Evening star., 1944-10-24

The inference is that there is
something shameful about being
Santa Claus, that it is not a nice
role to play. Which is strange
thing to happen to our habits of
thought, a strange way to look, in
our old age, upon the hero of our
early years.
Santa Claus always has repre-
sented all that is kind and gen.
erous and good in us humans and
all that is merry and bright. Santa
Claus has gladdened our hearts
and we have played Santa Claus
to gladden. the hearts Of others.
For ages he has been the symbol
of our better selves and we have
liked the SYMBOL We have been
willing to stuff pillows inside our
shirts and make ourselves ridiculous
In red jackets and cotton whiskers
to bring light into the eyes of little
children, knowing IN our hearts
that the symbol itself is not ridic-
ulous.
Fear Sucker Role.
Why this effort to belittle the
merry old gentleman now? Why
this fear that the people in other
lands may get the notion that we
really are kind and generous and
good? They know about Santa
Claus, too: he is an international
character. They know him and
have great. respect for him. Indeed,
they love him, Just as we do. So
why should we be bothered by the
suggestion that they may come to
think Uncle Sam and Santa Claus
are the same person? Don't we want
their love and respect?
The answer we give is that We
don't want to be taken for suckers.
But which is the sucker in this per-
petually reborn Christmas myth?
Haven't we always thought the
suckers were the little folks who
believe in Santa Claus? Who really
gets the fun out of the game? There's
no argument about that; it's the
man behind the whiskers, the man
learning anew each Christmas sea-
son that it Is more blessed to give
than receive.
These are very profound thoughts,
but they probably will not greatly
change the attitude of some of our
Scrooges concerning the operations
of lease-lend, UNRRA and other
Government programs in aid of
other nations. Those programs will
have to continue justifying them
selves on the ground that they are
good business" So let's look at
something nearer home. the Ma
tional War Fund. The drive to fill
that fund and the local Community
Chest funds Is now under way.
Nobody is. going. to object to
playing Santa Claus in the case Of
these funds. Everybody will be
happy to help provide food for the
hungry, clothing for the naked,
medicine for the sick
Work Well Known.
Everybody knows. about the hos
pital services of all kinds, the work
of visiting nurses, health clinics,
milk funds, the homes for homeless
children, the boys clubs and girls
clubs. the summer camps, the fresh
air farms
everybody knows about the church
charities. the homes for the aged,
the aid for the blind, the legal aid
bureaus travellers aid, Salvation
Army, YMCA, YWCA. animal rescue
leagues, venereal disease control
clinics and all the rest; all the
work that is being done to reduce
casualties here at home and save
American family life against the
day of the soldiers return. Every
body knows about these things and
believes IN the work of the Com
munity Chest.
Not everybody knows or remem-
ners, however, that all of these
necessary enterprises cost money.
All put together they cost a great
deal of money. When you add the
cost of the USO, Allied War Re-
lief, American War Prisoners Aid
and United Seamen's Service, the
total amount of money is very large
indeed. ...
1t is not possible to raise TOO much