Evening star., 1939-12-23
THREE CENTS.
Shoppers Jam
Stores in Final
Rush
Roin Following
Rise in Temperature
Is Predicted

- IISUISISO
"A tuH page OF pictures shoD.
ting pre-ChrtstmGs activities in
Washington appears on Page
A-5.)
All Washington whirled gayly to-
day with the hurry and color Of
zero-hour Christmas preparation.
The sparkle of tinsel and the
crisp rustic of gift wrappings spread
an air of holiday cheer in homes
throughout the city as last-minute
shoppers bumped good-naturedly in
iammed department stores and
downtown streets.
Thousands of Government EN-.
ployes, already done with their
Washington Christmas celebration;
milled through Union Station, bus
terminals and the airport, ready to
race Santa Claus to their homes
elsewhere in the country.
Mail deliverymen left postal sta.
tions, their trucks and mailbags
loaded to capacity with holiday re.
membranes from out of town, on
their final pre-Christmas rounds.
Rain Predicted.
Probability that the weather
would put damper on the Christ
mas cheer of the city was forecast
today by the Weather Bureau.
Rain is expected to follow a steady
rise in temperature tonight and to-
morrow after the mercurys drop
to subfreezing levels last night for
a while bouyed hopes for a tradi-
tlonal snowy holiday.
In the evergreen and poinsettia-
decked reception hall of the White
House. four generations of Roose-
Velts gathered for the family Christ
mas celebration.
FRANKLIN Roosevelt, 3rd, who is II
months old, was the first of the
grandchlldren to arrive. He was to
be joined today by Eleanor and Cur
tbs (Slstie and Buzzie) Dali, IL and
y years old. respectively, and their
9-month-old brother, John Roose.
welt Boettiger of Seattle.
Mr.. and Mrs. John Boettieer CANA
from New York yesterday with Mrs.
Roosevelt. and the children were to
travel here today with the Presi.
dents mother. 86-year-old Mrs. Sara
Delano Roosevelt; his sister-in-law,
Mrs. j. r. Roosevelt and his former
law partner, Maj. Harry Hooker Of
New York.
Also scheduled to arrive at tho
White House today were two sons.
Franklin, jr., and John, with their
wives.
Final Touches on Decorations.
Just as in most every other homo
In the city, the final touches were
put on the decorations in the White
House today. Added bits of color
were placed on the 20-foot east room
tree, the last of 80 trees to 20 up
In the rambling halls of the man.
sion.
one celebration already has taken
place at the White House, the Presi.
dent joining in his annual party for
his 154 office employees yesterday aft.
ernoon. Each got a hearty Christ.
mas wish, handshake and a pewter
letter-holder from the Val-Kill
Shop, formerly operated by Mrs.
Roosevelt.
Similar parties, minus the White
House touch. but nonetheless ioyous.
took place in virtually every wing
OF the hundreds of Government
buildings. Employees exchanged gifts
around brilliantly decorated trees,
then hurried away for the three-day
holiday. which allowed ample time
for thousands to leave the city.
Air Traffic Setting Record.
Estimates of the mass exodus
from the Capital ranged upward to
175,OO0. The Washington Airport
reported the largest holiday traffic
In history, with scores of extra
planes on all lines unable to take
aboard hundreds who attempted to
make last-minute reservations.
Union Station still was jammed
with travellers carrying armfuls of
brightly decorated Christmas pack
ages. Officials there. however, said
railroad travel reached its peak late
yesterday and last night. Then sew.
eral hundred Naval Academy stu.
dents in their colorful uniforms
milled through the crowd awaiting
trains to speed them home for the
holidays.
Travel at the airport was de.
scrlbed by an official of the Penn.
sylvania-Central Airlines as at
least 60 per cent higher than that
last year." while an Eastern Airlines
agent said his company could use
ABOUT IL additional 21-passenser
planes. 1T couldn't get any heav.
Ter was the way the American Air.
lines described the traffic,
White House Greeting Simple.
Cabinet members remaining here
for the holidays included Secretary
OF State and Mrs. Hull, Secretary of
agriculture and Mrs. Wallace, who
nave son and daughter visiting
them; Secretary of War and Mrs.
Woodring and their three children:
Secretary of Interior and Mrs. Ickes
with 4-month-old Harold, and Sec
retary of Commerce Hopkins, who
will spend Christmas Day at the
White House with his young daugh-
ter. Diana.
Secretary and Mrs. Moreenthau
Will be on their farm at Fishkill, N.
Y. Postmaster General Farley and
Secretary of Labor Perkins joined
their families in New York TODAY.
Acting Secretary of the Navy and
Mrs. Charles Edison are at their
home in West Orange, N. j.
Attorney General Frank Murphy
is spending Christmas with his
family in Detroit.
In the mounting piles of Christ
mas greetings received by these and
other high Government officials, the
White House card was one of the
simplest. Engraved in black on
white, it said: christmas, 1939-
A Merry Christmas from the Presi-
dent and Mrs. Roosevelt"