Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 77, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 December 1917 — CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR U.S. FIGHTERS [ARTICLE]

CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR U.S. FIGHTERS

Every Man in the Service Will Receive Some Token TURKEY FOR MEN IN FRANCE Six Hundred and Fifty Tons of Presents for Kxpedifion Were Opened Monday. Washington, Dec. 21. — American troops soon will form the principal body of the fresh strategic reserves on the battlefields of Europe and will bear the brunt of the lighting. Secretary of War lluker indicated today In hia weekly review of the war. Washington, Dee. 24.—Every American soldier and sailor, whether at home, abroad or on-tin* seas, will get a Christmas token and dinner of turkey with “fixings" this year. A statement issued by the committee on public Information telling of the preparations indicates expeditionary forces in France number approximately 350,000 men. The great consignment of Christmas gifts, according t - advices from General Pershing, wore received on time. The statement in part follows: “Transports have carried to Franca approximately 050 tons of Christmas gifts for the men of the exi>editlonary forces through special arrangement* made by the government. Over 350,000 Articles Sent. “In uddttion to the gifts, a great number were sent directly through the mails, and it is estimated that the Americans In France received In excess of 350,000 separate Christmas packages. * "All of the gift parcels were opened at an Amerioun port and their contents examined to prevent possible transmission of dangerous article* Which might have been sent by enemies. Officials in charge of this work say that the home folk sent their men a wide assortment of remembrances, most of which were appropriate for Immediate use fond ministered to the comfort of men exposed to camp or trench life. "The government shipped abroad for the Christmas dinner of all American troops hundreds of thousands of pounds of turkey of the best quality purchased in the markets of the East and refrigerated .on the ships, together with great quantities of cranberries, sweet potatoes and mince meat.

Turkey Arrives Safely. “Those supplies were consigned to the chief quartermaster of the expeditionary forces In France. The last of the several ships which transported the Christmas dinner supplies arrived safely at a port in France early last week. According to the chief of the embarkation service at Washington there was a temporary disturbance of land communication in France during the past week which delayed the distribution of the supplies to the men, but they reached their destination in ample time and the expeditionary forces will eat lurkey and cranberry sauce on Christmas day.” “Today for the first time in many years there will he little opportunity for the bluejackets to obtain leave for spending their Christmas at home. Op this account extraordinary preparations have been made to insure the best Christmas dinner that supplies from home inankets can provide for the men of all the vessels of the ravy. from the battleships of the fleet to the smallest submarine chaser in European waters.”