The Courier News from Blytheville, Arkansas • Page 9

PAGE TEN Bi.rrnEvn.i.E (AUK. 1 COTJRIEH NEW? TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1953 'Gl' Is Santa Claus to Korean Waifs By FORREST EDWARDS Individually and in Kioups. SEOUL (AP) The bright- eyed, 4-year-old Korean young ster cocked his head to one side and pondered the ques tion: "Who is Santa Claus?" Then his little browr. face lit up with a knowing smile. "GI," he said confidently.

Whether he was actually aaswcr- ing the question or whether he just was repeating the one American word he knows best, it was the right answer. Practically every American and United Nations serviceman In Korea, directly or indirectly, is play- Ing Santa Claus this year to the youngsters of this war-ravaged nation. The response of the servicemen is so universal that to enumerate the Santas would be to give away I military secret. The recipients, mostly youngsters, of thousands. There Isn't an American Army unit in Korea that hasn't adopted one or more orphanages or villages of Korean youngsters.

The 27th U.S. Infantry Wolfhound regiment, for example, has adopted two oprhanages, Korean hospital, and a home for widows arid children in the Seoul area. Support Orphans In addition, the Wolfhounds are continuing their four year support to the Holy Family Home for Orphans in Osaka, Japan, to which they have contributed more than J15.000 money and yearly Christmas parties since 1949. Throughout Korea, other service- have given hundreds of thousand; are still duinn it. Units along the front line, where there are no orphanages, are moving Into small villages and towns, organizing Christmas panics complete with presents for youngsters and adults alike.

Thousands of gifts, especially desperalely needed warm clothing, already have arrived In Korea fro.m the folks back home. More thousands of packages destined for Korean youngsters are on the way. Some probably won't arrive until after Christmas day. Because so many gifts contributed by families of American are of the "practical" variety, many servicemen themselves have ordered toys from the U.S. and Japan.

All recognize the need for warm clothing but many feel the Korean youngster also should get a little un out of Christmas. 3 Tons of Toys Men and officers of the U.S. Oth 'orps, for example, ordered three ons of toys through the Corps civil affairs officer. Scores of service handymen ashloned toys for youngsters in a mass production workshop set up the special services tent at the 57th Field Artillery battalion. Other units have similar projects going full blast.

The goal is at least one toy plus a complete winter clothing outfit for each youngster in its adopted orphanage or village. A highlight of most of the Christmas parties will be cartoon movies. Even the shiest Korean youngster is inclined to chuckle at those and the bolder shout their enjoyment (with the same abandon as American children. As for party food, there will be nuts, candy, fruit, probably turkey, but the old reliable standby will be ricp. Until you have Been a hungry Korean child attack a bowl of rice, you have never seen a child really settle down to se- Men and officers of three Signal Corps posts in the United Ft.

Monmouth, N.J.: Camp Gordon, and Camp San Luis Obispo, helping the 22nd Signal Group in Korea sponsor a children's home In Seoul rioius eating. It's a sight that never fails to amaze the American soldier. Still I.Ike Rice "They eat rice practically every day they get something to eat," one bemused soldier said at a Christmas party last year, "and yet look at them lined up at that table. They have passed up damned near everything at the i table to get to their rice bowls first." Every unit in Korea has Its own story or stories about the cooperation and help from the people back home who opened their hearts to servicemen's appeals for Christmas gifts for Korean children. Hundreds of towns in practically every state came through with clothing drives, money donations, many as a direct result of an appeal from one of the town's own servicemen.

In Camp Bcllcsville, for example, the Rotary club and churches responded to the appeal Sgt. Lewis Bell forwarded to his wife, Lydla. Last year those three stateside posts contributed more than $0.000 and several tons of food, clothing and toys. In Solvang, the story goes. a group of youngsters played "tricks for clothing for Korea" on Halloween as part of that town's answer to an appeal from Sgt.

Donald Nielsen. Pledged 51500 The Chamber of Commerce of Grants Pass and Josephine County, pledged $1,500 from the merchants and citizens of that area to the U.S. 10th Corps Christ- sparked by Col. R. E.

Button, senior reserve officer of the Oregon military district, who once served with Col. Andrews Gamble, now 10th Corps civil affairs officer. Tenth corps also got $200 from the Ladles Club of Ft. Monmouth, N.J. Mrs.

Mary Epstein, cub president, said the money came from profits of a thrift shop run by the club. The Parent-Teachers Assn. of Napa, collected a ton of winter clothing and shipped it to Families of men and officers of 5th Air Force had sent mnre I 100.000 pounds of clothing by Thanksgiving and the packages are I still rolling in from all over the United States. Although approach of the Chrisl- nas season has intensified the American service man's year-j 'ound affair. It's part of the huge aid to the Korean people program which i i.

Maxwell D. Taylor, com- I mandlng general of the eighth army, has been promoting for months. Its unhappy aspects," Gen. Taylor said awhile back, "the Korean struggle has brought forth a feeling of kinship between our soldiers and the Korean people which is a precious by-product of our military effort." To the Korean population, as to the little 4-vear-old in a Seoul orphanage, Santa Claus is the "G.I.". Arkansas Gets FAC Appointment ST.

I.OUIS Ml W. W. Campbell, president of the National Bank of Eastern Arkansas, Forrest City, has been appointed a member of iho Federal Advisory Council to represent the Eighth Federal Reserve District for 1954. I The appointment was by the board of directors of the Federal, Reserve Bank of St. Loui.s.

The board also appointed Donald Bar-1 ger, Ruwllville. as a mem-i her of the board of the Little Rock, i branch of the bank. I Sam 13. Strauss, Little Rock, was! rcnppolnted a member of the board of the Little Rock branch by the Federal Reserve Board of Gover- I nors at Washington. Uganda natives of southeastern Africa use hair collected from heads of their dead la their coiffures.

100 PROOF BOTTIED IN BOND ALSO 90 PROOF "THE GREATEST AMERICAN YEUOWSTONE, KENTUCKY Government Parties Will Be Sober WASHINGTON Uft It may be a dry year for Christmas office parties in government buildings the drought already has reached the State Department press room. The State Department Correspondents Assn. called off its traditional Christmas party, usually attended by top officials, when Under Secretary of State Donold B. Lourfe sent the newsmen word the ban on liquor would extend into txie they use. All" office parties in State Department dlvi- ons will be nonalcoholic.

And there were signs the same rule Id apply in other government departments. Congress' Okay Of Flood Control Funds Sought WASHINGTON (If) drive for congressional approval of a 51 million dollar appropriation for flood control in the lower Mississippi River Valley has been launched by Rep. Passman Passman told a reporter a cut below the $51,400,000 recently recommended by the Mississippi River flood Control Association means that many projects in the valley would have to be discontinued or curtailed. Many projects in the lower Mississippi are 70 per cent or more completed, he said, and if they cannot be carried along to completion then some of the investment will be lost. The Greatest Gift Of All-Sight SOMERVILLE, lHass Stan- Icy Smith, 40, today has the best Christmas gift of his life his sight, after 15 years of blindness.

Smith went home yesterday after two successful operations on dense in office -typewriters? HEW Instant-Set Margim automatic, accurate, fast! NEW Touch responsive, fcathcr-lijbtl NEW "Write" clean, clear, uniform! NEW Keylever Action speed where it counts! This all-new Smich-Coroni "Eighty-Eight" Secretarial engineered for tireless touch, effortless speed and action. Try it! In your own Smith-Corona Don Edwards Co. Phone 3382 Blylheville, Ark. Italian Children Swap Yule Gifts Three Times ROME children get Christmas presents more often, probably, than children anywhere else in the world. In many parts of the country, presents are exchanged three St.

Nicholas Day, Dec. 25; and on the Day of Epiphany, Jan. 6 Even so, most Italian children won't get as many gifts as their counterparts in other Christian nations. For Italy has more than its share of poverty these days. St.

Nicholas Day is especially important in the big Adriatic port city of People sometimes say It's the home town of Santa Claus. Bar! doesn't look much like the North Pole, but there's certain accuracy to the idea. The bones of St. Nicholas himself are there. They were brought to Bar! many centuries ago from Asia Minor and lie today In a beautiful basilica close to the sea.

St. Nicholas Is a saint especially ot-chlldren, and along the Adriatic and In many other countries of Europe his day is a children's holiday with Christmas trees, toy fairs, gifts and candy. Presents are exchanged on Christmas Day in honor of the birth of Christ, as in all other Christian nations. The celebration on the Day of Epiphany marks the time when the Wise Men came with gifts to kneel before the child who was born in a manger. In the big apartment houses of Rome and in poor country cottages people celebrate this day, too, by Riving gifts to children.

In Italy this also Is called the Day of Bt'Iuna- Befana is a witch, but a Kindly one, and legend has it that she leaves presents on trees for children when her day on both eyes. I knew she would be. Her voice is He now can see for the first time wife he married three years ago. He stared at the face of the The blue crab of the eastern of the United States sheds Us shell four or five times during "She's beautiful!" he said. "Buti the first month of Its lite.

former Hazel Chipman of Millbridge, Maine. li Indeed gratifying and, lay, A MERBY CHRISTMAS TO CHARLEY'S ELECTRIC SHOP comes once a year. When it's all over and the bills come in, the fathers may find some use for the patron saint of children too. For St. Nicholas is also the patron saint of pawnbrokers.

Please all the Family this Christmas with World Book Encyclopedia All subjects hound in order like a dictionary. First choice of America's Schools, Libraries and homes. Christmas delivery guaranteed until December 18. Call BILL I'ATTON, PHONE HLYTHEVILLE. Low down payment no carrying charges easy terms.

DO NTT DELAY! Order this practical gift. TO OUR We will be closed for the Christmas holidays from loon December 2-llh, through December 27th, so )ur employees can enjoy these three days for Christ- Only extreme emergency service will be rendered, so please have your gas bottles and tanks filled and service rendered in the meantime. rVe will gladly check and fill your containers If you tvill notify us. Fill up with clean, good pressure gas ind enjoy carefree holidays. Thanks.

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