Evening star., 1939-12-24
japanese 0utstrip
Chinese in YuIe
Celebration
Shanghai Is Only Large
City in Chino Where
Holiday Spirit Rules
By A. r. STEELE.

Chicago Daily News Foreign Correspondent.
PEIPING, Dec. % (By radio).-
The officers and men of the Ameri-
can gunboat Tutuila, away up the
Yangtze at Chungking, China's war
time capital. have just mailed out
their Christmas cards. The cards
are emblazoned with vivid photo
graphs of Japanese bombs bursting
IN Chungking's nearby streets. Thus
Is the Christmas spirit in the Far
East typifled in this, the third year
OF the Sino-Japanese war.
Christmas week opened with a
new bombing of the Chinese capi-
tal-the first in many days.
There are few evidences of the
Christmas atmosphere in Chung
king, or In other cities of the Chi
nese interior, for Christmas, as a
festive occasion, is almost unknown
to the non-Christian Chinese. New
eretheless, Generalissimo Chang
kai-shek and his wife, who are good
Methodists, will, 1t is reported, OBJ
serve the day quietly in traditional
fashion. AS usual, both are receiv-
ing many gifts from admirers the
world over.
Stores Are Ablaze.
Shanghai is the only city in China
where Christmas enthusiasm takes
hold in big way. Today stores
along its main streets are ablaze
with Yuletide decorations and
gift suggestions. Slant-eyed Santa
Clauses are holding forth in depart
ment store toylands to throngs of
chinese and foreign youngsters.
Featured novelties this season are
toy pandas labeled Mel Mel and
Su-Lln, the first of such toys to
arrive in China, though this is the
nome OF the original animals.
In Japan the Christmas idea was
embraced years ago along with other
foreign importations. Even non
Christian Japanese now accept il
as the time for celebration and the
exchange Of gifts. But this season
Japan's Christmas will not be as
Joyous as usual. Tokios y-killing
police have decreed that Christmas
must be purified, as a move toward
spiritually mobilizing the people for
the China war. Consequently, hun
dreds OF extra police have been put
on the job Of shopping out violators
Of the imposing list of new Christ
mas regulations.
Simplicity is to be the KEYNOTE.
The use Of Christmas trees is dis
couraged in order to save timber.
Tree decorations must be the scam
tiest possible; everything fancy and
extravagant is frowned upon. Spe-
cial Christmas dances are taboo
and celebrations must be concluded
within the hours fixed by the
National Spiritual Mobilizations
League. Merchants have been
warned to simplify their signboards
and newspaper advertising and ad-
vlsed not to make bargain sales too
attractive. Gifts must be plain and
inexpensive, according to the decree.
1t will be the most controlled and
regimented Christmas Japan has
yet experienced.
Toxic Streets Exude Yule Cheer.
However, the japanese people are
not letting these onerous regula-
tions interfere too much with their
Christmas hilarity. Toxic shopping
streets as usual exude Christmas
cheer, though they have lost much
of their brilliance because of the
curtailment of electricity and dec
orations.
The japanese nation is wishing
only one big present this Christmas
"a trade treaty with America-but
that is putting quite a strain on
Santa's generosity. China, too, is
looking hopefully to America for
continued support. Fervently and
Wishfully these greetings speed
across the Pacific:
From Japan, "Meri Kurisumasu":
from China, "Kung Hsi. Sheng
Tan" congratulations on the holy
birthday.
Copyright 1899. by Chicago Daily
News Inc)