Evening star., 1942-11-26
Thanksgiving
Continued From First Page

est harvest in the history of our
Nation his proclamation said, I'VE
who plant and reap can well resolve
that in the year to come We wilI
do all in our power to pass that
milestone; for by our labors in the
field we can share some part Of the
sacrifice with our brothers and sons
who wear the uniform of the United
States"
The Rev. Howard S. Wilkinson,
rector of st. Thomas Episcopal
Church, the Roosevelt family church
here, was in charge of the sermon
less service.
The President and his wife ex-
pected no special guests for dinner
this year. They planned to eat the
turkey i'll the evening after the
President completes his days work.
White House Menu.
The menu includes clam cocktail,
clear soup, roast turkey with chest
nut dressing, small sausages and
beans, sweet potato cones, Spanish
corn, cranberry jelly, grapefruit
salad, pumpkin pie and cheese. ice
cream and demitasse cups of coffee.
Though the Roosevelts have lin
tied themselves to one cup of coffee
day, they manage to squeeze two
cups out of it by using hot milk with
their morning portion and drinking
only demitasse cups. at. night
Washington, observing its first
wartime Thanksgiving in "a years,
was witnessing the commingling of
the holidays traditional celebrations
with the somber overtones of war.
Against the usual background of
heavy travel, religious services, tur-
key dinners, dancing and entertain
ment, the religious note predomi-
mated, both at special services in
churches and in the prayers offered
silently in homes for the safety of
our men in the armed forces Not
since 1917 has Washington and the
Nation so keenly felt the impact of
war with its restrictions and deadly
import. ~
Unlike peacetime Thanksgiving
days, today found the great ma
jority of Government employees
working, but the District govern
ment gave holiday to most of its
employees, only skeleton crew being
retained. Private business generally
was to observe a full holiday.
Servicemen Invited to Dinner.
War Department regulations linn
iting holiday leave to 10 per cent
of the personnel of Army camps
tended to hold down the number of
soldiers here today, but those who
enjoyed liberty found Washington
most hospitable At USO clubs and
were guests at dinner and enter
tainment functions. More homes
extended invitations for dinner than
there were servicemen to accept
them, according to Grover l.. Hart
man, chairman of the Defense Com
mission of the Washington Fedora
ton of Churches.
Telephone calls received by the
Home Hospitality Committee for the
past several days emphasized the
note of citizen hospitality. Several
hundred servicemen will be guests
today in Washington homes" Mr..
Hartman said. Il cannot estimate
the number of mothers who phoned
to say they have one or more sons
in the Army or Navy and especially
desire the presence of servicemen at
dinner today, They felt that mothers
elsewhere, at home and abroad,
might be entertaining their sons and
they wanted no soldier or sailor in
Washington today to feel lonely
Servicemen were not the only ones
to be guests at turkey dinners, for
the Districts penal population num-
bering nearly 5000 also tasted this
traditional dish, andSnot at the tax
payers expense. Supt. E. A. Green
pointed out that the special Thanks
giving meal for 739 District Jail in
mates. l.400 at Lorton Penitentiary
and 800 at the Occoquan WorkhouSe,
was paid for out of earnings from
canteen operations. The inmates
were served turkey and cranberry
sauce, mashed potatoes, pumpkin
pie and coffee.
Railroad traffic was heavier late
yesterday afternoon and last night
than on week ends, it was reported
at Union Station, and was regarded
as equal to last Thanksgiving eve
train travel, despite pleas of Gov
ernment officials that travel be re-
stricted as much as possible Many
Government employees who have
holiday today took advantage of the
opportunity to take short trips
North, South or West. Extra
coaches were pressed into service to
convey, crowds out of Washington
yesterday. Bus and plane travel
also was exceptionally heavy.
with soldier sailor leave from
camps restricted, relatives travelled
hundreds of miles to visit sons and
+" brothers in the camps and shore
establishments.
Washington went all-out in en-
tertaining servicemen. The unfor-
tunates also were befriended.
4 Thanksgiving supper for $50