Evening star., 1949-12-23
Christmas Spirit
Takes 0verCity
Despite Rain
Thousands on Way
To odd Home Town; !;
Late Shoppers Out

A holiday spirit that breeze
swirled rain couldn't dampen
took over the Capital today.
Thousands had left the city,
or were to leave during the day,
to spend Christmas in the old
hometown" But other thousands
were busy here with next-to-the-
last-minute preparations for fam
ily celebrations.
Late shoppers, hurrying throug4l Il
the drizzle. found the peak rush
had passed. They also found
stocks depleted by record buy
ing spree.
1t was a day of work in Govern
ment offices, but only technically.
While few approximations
workers toiled, Uncle Sam smiled
tolerantly at the Office parties
which occupied most of his civil
servants.
Winter Also Moving In.
The Weather Bureau promised
winter would be back in time for
Christmas. A cold front from the
Northwest was nudging its way
into the area to displace the warm
air which sent the mercury to
66 degrees at 2:55 p.m.-highest
for the date in so years.
Breezy and colder was the pre-
diction. The forecaster said the
rain. possibly mixed with wet
snow. would end late today,
to be followed by a clear night
with low temperatures of about
Is degrees in the city and 20 in
the suburbs.
Tomorrow will be partly cloudy
and continued cold, he added. He
didn't hold out any hope Of a
white Christmas.
White House Tree to Be Lighted.
The nostalgia strains of carols
and other Christmas music will
accompany the lighting of the
National Community Christmas
Tree on the south lawn Of the
White House tomorrow afternoon.
The southeast gate of the White
House will be opened to the public
at $3.50 pm. tomorrow. with the
program scheduled to get under
way at 4:30 pm.
~Presidos1t Truman WIN light the
tree by remote control from his
home in Independence. Mo-. at
about Sis pm. He then will
give the Presidents annual Christ
mas greeting to the Nation via
radio and television. Interior Sec
retary Chapman will preside at
the ceremony.
Press Club Chorus to Sing.
The program at the White
House will open with Christmas
music by the Marine Band and
the cornet solo, "Cantique De
Noel" which has become a feature
OF the tree lighting through the
years. The Nationl Press Club
Chorus will sing carols.
The invocation will be pro-
nounced by the Very Rev. J.
Hunter Guthrie. president of
Georgetown University, while the
benediction will be by DR.. Paul
F. Douglass, president of Ameri-
can University. ..
The greetings of the people of
Washington to President and Mrs.
Truman will be expressed by Boy
Scout and a Girl Scout. Chosen
for this have been Lynn Piercy,
10, daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Cor
don c.. Piercy. 8410 Woodcli1
court, Silver Spring, and Virdell
E. Munsey, Is. son of Mr.. and Mrs.
V. E. Munsey, 4513 Western ave-
nue. NV.
Peak Load on Transportation.
All forms of transportation were
carrying peak loads today. The
bulk Of the travel was away from
Washington-mostly Government
workers with families elsewhere.
But the flow of holiday celebrants
arriving to spend the season here
was substantial, too.
Dozens Of extra trains piled the
WaShington-NeW York run.
Across the Nation, shopping
volume was approaching last years
record. Many Capital merchants
(See CHRISTMAS, Page A-5o