Evening star., 1948-11-26
Thanksgiving Festivities End
For Thousands Remaining Here

For thousands |
Washington went back to work
today-except for several thousand
Federal employees and school teach
ers and pupils-after a Thanksgiv-
ing day that brimmed over with
turkey. clear weather and good fell
lowship.
The Nations top Federal worker,
President Truman. was at his desk
from $50 m. to 1:50 pm. yesterday
in the almost deserted White House
executive Offices. He and his family
sat down to a 16-pound roast turkey
in Blair House at 7 pm. Earlier in
the day Mrs. Truman and their
daughter Margaret attended serv-
ices at Washington Cathedral
The traditional American holiday
took on a special meaning to 1870
delegates of the Food and Agricul-
tural Organization Conference who
were dinner guests of go farm
families in nearby Maryland and
Virginia.
Typical of the spread laid before
the delegates was the dinner at the
Blossom Hill Farm in Fairfax
County where Dip Narain Sinha and
Rajeshwar Patel Of India were
guests of Miss Edith Rogers and
her brother. Holcomb Rogers.
25-Pound Turkey Served.
A 25-pound turkey which went
into the oven at 8 am. and came
out at pm, Drowned to a turn
was surrounded on the large family
table with dishes Of white and sweet
potatoes, kale, peas, lima beans,
cranberry jelly, sour and sweet
pickles and apple sauce. For des-
sert there was mince pie, ice cream
and cookies. ..,.
1nspea sscOw..
Mr.. Sinha and Mr.. Patel arrived
at the Rogers farm shortly after
noon and quickly made themselves
at home. Mr.. Rogers, still in over
alls because, as he explained,
dairy farmer never has a holiday,
greeted the visitors and led them on
an inspection of his model barns
where SO cows were chewing their
cuds.
I'm glad they're coming" Mr..
Rogers said before his guests ar
rived, "but we're not putting on
fancy for them. We're
just having a regular family
Thanksgiving meal, but I hope they
don't get the idea we have a meal
like this every day"
Miss Rogers and her sister law
were concerned because they learned
at the last moment that Mr.. Sinha
is a vegetarian. But he soon put
them at ease by explaining that
he liked the vegetables they had
cooked and that Mr.. Patel loved
turkey.
Ask Farming Questions.
Seated around the groaning table
with the foreign visitors were Mr..
and Mrs. Rogers and their children,
James, 5: Katherine, 3, and Susan
l.; niece, Mrs. Maurice w. Nixon
of nellie Vile, Pa. her husband
and their three children, William,
IA; Holcomb, II. and Sarah, 6; Miss
Mary Eleanor Rogers, another niece,
and the Misses Edith and Dorothy
Rogers.
After dinner the men adjourned
to the parlor where, before an open
fireplace in the 80-year-old farm
house. Mr.. Sinha and Mr.. Patel
piled Mr.. Rogers with questions
about farming.
At 4:30 pm. the visitors were
driven to Fairfax where they re-
joined other FAC delegates, who
had been dining at other farms in
the county, for the trip back to
by bus.
The Department of Agriculture
Service, working through
the county agents in the nearby
counties, arranged the novel holiday
for the FAC dele
gates.
About 25,0OO Government workers
enjoyed today as part of their an
nual leave, the Civil Service Com
estimated. Some $4,000 of
these have been out of the city
since Wednesday and will be among
the more than 125,000 persons ex-
pected to return through Union
Station, bus terminals and National
Airport by Sunday night.
Four-Day School Holiday.
Public and parochial schools have
a four-day holiday until Monday,
but banks, libraries and most busi-
ness establishments and Offices were
open today.
Worshipers at many churches
joined in Thanksgiving services
and heard sermons stress
ing gratitude for this Nations
and the responsibility to
share that bounty with others to
promote peace and recovery
Enjoyment is not a sin but in
gratitude is" the Rev. Theodore o.
Wedel, Washington Cathedral can
on, said at the II am. service, in
urging Americans to be mindful of
the needs of their fellowmen
throughout the world.
Chief Justice Vinson, Secretary
of the Interior Krug and Presiden-
tial Secretary Charles G. Ross were
among Government officials at the
thirty-ninth annual Pan American
mass celebrated at ST. Patrick's
Church, Tenth and G streets NV,
by the Most Rev. Patrick A. O'Boyle,
Archbishop of Washington, and
urno;dad QUAR- hv fha Most Ray