Evening star., 1937-12-22
White House Is Decorated
For Old-F dslli0ned Christmas
traditional Roosevelt YuIe Planned.
With Children and Grandchildren
Gathering around Tree.

Just the same as the Roosevelt grand
children.
Other family members besides the
President and Mrs. Roosevelt who are
to join in the White House Christ
mas festivities include James Rocse-
welt and his wife Betsy, who have
home in Georgetown, but who will
come to the White House the day be-
fore Christmas and remain until Sum-
day; John Roosevelt, who will come
here from Harvard University accom-
panied by his fianeee, Miss Anne Clark
of Boston, and Franklin Roosevelt. jr.,
law student at the University of Vir-
ginia, who, with his wife, the former
Ethel du Pont. is expected to motor
up from Charlottesville Christmas Eve.
Young Franklin Roosevelt plans to
leave after the Christmas dinner and
then motor to Delaware to have an
other Christmas dinner that night
with his wife's parents.
Mrs. BoettiEer in West.
Mrs. John Boettiger, only daughter
OF the President and Mrs. Roosevelt,
with her children, Sistie and Buzzie,
will spend Christina. at the Boettiger
home in Seattle, while Elliott Roose-
welt. second oldest of the Roosevelt
boys, will spend the holidays with his
wife and small child at his ranch near
Fort Worth, Tex.
In addition to the immediate
family, other members of the Roose-
velt clan will be on hand as house
guests. These include Mrs. j. R.
Roosevelt of New York, widow of the
Presidents only brother; Hal! Roose-
welt, also of New York, brother of
Mrs. Roosevelt, and Harry Hooker,
former law partner of the President
and Dutchess County, N. Y, neigh
Dor.
Christmas decorations for the White
House will be virtually the same as in
the past There will be electrically
lighted Christmas trees on the front
portico and huge lighted wreath
above the main doorway. Inside the
mansion, on the first floor, there will
be a number of small, untrimmed fir
trees in addition to the customary
number of poinsettia plants, green
streamers and mistletoe.
In the east room, there will be a
20-foot fir tree, which will be on ex-
hibition for the general public, in
addition to the family tree on the
second floor.
Mrs. Roosevelt personally will
superintend the trimming of the latter.
President Roosevelt will follow his
custom of many years by gathering
the family about him in the living
room on Christmas eve-to read aloud
Charles Dickens Christmas Carol" F"
Earlier in the evening the President
and Mrs. Roosevelt, together with
other members of the family, will
participate in the exercises at the
Community Christmas tree in Lafay-
ette Park. There Mr. Roosevelt will
make brief Christmas address.
which will be broadcast throughout
the land.
1t has been a custom for years for
the youngsters of the Roosevelt house
hold, which at this time means the
grandchildren, to bring their filed
stockings to Mr.. Roosevelt's bedroom
the first thing on Christmas morning
and to romp about on his bed while
they empty the stockings.
Church Service on Program.
Later in the morning the President
and other adult members of the fam
lily and house guests will receive their
presents, and after breakfast they
will attend special services at the
Church of the Covenant, held under
the auspices of the Washington Fede-
ration of Churches. The sermon will
be preached by the Rev. Peter Mar
shall, pastor OF the New York Avenue
Presbyterian Church.
Christmas dinner at the White
House is scheduled for pm. Usually
Christmas dinner is served in the eve
ming, but this has been changed on
account of the young children in the
party. However, there will be an
other Christmas dinner at the White
House that evening.
Mrs. Roosevelt will begin her round
OF Christmas festivities early, taking
part tomorrow in the Central Union
Missions celebration at the Capitol
Theater; making the round Of various
other nhilanthropic organizations and
then doing most of the work herself
in trimming the family tree after
the youngsters have retired on Christi
mas eve.