian and Teutonic ma
tions have many little folks in theil
= embassies and legation staffs. The
two little girls in the household oi
Mr.. and Mrs. Roger Nielsen of the
= Danish legation were born in thi.
country, and it is struggle to i'm
:, press the ancient ways of their owr
! land upon them. AS Rita and Ruth
/" are respectively nine and ten years
q old, they have rather outgrown some
3 of the Kriss kringle legends, but
$ they will celebrate on Christmas eve
. after the ways of Denmark and have
: many of the little playmates in tc
enjoy the fun. The children of the
7 Norwegian counselor and Nine. Steer
/ will keep Christmas eve also and
:, have a tree and all the parapher-
MALTA for gay time.
Three intere sting children will
make the home of the counselor OF
~ the French embassy and Mime. de La
boulaye lively all through the week
! Eha Rldexts FEancGisA isl, nattys