Evening star., 1942-12-23

to save the labor
of detaching tires from rims in case
of a puncture or blowout.
The problem Of making cranberry
sauce with little or no sugar was
bothering the housewife, and the
woman's page was doing its best to
help out with suggestions of sub
stitutes. There were recipes for
meatless and sugarless mince pie,
sugarless fruit cake, and popcorn
confections made with sirup taken
from corncobs. Boudoir caps were
the rage, and stores offered stock
ings Of high grade thread silk, in
black, white and colors," for 81 per
pair. For the little woman nainsook
nightgowns and chemises were pro-
nounced beguiling. as were white
petticoats trimmed with lace and
stiff embroidery. Ladies were being
warned that wool would be re-
stricted shortly, and therefore cos
tunes would be skimpier than usual.
(Sound familiar?)
The picture section was full Of
troops in Europe, and shots Of pretty
girls dancing with servicemen at
local canteens. Mutt and JEFF
headed the comic section. The
Knickerbocker Theater was offer
ing D. W. Griffith's Intolerance, :"
and Fair and Warmer" was play
ing at the National.
In the news Government clerks
were asking for more pay. Women
were urged not to send perishable
foods to boys at camp, as they had
plenty to eat, and gifts were too apt
to spoil. There was train wreck in
Kentucky, and railroad schedules
were going to be adjusted. The
travelling public was asked to stay
home for the holidays, so that the
trains could handle troops and
servicemen on leave. The menu for
our soldiers Christmas dinner
abroad was published, together with
the information that the turkeys
were being bought in Europe. The
boys were to eat soup, turkey with
stufflng, cranberry sauce, three vege-
tables, apple and mince pies, fresh
fruit and nuts.
A "lightless night" had been tried
out to save fuel, by darkening all
advertising signs and show window
displays. The reporter said WASH
ington presented a very eerie ap-
pearance in the half gloom" There
was speculation on the coming price
OF Christmas turkeys, for no def
mite information had been released
on the subject. There was a fuel
crisis.
Various boards were puzzling over
errors in answers to "the numerous
confusing questionnaires" that were
being sent out. 1t was commented
that every one was carrying his
own bundles, and that late shoppers
were turning the streetcars into
moving vans to get their purchases
home. 1t was patriotic duty to
rent empty rooms, to entertain serv-
icemen and Government workers on
Christmas Day. The war in the
coming year was to be on the often
sive and more open" Christina.
fell on a meatless Tuesday, but no.
body cared because turkeys, then as
now, were not on any conservation
list.
The housing problem was acute
and causing concern. Caproni was
talking about the possibility Of an
air route direct from Paris to Wash
ington. Clarence r. Wilson, Fed
eral food administrator for the Dis
trict. was getting around to publish
ing price lists for staple articles of
food in the hope Of controlling prices
Of substitutes for scarce items. This
was to be adjusted as need re-
quired.
People had done their shopping
much earlier than usual. because the
presents for the boys overseas had
to get of weeks in advance. And
the uniforms of our fighting men
lent color and anima ton to the
holiday scene along F street and
in the tea dancing spots.
Somehow. there's feeling of
This is where I came in" about the
whole picture that's comforting
We've done 1t once-and we can do
1t again!