Evening star., 1931-12-13
YULE FUNDS CUT
At WHITE HOUSE
TO ASSIST NEEDY
Saving to Mark Festivities
Eniivened by Family
Reunion.
PRESIDENT AND WIFE
URGE FRIENDS HELP
Want Less Costly Presents and
Urge That Remainder of Normal
Total Be Spent on Poor.
BY J. RUSSELL YOUNG.

are they planning their Christmas OBJ
servance with this object in view, but
they are passing the word along to
their many friends to follow suit.
Like last year, the White House
Christmas will be centered about the
young people of the family who are
coming to visit for the holidays. The
usual atmosphere of genuina Yuletide
spirit, enlivened by two lively grand
children, will again prevail. and there
will be the customary Christmas din
ner parties and the other incidental
parties, but all of these festivities are
to be simple in nature, with a careful
avoidance of extravaganza Or unneces-
sary expense. Everything Is TO be ar
ranged and conducted with kindly
and generous thought of those many
households where, because OF so much
unemployment, Christmas is likely to
be grim and pitiful occasion.
Plan to Help Needy.
In curtailing what they are to spend
on Christmas, it is the purpose of the
President and his wife, not to save
money, but see to 1t that goodly por-
ton of their Christmas outlay will
serve TO bring some little cheer and
comfort to at least few Of those in
distress.
With this charitable thought in mind
the Hoover household will give only in.
expensive Christmas gifts. The Hoover
family will also demand that the pres
ents to be sent to them by their friends
and others be of small cost, and that
the difference in the cost of these gift.
and what would have been spent ordi-
narily for this purpose be given to the
homes OF the poor and deserving.
Moreover, there will be A large re.
duction In the amount of money gen.
orally spent in making the Yuletide at.
mosphere about the presidential home
This, the Hoovers believe confidently
can be done without detracting the
slightest from the genuine fun and hap.
plness OF the White House observance
Already Mrs. Hoover is personally
checking up on what was spent on
Christmas at the White House last year
Then she will figure just how much is
actually needed to have simple and
inexpensive observance, and when she
arrives at this total, the difference be-
tween the reduced amount and what
was spent for the White House Christ
mas last year, will be used in helping
those IN need. Judging from Mrs
Hoover's spirit in this benevolent
undertaking, what is finally turned over
to charity will when everything Is ad-
ded, be greatly in excess OF what was
spent last year.
Swells Other Donations
This contribution to bring Christmas
cheer will be entirely aside from the
generous donations already made by
both the President and his wife to the
various organizations engaged in dis
tributing assistance TO the poor and
distressed this Winter
However. in this unusual Christmas
plan, Mr.. and Mrs. Hoover have no de-
sire to encourage less spending. On
the contrary, to those friends To
whom they have revealed their plan,
they are insisting that just as much, If
not more, be spent this year, but that
the greater portion of 1t be spent on
the poor.
With the presence of their children
and grandchildren, the happiness of
the Presidents and Mrs. Hoover's
Christmas is assured, regardless of how
little Is actually spent on the event.
Herbert Hoover, jr, the elder Of the
Hoover boys, with his wife, and their
two elder children, Peggy Ann, 7, and
Herbert, Sd. better known as Peter,
their home In Pasadena, Calf.
Allan Hoover, who has recently en-
tered the banking business in Los An
geles, also will be at the White House
for this happy occasion.
Yule Program Outlined.
Although the Christmas expense will
be curtailed in the interest of charity,
there will be no curtailment OF Christ
mas activities at the White House.
First of all there will be children's
party two nights preceding Christmas
and another one early Christmas eve
to be followed later in the evening by
an informal party for the 'grown-ups,' .
to which few intimate friends will
be invited There will be another
childrens party Christmas afternoon.
Christmas night there viii be another
party. which will be attended prin-
cipally by members OF the Presidents
cabinet and their wives. During Christ
mas week there will be several social
affairs, including a dance for Allan
Hoover, 10 which will be invited the
young members of the Capitals most
exclusive social set.
These various parties, with the ex-
ception OF the several dinner parties,
will be strangely unlike those Of for
mer Christmases at the White House
during the occupancy of the Hoovers.
There will be no presents or favors
or refreshments This curtailment will
be a part of the saving charity
plan.
The first of the children's parties Is
to be especially interesting because OF
these omissions. The invitations 10 tnlS
lively little affair, which will be held
on the night of December %. are al
ready being delivered. The invitations,
which are. being sent n the names
of Peggy Ann and Peter" explain very
clearly the charity plan. because, at
tached to the invitation Is the following
written reminder:
Unlike Other Parties.
This is not like the Christmas parties
you usually go to, where you get lots
of toys and presents to take nome ana
very many good things TO eat.
But it is a party where you bring
toys and warm gay sweater OF canoy,
or things other children Woulo IKE
who otherwise would noI nave much
Christmas.
For Santa Claus has sent word that
he Is not going to be able, by himself;
to take care OF all the little boys ana
girls he wants to this year and ne mas
asked other people TO help him as nucn
80 Il you bring some presents with
1pu, We WIN sand then, GIL 70 n4m 20
distribute. And We VII ssoo nost o.