Evening star., 1934-12-24
NATION AWAITING
CHRISTMAS SIGNAL
Roosevelt Lights Tree at
5:10-SnoW or Rain To-
morrow Seen.
Continued From First Page.)

out the nrSt OF oUU CnrlSCmaS baskets.
The Federal and District govern
ments closed at / pm. and many of
the Government workers took advan-
tage of the afternoon of to finish
belated Christmas shopping, the city's
big department stores remaining
open until 6 pm.
Only postal employees were held on
duty, and they worked harder than
in many years moving mountains Of
mail.
Wherever the United States nag
flies over military posts, the Army and
Navy made preparations for old
fashioned Christmas dinners. The
fleet was ordered to home ports
wherever possible. The 10000 men
of the Civilian Conservation Corps
also counted on special Christmas
menus, and many were granted leave
If they wanted it.
Washington's public Christmas eve
was to begin at 4:30 pm. in Lafayette
Park with a half-hour of Christmas
music by the Marine Band, including
the community singing of two carols
led by the band and the Gordon
JuTlOT f1lSIl oCIlOOi ShIOlCIS, dACStC0
by Miss Mary Minge wilkins.
First Lady to Attend.
The President and Mrs. Roosevelt
and the White House party will ar
rive at the stand built at the north
center of the park in front Of the
community tree. Here q group Of
distinguished honor guests will be
seated. An invocation will be deliv-
cred by Rev. Joseph r. Sizoo, and
there will be brief Introductory re-
marks by Secretary of Commerce
Roper.
Christmas greetings Of the people OF
Washington to the President and Mrs.
Roosevelt will be voiced by Stanley
Whalen, Troop 81, Boy Scouts Of
America, and Pauline Martin, Troop
20, Girl Scouts of America. Other
Boy and Girl Scouts will serve as
guard of honor and as guides. gate
keepers and program distributors.
As the lights blaze, combined glee
clubs will sing the opening measures
of the ancient hymn of alteration,
"Adeste Fidelis." The clubs repre-
senting the Chesapeake and Potomac
Telephone Co. and the Potomac Elec-
trio Power Co. will sing as a second
number "A Christmas Song" COM
posed by Susan Goldmark, sister-in-
law Of Associate Justice Louis A.
Brandeis. The clubs will sing Holy
Night, Silent Night" and the Marine
Band will play the "Cantique de Noel"
with cornet solo by Arthur S. Whit
comb, second leader
After the music the President will
deliver his Christmas radio message
to the Nation, and the ceremony will
close with benediction by Rev. Ed
mund A. Walsh, s. j.. of Georgetown
University.
To Distribute Baskets.
At the Salvation Army Christmas
party this afternoon Mrs. Roosevelt
will make short talk, and, in keeping
with tradition, will distribute the first
baskets. Among the honor guests
will be Secretary of Commerce and
Mrs. Roper, Mrs Harold Ickes, wife
OF the Secretary of the Interior; Sec
retary Of War Dern, Mr.. and Mrs.
Isaac Cans, Mrs Eleanor Patterson,
Newbold Noyes, Mrs Claude A. Swan
son. wife of the Secretary of the
Navy, and Mr.. and Mrs. Herbert L.
Willett, jr.; Maj. James Asher, COM
manding the District division of the
Salvation Army, will be master of
ceremonies. A brief address will be
made by Right Rev. James z. Free
man, Bishop Of Washington. Rev.
Oscar F. Blackwelder will deliver the
invocation.
The annual children's party of the
Salvation Army will be held at Temple
Corps at 1880 O'Clock this evening.
with Maj. and Mrs. Asher in charge.
The children will present q dramatic
sketch under direction of Staff Capt.
w. Herbert Bartlett, and there will be
a large Christmas tree under which
toys and gifts will be distributed,
Services Tonight.
Special Christmas services and song
services will be held tonight in many
washington churches. Special morn
ing and evening services were held
yesterday in virtually all OF the local
churches, the President and Mrs.
Roosevelt leading the Nations church.
goers to service yesterday morning.
Mrs. Cordell Hull, wife of the Sec
retary of State, will be one Of a group
of women who will hand out 1000
baskets of food to the needy of Wash
Christmas party early this afternoon
in the Thomson School. Twelfth and
L streets. Adjt. H. Mills Eroh, COM
mander of the District division. is in
charge Of arrangements. The Volun-
teers also will give toys and candy to
children of the inmates Of District
penal institutions.
Federation Services.
The annual Christmas service Of the
Washington Federation of Churches
will be held at IL am. tomorrow in
Luther Place Church, Fourteenth and
N streets, with DR.. Carl c. Rasmussen,
president Of the federation, in charge.
Rev. Rufus w. Waver will preach the
sermon. The scripture will be read
by Rev. s. B. Daugherty, the prayer
offered by Rev. Albert Evans and the
benediction pronounced by Rev. r. Y.
Nicholson. There will be special music.
Solemn midnight mass at the Fran
ciscan Monastery at Brookland will
begin with the chanting Of solemn
mathis at 10:45 o'clock tonight. After
the mass there will be a professional
to the Grotto of Bethlehem, where
services identical with those at the
birthplace of Christ will be held. Latsr,
low masses will be celebrated in the
Grotto at the Altar Of the Nativity.
Weygand's Successor Named.
PARIS, December "a R.-Gen.
Marie Gustave Gamelin, 81, was
named today to succeed Gen. Maxine
Weygang as inspector general of the
French Army when the latter re-
tires January 21.