Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-12-03

back a year
Back 10 ass
Winter VIII Ter
war seemed as
NH PICKERING near and as
horrible as II
does now. and when, I think
we had less courage than we have
today. Isn't it drawer world
now. than II was a year ago?
But that wasn't what l meant
Last year some thousands Of US
burned Peace Candles in the win
dow, and I remember very well
how the idea was invented.
A yeang business mara sales
man, as, a matter of fact, with
three children and a sentimental
side that doesn't often break
through-suggested it.
Listen" he said. why don't
you write a column about put
ting candles In the window
The way I feel Is, II we don't
remember the original meaning
of Christmas candles now. when
will we? Peace on earth, good
Will toward men,
~What I mean Il, call them
Peace Candies. Any old candle
would do. two-for-a-nickel ones,
or anything, only you'd call
them Peace Candles"
He was warming up 10 his own
idea. and / think he was eloquent
in a plain. factual way. when he
said: The shades are pulled
down in every window in Europe,
and If you lighted Peace Candle
in a window there, IL would be
seen and the whole city would be
bombed"
I don't know how many people
felt the same way, but il was a
LOT. Downtown stores had special
displays of Peace Candles. and
some of them sold out completely.
Most people used hurriP4pe lamps,
with the candles irfsfde glass
chiInneys to avoid danger Of let
ting the curtains catch fire.
I remember seeing candles In
the windows last Christmas Eve,
and realizing that each flicker OF
flame was a symbol that some one
else had exactly the same belief
And today the same felioro
oho started the Peace Candle
idea called MP. II iods in Hud-
sons" he said, and I noticed
that thsu had sign, Peace
Candles.' Somebody remembered
it from last year"
A few days ago we had a squib
about Christmas and its barbarized
form of Xmas" and Clayton
Smith. one OF our printers, sent
me a note about it. The linotypes
don't have any crosses, but Smith
and some of his friends agreed
to do some intricate work with
some hand-set type which you see
in the large-siZed line below. A
neat job OF the printers art. BY
the way. Here's the note:
"Jack-Further on the use OF
Xmas. I believe the original Of
this debased form for Christmas
grew out of the use of the fol-
lowing symbol:
tmos
"The Cross here represents
Christ.
AS time went on, the Cross
was scrubbed until II wss de-
based to an ". IL followed that
printers used an X as they set
matter from manuscript copy.
THE use of an X for the
signature of an iIliterate per-
SON grew out of the Cross as
symbol Of faith. The unlearned,
but devout, used q Cross, but
this soon became \.
CLAYTON SMITH"
TIP: i you feel that the world
is sadder than il ought to be. and
you wish you could DO something
about it-and think it's worth the
effort-the opportunity is under
your nose.
/ mean exactly that. II you'll
thumb through the pages of TO.
days Times. you'll find a blank
and story telling how 10 go al
IL. It's campaign 10 send boxes
TO soldiers who won't get home
for Christmas.
JOHN Mcclellan, our city sdi-
tor (Uhose name you won't see)
and E. Jerome Petit thought up
the idea, and trucks wIl take
the bo1es as far as Terds and
California.
Army officials say it's a swel
idea. II you want my persona
endorsement. here IL is: Your con
tributions are needed, and the
win reach the soldiers in time 70
Christmas. II you don't wal
that is.