Evening Star Newspaper, December 25, 1925, Page 2

MOTHERS' AIDBILL ‘FIRST T0 COME UP Will Be Tackled by Senate D. C. Committee After Holiday Recess. tion to provide dependent children District matter to leg roposed accompl in detn com »r Copeland of 1old hearings on aid within a the reassembling of c N President Voiced Need. in his annual referred 10 the legislation in the Dis- financial assistance to iable to them to ren yildren | inquirie The ('« Sena stration » Hoard e mothers 1d fund in haritie Must Take Legal Action provide thut in cases of the mother would rd that every sen made to compel support the children Stion of street car merger . chairman of the Dis- icated that he ble time to see companies ma voluntary consolidation before considering further thject. The chair- Juch with devel- the bod the FLEEING BANDIT TRIO WOUND POLICEMAN Alexandria Storekeeper Robbed of $2—Culprits Leave No Trace. ) Thie Star . December heen found of three «d in an automobile store of Abraham morning and shooting lex Stewart in the hand 1t them aped upon the running auto us it sped away from at 2015 King street, 1s the shot was fired, the ma- chine turning and disappearing in the darkness. It was shortly before mid- night that the hold-up occurred. Levy lives pver his store, which had dome a large Christmas eve business, but the bandits got only $2 from him. Police- nan Stewurt went to Alexandria Hos- al for treatment, and was later re. vorted to be in no serious condition. TOMB OF MAHOMET HIT IN SEIGE OF MEDINA One Minaret on Mosque of Prophet Also Damaged by Stray Bullets. By the Associated Press. BOMBAY, Indla, December 25.— The tomb of Mahomet at Medina, Arabia, was hit by stray bullets and one minaret on the mosque of the Prophet was damaged, but re- ports that the dome was cracked during the selge of Medina by the Wahabi tribesman are false. This in formation is contained in a message sent to the Khalifate committee by a «leputation which is investigating con- ditions in the Hedjaz Two mosques were hit by shrapnel from guns of King Ali's forces. The tomb of Hamza, Mahomet's uncle, as well as other domes and historical monuments, escaped damage. The messgge adds that various quantities of arms, ammunition and five wire- less sets were captured by the Waha- bis, who under command of Sultan Ibn_Saoud, took the prophet's city on December 10, after inflicting a sovere defeat on the forces of King Ali of Hedjaz, who subsequently ad dicated. VIRGINIA GOVERNOR FAILS| TO PARDON GARRETTS Sixteen Others Freed on Christmas While Brothers, Who Killed Preacher, Stay in Prison. Spectal Dispatch to The Star. RICHMOND, Va., December 2 Sixteen State convicts were given their liberty for Christmas by Gov. "Prinkle, the Garreit brothers of Cum- berland County belng not among hem. Robert and Larkin Garrett, formerly prominent business men, are serving five and four year terms for the murder of the Rev. Edward Plerce. whom they churged with lander. Inma of the big ving a Christmas celebration. Work was shut down and the inmates at- tended chapel services. In the course of the day they had a show with music and a fine dinner. Hundreds of boxes have becn recefved. BEER CASES FOR FUEL. Ten Trainloads, Valued at $125, prison 000, Offered to Milwaukee Poor. MILWAUK Wis., December 25 UP)—Ten train loads of beer cases, vorth 00 and $12 but exs bel 15 100, of prohibition, will be given away by the Pabst Corporation to Milwaukee esidents Monday The gates to the old brewery ship- ping yard will be thrown open, the veritable mountains of beer cases, piled 60 fewt high, will be torn down 2nd given 15 all who may desire them. There are no limitations. In making the announcement of the are | t current prices betwecn $100,- | [Santa Claus, Ind., Post Office Holds St. Nick Letters l By the Assoctated Press i | | | SANTA CLAUS, Ind., December 25.—The Christmas hopes of rcores of young believers in Sunta Claus from Maine to Mexico lay buried in the post office this little hamlet. Next week O. of M. Martin, post- master, will ship to the dead letter found in office the missives which thelr wuy to the only village the United States which bear name of the Yuletide spite efforts of the po: intercept Sunta ral hundred al wor Claus letters them invaria- of hamed by Germal ettled here encer County Abrabam It from boyhood home, L no stdewalks, movies or lectric fountains, RABBIVISEQUITS " BODY DNDERFRE i Called Jesus Man, Not Myth, Arouses Jews’ Ire—ieaves Palestine Appeal. By the Associated Press W YORK, December use Jews protested his | recognize Jesus as a sreat world teacher. Rabbi Stephen Wise has resigned as chairman of the $5,000,- 000 United Palestine Appeal. His resignation is today in the hands of Louis Lipsky, chalrman of the Zionist organization of America. It Wi offered in response to a storm of protest trom Jews who objected to a4 speech at Carnegle Hall last {Sunday in which he said Jesus was a man, not a myth, and his tenets were essentially the same as those taught by the Jewish elders. Dr. Wise did not offer his resigna tlon, however, without first attacking the condemnation of his statements veled at him by the Agudath Hara borim (Unfon of Orthodox Rabbis) whorn he charged with having issued an “incredible edi against him, based upon “hearsay evidence’ obtain ed without ‘“even the hearing of witnesses.” The noted Jewish leader said he did not wish the resignation construed as assent on his part to the justice of at- tacks made against him. He main- (a‘hwd his loyalty to Judaism and to Zionism, und suggested it is not neces- “to offer a defense for he sary for him any word before opinion in America. Only the Mizrachi group, among the elght organizations ufMliated with the Palestine appeal, has asked for Dr. Wise's resignation, Mr. Lipsky sald. The Agudath Haraborim, he sald, is not directly associated with the ap. peal. The administration committee of the Zionist organization voted unani- mously at a meeting vesterday against asking for Dr. Wise's resignation. Mr. Lipsky sald Dr. Wise's resigna- tion probably will be taken up by the executive committee next week. He denjed a report that Zionists of Can- ada have cancelled an invitation to Dr. Wise to address them because of feel- ing aroused by his tulk. FRENCH FISCAL PANACEA UNDER DOUMER DOUBTED Left Cartel Advances Program of Its Own for Solution of Finance Problem. By the Associatad Prees. PARIS, December 26.—The position of Finance Minister Doumer has been rendered more difficult by the action of the Left cartel, which has brought out a financial plan of its own. Thus, a solution of the financial riddle, so eagerly awalted by the country, seems as far off as ever. If the cabinet is able to reach an immediate agreement on M. Doumer's plans the bills can be introduced in the Chamber of Deputies Monday. The prospect of an agreement, how- ever, seems less and less probable and it now is regarded more likely that the government will decide to awalt the January reassembling of Parliament before submitting its financlal meas- ures. Advantage would be taken of the interval to confer with the financial committee of the Left cartel in the hope of bringing about an agreement satisfactory to a majority in the chamber. | SCHOONER FIGHTS GALES. bar of Jewish Ship With 8550,000 Cargo Loses i Six Sails in Storm. MIAMI, Fla., December ). — With sixX cails gone, the schooner Bessie M. Dustin, 35 days out of Bos- ton with cargo valued at $550,000, dropped anchor off the bar here | Christmas eve, after being hammered {more than 1,000 miles off her course | by gales that threatened to rip the masts from her decks. Abcard the resting schooner, while he forgot the storms In his worry over { Christmas dinner, Capt. Willlam H. | Wilkinson. master of the schooner, told how gales—first a northwester, { then u northeaster and then a south: aw; { wester—tore his foresat sail, ) top: s. Jib and fiying forced him to head directly aw Mian When the gales ceased the schooner | made less than 53 knots in five days. {Even with a fair wind behind, the | schooner could only creep because of lack of canvas. main- ) and from | 16 TAKEN IN RAIDS. Series of Christmas Eve Round- 1 Ups Nets Little Liquor. Sixteen persons were arrested by polive last night In a series of Chris mus eve liquor ratd | The most spectucular of the ralds at 1330 Massachusetts avenue, 4 squad from the second pre. led by Sergt. J. J. McQuade and | ve N. O. Holmes, arrested Joseph Rotto, 28 yeurs old, whiie a | crowd of persons gathered outside. The raids resulted in small con- fiscations of liquor, less than 100 gal- long being seized all told. Most of those arrested were re- leased on bond, chargeed with viola- tion of the national prohibition act. mift Frod Pabst, sr. president of the | B 2L e S organization, declared that the pri- | g 5 e abject is to furnish the poor | One Killed, Two Hurt in Crash. with kindling a at| SARINA, Ontarfo, December 25 this time, when there is a shortage of | (@) —-Walter Feil of Detroit was killed oal, due to the anthracite st and hi~ brother, H. A. Feil, also of L - Detreit, and John Saver of Kitchener, : Ontarfo. were infured when the auto Found Dead After Fire. mobile in which they were riding A\LBERQURQUE, N. Mex.. Ducem- | skidded into u ditch near here yester. or 25 UP)—Jerome Alexander, 38, day afterncon. The two injured men s found dead by firemen in a room- 'ar(' in the Sarina General Hospital house here after a firc yesterday. land their injuries are not considered THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. HARDING I_EHERS CHILDREN OF FOREIGN LANDS WHO WELCOMED SANTA CLAUS’ BURNEDBY W | ’Library Collection Gap Creat- { ed by Unconscious Action | of Mrs. Harding. | 3 A wide gap in the presidential cor- respondence now being collected by and In possession of the manuscript division of the Library of Congress wis unconsciously created by the late Mrs. Harding when she, unaware of the desire of the library for her hus- band's letters concerning political and national affuirs, destroyed them. Dr. Charles Moore, acting chief of the manuscript division, today con- | firaed this hitherto unrevealed fact, | expluining he wus {nformed by Mrs. {Hurding shortly after the President’s deuth that she had burned practically | il of the correspondence. The let- ters consisted chiefly of letters writ- | ten to him and there were only a few copies of those he had written. Originals Scattered. The originals of letters written by sident Hurding are in the hands hiefly of the persons to whom they were addressed. Coples of some of these weer made and most of them {are in the v, it 18 understood, B of the Harding Memorial Association. The Libvary bas not heen nble to | obtain” poseswion, despite the fact | that they would constitute w notable {aadition to its collection of presiden- tial papers and give to President Harding proper representation. It is understood thut former Attorney General IHarry M. Dougherty is in sympathy with the idea of placing | these papers in (he Library and is using his influence in that direction. The Library is not entirely without letters with w h the former Presi- dent can he closely identified, but these number nowhere near the col lection as compared with other Presi- dents The manuseript division has been unable to date to obtain more than a few letters written by the two Adams, Ha and Garfield. With the exception of these the collection ts complete up through President Taft. Mrs. Wilon still is in posses- sion of the letters of her husband, but it is understood she has ugreed to turn them over to the Library later. Harding Link Weakest. The weakest link in the chain of presidential papers now is the Hard- ing link, and for that reason the Li- brary officfals are anxlous to obtain not only the letters in custody of the Harding Memorial Association, but alko those which Mr. Harding wrote to personal and political friends which are in their possession. If the origi- nals cannot be obtained, the Library has expressed the desire to recelve photostat coples photographs of them The Library recently completed a 16-year diligent search for letters of President Arthur. Their acquisition was accomplished only by strong and persistent appeals to the owners after they had been located President McKinley i well repre: sented In the Library, but the bulk of his letters are in the hands of George B. Cortelyou, who was private secre- tary to President McKinley and later a member of the cabinet. It is under- stood they are to be used by Mr. Cor- telyou in writing a biography and eventually they will be turned over to the Library. Harrison Collection Good. The Benjamin Harrison collection already fairly complete, was well rounded out this vear when his widow gave to the manuscript division a col- lection of letters and telegrams dressed to him. These included ters from Senators Edmunds, Allison, or Quay, Evarts, Hitchcoc! Hoar, Foraker, Lodge, W. D. Washburn Thomas W. Palmer and Thomas C Platt; Secretaries Blaine, Windom Hay; Postmaster General Wanama Vice President Morton, Chief Justice Fuller and Associate Justices Harlan, Fleld and Brewer. The George Washington papers in the manuscript division fill more than 400 bound volumes and are studied more than any others. Additions to them from year to year have been numerous and important. Mary ‘Washington papers are very rare, and Martha Washington destroyed the correspondence between the President and herself. Maj. U. 8. Grant, 3d, now on duty here, recently added to the Grant data in the collection papers relating to the battle of Hhiloh und maps used by Gen. Grant in writing his memoirs. GERMANY DISINTERESTED IN RUSSO-TURKISH PACT Relations So Friendly That Inter- ests Would Not Be Affected Even by Alliance. By the Assorated Press BERLIN, December 15 ‘The con- clusion of a guarantee pact between Rusela and Turkey is viewed by Ger- with v disinterested < the semi-official Diplo- Politische Korrespondenz. pvernment’s sentiment. German relations with Russia and Turkey are described by the news paper as so favorable that German in- terests would not have been affected if instead of an actual “friendly neu- trality” treaty the pact were more in the npture of a defensive and offen- sive alliance. It is pointed out that if a feasible compromise is attained between Fngland and Turkey in the Mosul question and Russo-German re- Jutions continue to develop systemat- feally, this agreement hetween east- ern neighbors is likely to become an instrument for th ijustment of dif- ferences between east und west, with Germany a well disposed mediator. “frienc sche reflecting t¥ | CARDINAL IMPROVED. Belgian Primate Faces Operation at End of Month. MALINES, Belgium, December 25 (#).—Cardinal Mercier, primate of Belglum, who recently suffered an at- tack of influenza and is facing the necessity of an operation at the end of this month, is resting easily In the | Episcopal Palace and is gathering strength to sustain the operation. The greatest secrecy is maintained regarding the nature of the allment which necessitates surgical treatment. It {e understood, however, that one of his legs has been in poor condi- tion for some years and that fre. quently he has had to rest for days with his leg stretched out before him. The cardinal is 74 years old. - Plane Makes Record. LONDON, December 26 (#).—Load- ed with Christmas mail for the Brit- ish army In Germany and with pas- sengers for Belgium, a big plane of the Imperial Airways flew from Croy- don_alrdrame to Brussels yesterday in 85 minutes. covering the 200 miles at an average speed of 141 miles an hour. This i{& a cross-channel record for this service. The plane had a strong following wind. An Englishman is the inventor of a strong steel cage to be hung outside fqualntances said he was a member | sérious. They were driving to Elm.ln.l‘l. window to give & baby &n airing of a wealthy New York family. N. X, for RECALL OF BBESCO HINTED IN RUMANIA Minister’s Sudden Return to Bucharest Starts Lively Discussion. By the Associated Press BUCHAREST, Rumania, December 25.—The sudden return to Bucharest of Prince Antoine Bibesco, Rumanian Minister to the United States, has started a lively discussion in Ru manlan diplomatic circles. The press iseerts tha icholas Titulesco, headed the recent debt-funding slon to the United States plained- to the foreign Prince Blbesco's attitude Washington negotiations vented the missfon from more satisfactory terms It is further declared by the press mis. com that has office during the had pre obtaining that the relations between the two ministers were so strained that M Titulesco, who is minister to Great Britain, wanted to quit in the midst »f the negotiations. It is intimated that the government s considering the appointment of a new minister £t Washington. Prince Bibesco thus far has refused to talk with newspaper men. Claims He Is Satisfled. NEW YORK, December 25 (P).—M. Titulesco smiled when shown the dis- patch from Bucharest asserting that Ar "he best proof that I am satisfied,” he added, “is that, instead of sailing at once for Europe after the agreement was reached, | spent eight days in New York. Tomorrow I leave for the great Midwestern American cities, so that T may have the opportunity to see places which I have heard much of, such as the factory of Mr. Ford and others. “Thousands of Rumanians live in these cities and I shall enjoy meeting them.” WEEKS AND WIFE HERE, BOTH HURT IN WRECK Reach Capital After Receiving Bruises in Train Crash in South Carolina. John W. Weeks, former Secretary of War, and Mrs. Weeks, who were slightly hurt in a collision of two Atlantic Coast Line trains mear Charleston, S. C., vesterday, arrived in Washington early today. They went direct to the Mayflower Hotel, neither giving any indication of serfous injury. A physician who had uccompanied the couple from Charleston did not find it necessary to go to the hotel with them. The former Secretary was bruised abou the head and Mrs. Weeks received bruises on the body, but the shock of the train crash appeared to be their most severe hurt. “our members of the train crews | were killed in the wreck and a score of nassenzars recofved slight injuries who | a disagreement has arisen between himself and Prince Bibesco at the | debt-funding negotiations at Wash fngton. He remarked that he wis very satisfied with the terms of the arican settlement. | g, | daughter of the German Ambassador. Lower left FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1925. Mrs. C. E Upper left: Mme. Prochnik, wife of the Austrian .\thkr,‘ and their children. Upper right: Edith von Maltzan, Charlton, wife of the military attache of the British embassy, and their daughter, Myra. Lower right: The family of the first secretary of the Chinese legation, Mr. Y. Yatabe. International Saint Makes {KRIS KRINGLE ON ANNUAL VISIT TO HOMES OF THE DIPLOMATS| Hearts of Little Folk Glad Regardless of Nationality and Festival Is Fea- tured According to Fatherland Customs. Leing an international saint, good old Kris Kringle visited the several hundred little folk the families listed in that compact small blue book issued by the State Depariment under the title of “Diplomatic List,” and according to word received he was just as lavish to the aliens as to the American small girls and boys. Prep arations for the coming of the patron of Yuletide were made as fer- vently {n non-Christian homes where there are children as in those who revere the Christ Child. But in a foreign corps so large as that in Washington there are natural racial groups where the youngsters observe the century-old customs. Not all the little £ 1k call this gen- erous old chap who came down the chimney on Christmas Santa Claus, nor does he arrivy Christian countries on De in { If the small son of the minister of the Nethe nds and Mme. de Graeff, who bears the solemn name ~f Jacob but is universally called “Jakie,” were in his own home, which is the very stronghold of the jolly oid saint, he would have enjoyed his good time a full 16 days ago. for on December 6, Illand commemorates the kind old bishop who loved children so much ind on his feast day the entire nation sets aside serious things and makes merry St. Nicholas is alwave pre- sented in full cancnical robes which prevents the youngsters from being as familiar with him as with good old Santa with his red jacket, white beard and marvelous-looking snow Hoots. But nevertheless, St. Nichola in Holland is a great man « Decem- er 6, and he brings bags full of toye nd good things to eat and he ~ultinlied in the public parks is all A Chily's Praper: Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep: If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. But while I live I want to be | From cross and angry passions free. With ¢cnt]e fhouflhts and happy face And pleasant words in every place. 1 pray whatever wrong Ido I'll never say what ic;not true; Be willing at my task each day And always honest in my play. God bless all those I love. For Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. over Queen Wilhelmina's realm pours forth his treasurcs on all. Amsterdam claims the honor of first celebrating the feast of St. Nicholas as the patron of children, and this way back in the opening of the four- teenth century. Old St. Nick came to New York with the first Dutch set- tlers along the Hudson, and when the exiles n later years returned to the father:und they brought a native black poy to help the saint carry his many bags. So St. Nicholas now al- | ways has a small negro lad mounted on a donkey riding behind him. But Jakie de Graeff, who never saw a Christmas, either In Amsterdam or The Hague, for he was born during his father's service as Dutch Mtnis. ter to Japan, is keeping the day just like his friends. The big tree hus teen lighted and fairly groans under its loads of toys and candies on Christ- mas eve, and all the little folk of Dutch ancestry or whose parents are in the slightest way connected with the legation were asked to the cele- bration. As the largest group in the dipiw matic corps s the Latin American, so these families contain a full third of all the youngsters who are classed ae aliens. ~ But though politically and racially united, these denizens of the western world have customs which differ as radically as those main- | tained, ¥, in New England and those which have found favor for a century or more in Loulstana or New Mexico But the invariable rule is that when a Minister or Ambassador has chil- |dren in his family, he becomes the |bhost of the children of the members |of his staff and of his country people living in Washington. All now follow the American custom and had a light- led tree, and nearly all adhere to the plous tradition of erecting under the |tree a replica of the manger, with the Holy Child and the mother, St. Joseph, the shepherds, the various animals mentioned in the Scriptures, and some even picture a snow scene, with the wise men making their way, guided by the star. In the home of the Ministers from Panama, Colombia and Uruguay and of the Ambassador from Mexico there was merrymaking all day on Christ. mas eve, and the children of the en- vovs aced as hosts. All of these small believers in Kris Kingle have been resident of Washington for a year or two past. Little Emilia de Tellez and her brother Manuel, children of the Mexican Ambassador, acted as s at their party. Senora Tellez and the latest brother, Luis, who is just a month old, joined the revels for a time The Minister from Colombia and Senora de Olaya have two little girls Maria and Lucia, who are spending thelr third Christmas here, and who are quite famillar with procedure. So, too, the small children of Senor and Senora de Alfaro of Panama will keep open house and have many pic- | turesque celebrations during the holi- | day season. M. Varela of Urusuay | has been here for five years, and the quite_steeped in three children are Washington traditions. The largest and most picturesque’ family, nine and | children of the former Minister from Ecuador and Senora de Elizalde, will Though Senor resent on a special mis- his delighttul not be here this year. Elizalde {s at sion to Washington, family Is in Quito. ‘Central America's Group. Central America has a compact group of diplomats, many with inter- esting _ youngsters. The Minister from Honduras, Senor Luis Bogran, and his family are passing their first Christmas here, and they are observ- ing the day with all traditional cere-| monial. There are two boys, Luls, 5, and Fausto, 2. The charge d'affaires of Salvador, Senor Hector David Cas- tro, has a pleasant home on Ontario road and abundant room within and without for & fine Christmas celebra- tion. There are three children in the Castro homme.dmlim":: is 7. be comes master No spot in Washington ¢ werrier than the Austrian legation from the eve of Christmas until January 6, when the older Christian nations celebrate with solemn services the coming of the Magi or the Christmas of the Gentiles. Mme.Prochnik has a charming group of four, of whom Loranda, who is 12, is the daughter by M. Prochnik’s first wife, and the others, Valerie, 8; Edgar, 6, and Patricia, 4, are her own. Being a daughter of Massachusetts, Mme. Prochnik, who was Miss Gretchen Stirling dames, follows in part her own ways and will have a party on De-, cember 28, Feast of the Holy Inno- cents. Otherwise the century-old customs of old Vienna are fully ob- served in the Austrian legation. There are fewer children than usual in the rman embassy circle thls year, and of these, the daughter of the Am- bassador and Baroness Maltzan, Edith, o 7, had a merry evening on Christmas eve, and invited the little Dieckhoffs and some of the young- sters of the clerical staff families. But Miss Edith is just a bit too old to take an absorbing Interest in Kris Kingle, and the main feature in the embassy will be the Ambassador's din- ner to his staff. Observed by War-Made Nations. Those nations which became Sov- ereign states through the late war keep the feast with all the solemnity which was denied thera during the vears they bowed beneath the Rus- an yoke or were part of Germany and Austria. No celebration s more stately than that at the Polish lega- tion, where the feast of Christmas be- gan when on the Christmas eve the first star appeared in the evening sky, and when, with lighted tapers, the entire staff of the Minister, their families and the domestics, went to the manger erected in a distant part of the drawing rooms and chanted their stirring hymn of thanksgiving that they are at last free. For years they sang thay awful de- nunciation of Russia and their ene- mies, calling on Heaven to see their blood and witness their wrongs. Now the glorious white eagle emblem of Poland in her glorious past is to be seen everywhere in the legation float- ing over the banquet table, in the fces and confections and stamped on the prety menu cards used during the holida A fish dinner was served last night, after which it was time for midnight mass, Christmas eve in Catholic_countries like Poland being a day of what is called the black fast. The new Polish envoy and Mme. Cienchanowska have two sons, Jan and Ladislas, who are four and two vears old. Very jovous celebrations are In order in the homes of the envoys from the Baltic republics. The Latvian Minister and Mme have three hildren who were here for two Christmases before the then charge daffaires was called home to become minister of foreign affairs at Riga. George is eight years old and attends the Force School, and he looks wise when people talk of Santa Claus. Mirdza is six years old and she may have her doubts, but she discreetly keeps them. to herself, while Andre, who s four years old, has been the busiest member of the family in his preparations for the great day. Lithuantan Home Program. The Lithuanian Minister and Mme. Bizauskiene have two youngsters, Alda, three vears old, and Dromo, five vears old, and they dispensed hos- pitality and presented all gifts. Merry-making began after Lithuanian tradition at dawn on Christmas eve day and continued until midnight, when the religious feast began. For the first time In several years there are no children from the land of Bo- hemia, Slovakia and Croatia. Last year the pretty little daughter of the agricultural attache and Mme. Kurak were central figures, but they are spending the holidays this year in their beloved home in Prague. Christmas was a gay day at the British embassy when the charming family of Sir Auckland Geddes was in residence and it began as it should, at midnight when the “waits” sang Christmas carols beneath the great portcochere of the embassy, on Connecticut avenue. The em- bassy staff is observing six weeks of mourning for the Queen other, but this will not affect the usual holiday events for the « There are the small Chiltons, cnildren of the counselor, Henry Getty Chilton, for whom their grandparents, the former American Ambassador to Ja- pan and Mrs, Thomas J. O'Brien, as- ldren. ’ VISIT TO WASHINGTON GREAI GHRISTMAS RUMTOLLIS SEEN Dry Officials Expect Record- Breaking Number of “Poison” Deaths. BY ROBERT T. SMALL. ‘While Government departments and Government circles generally were celebrating today what they consid- ered to be one of the happiest, most prosperous and contented Christmases the country ever has known, there was one cfficlal bureau to which the Christmas cheer failed to penetrate. This was the Bureau of Prohibition Enforcement. There the officials professed them selves to be in a state of dread posi tively bordering on terror. They were thinking of the toll of Christmas deaths to be claimed by bootleg liquor It is claimed that the toll from “poleon alcohol” this year will be greater than ever before. Even prior ° *ha holiday season the total of deatrs in virtually every area from which statistics are recelved hat been higher this year than at anv time since prohibition went Into effect Cite Figures in Case. The prohibition authorities and the “dry” leaders of the Nation avow that the deaths are due to “potson in the liquor, and they have issued figures to show that out of 50,000 samples of seized liquors fully 98 per cent were of poison. This statement is hotly contested by the “wets” and by the chemists of some of the wetter cities of the coun try. They claim the deaths are mnot mounting because of pois consumed, but are due fact that the people are drinkinz barder than ever in the communities where they are drinking at all. Thev claim the hospital records will show the great majority of alcoholic deaths due to the quantity consumed rather than the quality. People drark them- selves to death in the days of zen erally “good” lquors, and, according to the wets, they are resuming the custom in even greater numbers with each passing yvear of inability to er force the Volstead act Some of the prohibition authorit believe that appeals to the drinkin: classes, if not the masses, on the ground of poison contained in the available liquor today, are the 1 resort in an effort uphold prohibition law. In other wor the authorities are trying at las to obtain an observance of the law as the one real means of enforcement Authorities Engulfed. During the first years of the Vol stead act it naturally was the aim of each appointed agent and cach ap pointed director of prohibition en forcement, to make as many arrests as possible and thus point with pride to the record established. But the |offenders against prohibition have in creased far more rapidly than have the arrests and the prohibition au thorities have found themselves ali but engulfed in the rising tide of il ticit_alcohol With this come the ri found to contain some sor to th \ ng tide of alcohol has tide of alcoholic deaths. Always at Christmas time.- the happlest season of the year, the list leaps upward in a sort of devil's dance of delight at the frailties of the human rac This is particularly true in the very wet centers, such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Detroit, Francisco and other large cities. In New York it is said there have been in the first 11 months of this year 511 deaths as against a total of only 87 in the entire year of 1918. The vear of 1913, by the way, was the low-water mark for alcoholic consump tion in this country. The Volstead act had not then gone into effect, but the manpower of the country was { either mobilized in the Army or in es | sential industries and there was spirit of “win the war" abroad in the {land. The great outburst of renewed drinking came in 1919 and subsequent years. Claims Differ Widely. The prohibition enforcement officers put the 511 New York deaths down to “poison liquor.” The wets put them down as just plain “‘alcoholism.” The holiday rush for liquor has been on for several weeks and the au- thorities are convinced the total of deaths this year will be staggering to the people of the country as a whole The “drys” will use these figures as an argument for still greater efforts at enforcement; while the “wets” will use them as a demand for repeal or modification of the Volstead act, tak inz the ground that as the people cannot be prevented from drinking some kind of alcohol, it is far better to give them good liquors of a mini mum of alcoholic content. (Copyright. 1925.) —————— sist at their fun-making.- Pretty little Peggy Mahoney, daughter of the Canadian commissioner of exter affairs and Mrs. Merchant Mahoney and Molra Charlton make an adorable little pair and each has her own fes tivity, in which, however, all the young Britons participate, including the three small Brodericks, children of the com mercial counselor and Mrs. John Joy Broderick. In the semi-British group may be tn cluded small Princess Priscilla, daugh ter of the Rumanian Minister and Princess Elizabeth Bibesco, grand daughter of Herbert Asquith, Earl of Oxford. Little Frederick Naro shares in the frolics at the Rumanian legation. He is the son of the first secretary of the lezation and Mm no, Who is a lovely daughter o | Mexico. Other _little celebrants & Christmas are Keld Petersen, son ¢ | the secretary of the Danish legation and small John Simonoupolus, son « the Greek envoy. Egyptians Give Alms to Poor. There are delightful youngsters ir the non-Christian households who will not neglect the great feast. The Egyptian Minister and Mme. Samy are among those who are passing their first Christmas here, but their youngsters are too young to take any real interest. But the Egyptians will give alms to the poor and will extend hospitality to their official staff and to all who call during the holiday= There the are two beautiful children in home of the Perslan charg: ires and Mme. Kazemt, Ezz-ed] Din, who is 6, and Fererleh-Kazemi who is almost 5. They will have thei associates at their home durin Christmas week. The several Japa nese families having children, includ ing that of the Ambassador and Mme. Matsudaira, of the counselor and Mme. Sawada and of five other mem- bers of the staff, are observing local customs, with which they are quite familiar, because of the large num ber of Ame-rcans who keep the tra ditional Ch ® mas in Japan. The Chinese Minister and Mme. Sze always have several observances for their small Betty and Julla, for their sons are in England at school. The Minister is a graduate of the Central High School and is at present th president of its alumni and he always: bids his assoclates welcome to his home during this recognized season of greeting to old friends and welcom« to new ones. The children of the members of the Chinese Minister™ staff and of his clerical {orce are 3 m entertained and presented wit