Evening star., 1938-12-25
President Lights
Christmas 7 rec
In D. G.. Park
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.

ho CIllAl, WeI uuSh 1cll OVcI WHO'LL
ington on Christmas eve, President
Roosevelt, flooding with light the
community tree in Lafayette Park
that SymboliZed the warm cheer of
Yuletide, delivered to the Nation
pledge to work increasingly for
the spirit of this season-peace.
Hundreds who defied the forbid
ding weather and gathered with the
President in the park heard him
hail the progress of the Pan-Ameri-
can Conference at Lima, Peru. as
a happy auguary at Christmas time
and promise to do all in his power to
hasten the day foretold by Isaiah,
when men shall beat their swords
into ploughshares and their spears
into pruning hooks; nation shall not
lift up sword against nation, neither
shall they learn war any more"
Millions more listened to his brief
message of good will as three broad
casting systems carried it through
out America and to foreign coun-
tries
Destitute Remembered.
The ceremony in the square op-
posite the White House climaxed
a day in which the citys destitute
were remembered at scores of
festivities and services, a number
of them attended by Mrs. Roose-
welt.
1t followed rush of day-before-
Chricfrooc ;,, wi,
stores withstood stampedes of be-
lated shoppers, postmen worked
furiously to deliver the last OF
Christmas mail that broke records
of the City Post Office for the
season, and thousands of WASH
ingtonians left town by train, plane,
bus or in their own cars to spend
the glad day with relatives.
The forecast for today was partly
cloudy and somewhat colder this
afternoon and tonight. The Weather
Bureau said light rain could be ex-
pected tomorrow. The high yester-
day was 43 degrees at pm. and the
low was IS degrees. The tempera-
ture at 10 pm was 81 degrees, the
bureau reported.
Many Under Umbrellas.
A good sized crowd had collected
in Lafayette Park long before the
President was due to arrive. Many
of them stood under umbrellas. The
Marine Band, directed by Capt Tay-
lor Branson. gave half-hour con-
cert of Christmas music.
Then the President arrived on the
covered platform. accompanied by
his son, James. In the presidential
party were Mrs Roosevelt, Mrs.
James Roosevelt and her two chill
dren, 6-year-old Sara and 2-year-
old Kate; Mr.. and Mrs. Franklin D.
Roosevelt, jr.. and Diane Hopkins.
6-year old daughter Of Harry Hop
kins, the new Secretary of Com
merce.
After the invocation was pro-
nounced by Dr. Albert j. Mccartney,
pastor of the First Covenant Pres
byterian Church, Representative
Ross Collins of Mississippi intro
duced the President.
Mr.. Collins said the vast body of
common people throughout the
world would welcome with new fer
vor the old, familiar message of
Peace on earth and good will to
all men"
They will meet its challenge he
added, "and rally to its support with
a faith rekindled by their dearly
bought knowledge of the economic
chaos, the human horrors and the
final futility of war"
Given Washington's Greeting.
AS the President stepped forward.
sWathed in a heavy overcoat, he
and Mrs. Roosevelt were given the
Christmas greetings of the people of
Washington from a boy and a girl
Robert w. Finlay, jr.. of Troop "a,
Boy Scouts of America. and Mary
Lou Garvin of Troop 60. Girl Scouts
of the District. Mary Lou pre-
sented Mrs. Roosevelt with a beau
tiful bouquet.
The President then pushed a but
ton beside the microphones, and the
lofty fir, dark and dripping in
the gloomy twilight. swept into
dazzling color, with bulbs of every
shade blinking defiance to all drab
things and a bright Christmas to
Washington and the country The
shivering crowd cheered
"All our hearts," said the Presi-
dent, warmed by the eternal fire of
Christmas rejoice, because new life,
new hope, new happiness are in
them"
He expressed hope that "the boon
of peace which we in this country
and in the whole Western Hemi-
sphere enjoy under the Providence
c. nOOCrI1TI n Doro AsI