Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-22
City Post Office
HandlingRe Record
Christmas Mail
Burke Predicts TotoI
Of 1000. 900 Letters
By End Of Day

By End Of Doy
A live spruce on the White House
lawn cleaned with multicolored
ornaments donated to the National
Community Christmas Tree by chill
dren, but 1t was far from a holiday
for the City Post Office, which ex-
poets to handle the heaviest outgoing
Christmas mail in its history this
year.
Postmaster Vincent c. Burke said
today that last years peak would be
topped by more than 10000 sacks.
Letter mail cancellations will reach
100000 pieces today, Mr.. Burke
predicted, making the heaviest single
day recorded by the local post Office.
Incoming mail has topped by $780,
600 pieces last years total of 24,301, :
674 pieces for the 20-day period
through Sunday.
From December / to Christmas
eve last year the local post Office
moved 498, 694 sacks of parcel mail
out of the city. Approximately
563, 800 sacks already have been
shipped out during the 20-day pc
riod, with the daily parcel business
averaging $4,000 sacks.
Hundreds of ball-type ornaments
were brought to neighborhood play
grounds by children yesterday in
answer to pleas of the District Rec
reation Department for enough
bright balls to replace electric lights
on this years tree. Not only was
the use of lights ruled out by the
White House, but each child was
warned that his ornaments had to
be an old one. No ornaments could
be purchased for the tree.
Harold Snyder and other en-
ployes of the department trimmed
the tree this morning. At mid
afternoon on Christmas eve the
President will dedicate this and
hundreds of other community trees
throughout the country with his
annual Christmas address to the
country.
As sidewalk markets began to
offer family trees for sale, tree
experts today suggested keeping the
trees in a cool place and setting
them in water until actually ready
for trimming. 1t was also suggested
that sprinkling with water just
before trimming would bring out the
green more effectively. 1t was in
Dictated that trees should be set as
far from radiators as possible to
avoid drying out.
Plans for the entertainment of
servicemen on Christmas Day have
been announced by the Soldiers,
Sailors and Marines Club. Ac-
cording to Mrs Luther Sheldon, vice
president, the club will fete 100
servicemen at dinner Christmas Day.
Dinners for war workers will be
held at the Banneker Service Center
and the Mott School
The Americanization School As
ISOLATION will celebrate Christmas
eve with dinner for the benefit of
the school from pm. on, at the
Rio Grande Restaurant, l735 F
street NV.
Carols Be Sung.
There will be a Christmas CAROL
Ing at the Public Library at 4::30
pm. tomorrow, at the invitation Of
Miss Clara Herbert. librarian, and
Miss Catherine v. Nimtz director of
the music division. A number of
local glee clubs and choirs will COM
bine in the singing, which is spon-
sored by the Music Committee Of
the Council of Social Agencies.
Christmas festivities will begin at
pm. tomorrow for the Children s
Museum, when it will be decorated.
There will be special ceremony at
a tree on the grounds, to be known
as birds Christmas tree. DR.. John
Aldrich, president Of the Audubon
Society, will speak.
Mrs. jeanette Lowe, who directs
the United Service Organization S
lounge at Union Station, said today
WAC lCdoy w oAACA SiAA
greetings to at least 10000 uniformed
guests in the last week of this year.
With her corps of volunteers, Mrs.
Lowe Is decking the club with holly,
wreaths and a huge tree.
Program At Station.
Under the Craftsmanship of Mrs.
George Beale Howard, with Mrs.
Henry ParretC assisting, entertain
rnent will start tomorrow evening
with carols sung by pupils from the
studio of Mrs. Florence Howard.
Thursday night at 7:30 o'clock the
chorus of the Girl Reserves Of the
YWCA will sing carols at the
Travellers Aid booth at the station.
The program will be repeated at the
USO lounge.
On Christmas afternoon the men
at the lounge will be entertained by
DR.. Riley Moore, magician; Eddie
Dziura, accordianist, and Ruth
Hales, singer.