The Washington times., 1932-12-24
FINAL SHOPPING
ADDS To ZEST
Of HOLIDAYS
Federal Offices Closed for 3
Days; Santa's SIeighs to
Run on Wet Earth

Santa Claus is scheduled to
have a hard time when he
reaches Washington on his world
wide itinerary if he insists on
using his traditional sled, for
drab skies lent support to the
Weather Bureaus prediction that
there will be rain.
Despite the weather Seer'S edlct,
however, Washington was aStir
early, thousands milling through
downtown stores making last
minute purchases for those pre-
viously forgotten.
Practically all Government &C
tivities were at standstill and
the 10000 Federal employees here
slept late reveling in the first
day of three-day holiday.
Tree Rites Today
Officially Christmas will be
ushered in at 5 o'clock this after
noon when Vice President Curtis,
pinch.hitting for President Hoover,
will throw the switch which lights
the nations Christmas tree in
Sherman Squire, south of the
Treasury.
An elaborate program has been
prepared which will be aided by
Senator Arthur Capper, chairman
of the Senate District Committee.
The United States Marine Band
will play and scores of college and
public school students will join in
singing Christmas carols.
After the exercises, which will
be broadcast over a nationwide
hook-up, carol singers will spread
over the city and entertain guests
of hotels, prisoners in jail, and
other institutions.
A telegram to Senator Capper
today said President-elect and
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt would
hear the singing over the radio.
HOOvers in South
President and Mrs. Hoover,
who departed last night for a
Today vacation in the South,
could not attend todays rites.
Accompanying the President
and his wife were: Justice Har-
Ian P. Stone of the United
States Supreme Court and Mrs.
Stone, Senator Warren R. Austin
(RO of Vermont and Mrs. Aus
tin, Mark Sullivan, newspaper
writer; DR.. Joel T. Boone, White
House physician, and Lawrence
Richey, a member of the preSl-
Dental secretariat.
Mission Has Party
With the Nations first fami'Y
absent Secretary of War Patlic I;
j. Hurley and Mrs. Hurley rc'
presented them at exercises at
the Central Union Mission, cX,
tending greetings to $500 chill
dren at the institutions annual
Christmas party.
Secretary Hurley will be honor
guest at the Christmas tree cele-
bration of the Washington Trav.
elers' Aid Association at Union
Station tonight. Carols will be
sung, directed by Miss Mary
Burnett of the Y. w. c. A. Glee
Club.
Special Christmas bags,
arranged for by Superintendent
John S. Bennett and Mrs. Bennett,
were distributed by Santa Claus
who was assisted by Secretary
Hurley and Mrs. Hurley.
The mission plans to serve ESQ
homeless persons tomorrow with
an elaborate Christmas dinner,
and also will send special bags
to the elderly men and women
at the District institution at
Blue Plains.
Others Give Baskets
The Volunteers of America will
distribute over 400 baskets Of food
to the needy today from head.
quarters in the 400 block Of
Pennsylvania Ave. N. w.
Circle 178 of the Daughters OF
Isabella will hand out baskets to
100 families.
Commissioner Luther H. Reich
elderfer made a final appeal over
radio station WRC today fol-
Christmas seal purchases, while
later in the day Representative
Kent Keller of Illinois was to
lend his voice to the plea that
everyone buy seals today and to-
morrow.
A new Christmas carol writer
by Bishop James E. Freeman will
be sung tomorrow at even song