Evening star., 1944-12-26
Christmas Mail
Still Arriving;
Rushed
Totol Handled Here
Is Less Than in 1943,
| Postmaster Says

Carloads of Christmas mail still
were arriving in Washington to-
day, Postmaster Vincent C. Burke
announced this morning. The mail
viii be delivered as rapidly as pos
sible.
The extra force of high school
boys and girls will be kept on duty
today and probably tomorrow to de-
liver the mail, he said.
The flood of mail this year was
lighter than last year, Mr.. Burke
said. Letter mail was about the
same quantity, but parcel post was
smaller. Outgoing parcels dropped
on by about per cent, compared
with last year, while incoming par
cells were about 81a per cent less
than last year.
Colder Weather Due.
Washington's fourth wartime
Christmas found the Capital cele-
orat1ng with widely varying senti-
ments, with many homes showing a
vacant chair at the table and others
ringing with joyous welcome for a
servlceman back for the HOLIDAYS.
The weather, as If in harmony
with a wartime Christmas, contin-
ued overcast, with a prospect of
clearing this afternoon. It will be
colder tonight
thousands attended religious serv-
ices and many later dropped into
churches which remained open for
medltat atl0n and praver
Cabs. Dinners Scarce.
Christmas trees and decorations
were noticeably fewer than in past
years. with the only supplies of
ornaments left over from previous
celebrations.
In downtown Washington. there
was a scramble both for taxicahs
ana Tor places to eat. Cabs were
scarce, as many drivers took the
holiday of, and so many restau-
rants were either closed or short of
nelp that it was difficult to dine out.
AT Union Station, Christmas Dav
was quieter than usual, but thou
sanos were returning last night and
early today from brief vacations
Parents, Sens Talk.
| The spirit of the day came to tho
city from around the world in radio
programs from Leyte, England and
many other places carving the
voices of boys in uniform. Touch
ing incidents came over the air in
the form of personal messages be-
tween parents here and their sons
abroad.
From England the voice of King
George VI was heard in a PRAYER
for all Allied peoples. Speaking
from the royal flreside, the King
expressed the hope that before
next Christmas the story of liberia
ton and triumph will be complete" :"
In his most optimistic wartime
Christmas message the ruler told
his subjects that the lamps which
the Germans put out all over
Europe, first in 1914 and then in
1899, are being slowly rekindled,"
and he added that I'VE long for
new birth of freedom and order
among all nations so that happiness
and concord may prevail and the
source OF war may be banished
from our midst"
| Dutch Given Hope.
In like vein, Queen Wilhelmina
OF the Netherlands sent her people
message of hope and of confidence
IN speedy liberation, telling them
that the message of Christmas
enables us to call courageous and
convincing no to the dark powers
that threaten us with destruction"
In another message to the Nether-
lands people, Prince Bernhard.
speaking as commander in chief of
the Netherlands armed forces, paid
tribute to the valor of his country
men.
Pope Plus XII, who Sunday had
called upon the nations of the world
to form an organization for lasting
peace, attended a Christmas Day
distribution of gifts to children of
refugees in the main auditorium of
the pontif1cal Gregorian University
in Rome.