Evening star., 1937-12-24
PRESIDENT L|GHTS|
YU[E TREE TONIGHT
AT CELEBRATION
Lafayette Park Ceremony
Will Officially Inaugurate
Nationwide Season.
CANDLELIGHT SERVICES
IN VARIOUS CHURCHES
Roosevelt Christmas Greeting to
Be Broadcast at Sis PM.
Marine Band Concert.

The hustle and hustle of Christmas
preparations virtually out of the way,
Washington today was ready for the
traditional observance of the Yule sea-
son which will begin officially at dusk
today when President Roosevelt lights
the National Community Christmas
Tree in Lafayette Park.
A dizzy round of Christmas parties
in all parts of the city was to come
to temporary halt tonight as thou
sands of Washingtonians planned to
attend candlelight and midnight serv-
ices in churches of every denomina-
ton, heralding the beginning of a
three-day period of religious OBJ
servances.
The weather outlook for the holiday
was anything but cheerful, the fore
caster predicting occasional rain this
afternoon, tonight and probably to-
morrow, when it will turn colder The
mercury is not expected to reach the
freezing mark overnight, however
At the lighting of the tree this eve
ming, the President will press but
ton on the same switch box that has
been used Is years for this purpose.
His signal will go to the Nation by
radio at $40 pm. resulting in the
simultaneous lighting of community
trees in all parts of the United States.
Ceremonies Start at PM.
The Lafayette Park ceremonies will
begin officially at pm, with the ar
rival of the President and the pro-
gram will be broadcast over three
Nationwide radio networks from 5 to
$50. A half hour of Christmas music
by the Marine Band, beginning at
4:30 pm, will precede the exercises.
Although the same switch box will
be used, it will bear new silver plate
engraved for it by the Electrical In
stitute, bearing the names Of all the
Presidents who have used it to herald
the beginning of Christmas seasons
during the past decade and a half
So far there are four names of Chief
Executives on the box. There is room
on the new plate for entries for an
other Is years.
Another innovation at today's cere-
mony will be the use of four toned
chimes to signal the lighting of the
tree. These chimes will ring out as
the President presses the button light
ing the tree and will be broadcast as
a signal to hundreds of waiting COM
minutes.
A carefully timed program has been
worked out for the Lafayette Park
ceremonies. After the opening con-
cert, promptly at O'Clock, three min
utes will be devoted to the arrival of
the President and his party by auto
mobile from the White House.
The invocation will be delivered by
the Rev. Russell J. Clinchy, who will
have two minutes, and this will be fol-
lowed by a three-minute introduction
by Senator Elmer Thomas, Democrat,
of Oklahoma. From sos to $40
greetings will be given the President
and Mrs. Roosevelt by the Girl and
Boy Scouts.
One minute is allowed for the Chief
Executive to light the National Com
munity Christmas Tree and then Mr..
Roosevelt will deliver his greeting to
the Nation from Sill to 5:18p.m.
Christmas carols will be sung by
the Schola Cantorum of the National
Capital Parks, directed by Maestro
Arturo Papalardo and there will be
130 members in the chorus. This
&C. xyI,y - --.-----