1939-12-23 — Page 15

Saturday,

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH.

December 23, 1939.

11

It's A Right Merry Christmas' Wherever The Troops May Be

Hongkong's Battalions

Celebrate

are

Will

Traditionally

Christmas Greetings 100 Years Ago

Christmas brings the homeland closer to British! soldiers serving overseas. Wherever the troops stationed, in climate hot or climate cold, in peace or in strile, the English Christmas Day dinner, with cheery Yuletide festivities will be served as it is at the home depots.

Army is one huge her was voted something to sing The British family, and, like frost families carols about. And set Clirttmortide an erason f feml memories, jolly gatherings and Kindly greetings.

sanır.

The True Spirit'

with Bake

over

those

whereas,

CHRISTMAS time just

a Post Offers it in barred against them [hundred years ago was very different, by the very high charge."

The high postage rates of from to-day. In these days postage was collected from the addressze; days was a strious hardship on the Is the postage rates were high and ar- labouring population. The means ef The true spirit of Christmas

very transmitting stout sums of money shown by many soldiers who on their dinary working people were

the m homeless poorly palet. As a result, the posthi was absent and many a struggling Messures of good cheer are ex-leave changed between the bee battalions comrades that they may enjoy the system was to nil intents and pur-parent was consequently denied the nad their brother battalions serving Christina season in the atmosphere poses the monopoly of the rich, and aid of few shillings from a son or some harrowing tales of hardships on daughter. This, the Poor Law auth- It is En the poor people can be told.

arities knew only too well. oversens where although conditions of "home"

Christmas Day dinners

One postmaster of that period used known that much abortive trial id may differ the spirit will be

Army may vary slightly, but they British soldiers at Shanghai ard will be comprised mainly of scup, to trust poor people very often with suffering was sustained by labouring roast turkey, roast pork, roast beef, letters; seldom smuld they pay the men searching for employment. They Hongkong will eat their roast ter petitors, sprouts, Christmas pudding whole charge, and he lost miny would go to districts where the labour key, pork and plum pudding and and custard, nince ples with liberal ponds in consequence. Sometimes market was overstacked, slug Dheir carols with war raging drinks, cigarettes, nuts and fruit, the letters would be returned because had the means of inter-ecminunica- consist of cold cuts of the inability et the persons tatlon been easy, they would have bent around them; men la Palestine and Suppers will

The twice two thousand for whom on the North-West Frontier of from birds and joints Roast pork, whom they were addressed to raise their steps in an opposite direction.

Frequently the post-

the world existed a hundred years Indla will also have their Chris however, is the Army's traditional the postage.

master kept the letter for weeks mas dinner with the possibililes of Christmuna dish.

This has Breakfast includes the choice of give the addressze me to raise the go has now extended to include the festivities mixed with fighting-aj

fried postage, and when the party was well masses of ordinary people. and grab tea, coffee, bend, butter, case of "down forks

Ofee. The introduction sausages, hin and eggs, and mar men he would hand over the letter, been made possible, inter alia, by the

taking the chance of getting the British Post

of postage rifics."

and for low rates of

the 'malade.

util The dying balls and institutes are money some time.

offered a cation of all speedy forms of transport One poor woman once

the conveyance of malls have di decorated throughout the holidays, i formalities and

done much, not only in giving the appear on Christmas day when un-and Christmas trees laden with pre- silver spoon as a pleage until slie for

Another postmaster of that time Post Offee an important paste in the sergeants entertain ewchsents gladden the eyes of children could raise the money,

com-history of progress, but have also cakes bearing Fald, "I have somethines had oller in their respretive Messes, and of the married soldiers.

Iced Christmas

are plaints made of the high rate of made possible that exchange of gifts when

Corps and Regimental badges bats the Co.

popular among the troops and some nostage: the price of a letter is aand greetings, without which Christ- 10,000 of these are being supplied at great tax on poor people. I sent cnc mas would be drab and colourless.

ing man about a week aro; it came home alone; witle more than a mil- charged eightpener to a poor labour-

on miner pies will be consumed.

No Fatigues To-day. Days

Fatigues

cers and

the eldest foldier usually

Weeks before Christines, puddings, mince pies, and feel ikes are being made by skilled cooks for despatch

To Malta, The Erish Army is an army of from his daughter. He first refused stations overseas.

of bread from his other Gibraltar, the West Indies, Sudan, peace, and peace and goodwill to all to take it, saying & would take Pakeline, Burzna, Singapore, Shungi law-abiding men will be the toast hot, Hongkong, Cylon, and stations of British soldiers in barracks, in children." throughout India Christmas will camp, overseas and on the high sens. Letters of Sixpence Eack come with feasts bringing memories;

of the homeland; witle an

the high

- Pickpocket Work

15 home-coming and drafts will turn the troopshes into floating Christmas carnivals.

Christmas at the home depots and Carrisons will

be spent only by

In Court

1

In evidence on postage rates a witness of that period stated"Six : pence is a third of a poor man's daily income. If a gentleman whose in! (emme is £1,000 a year, or £3 a day, led to pay one-third of his daily in- CAIRO,—(UP)-White on trial in came, that is, a sovereign, for a letter, skeleton staffs as the majority of men a Cairo court, a notorious pickpocket how often would he write letters of Let a gentleman put that will be on Christmas leave. Last picked his lawyer's pockets "just fer friendship.

Yorkshire only twa.“ Despite his prominent position to himself and then he will be able year at Richmond four bachelors of the Green awards in the dock, no one saw him help to see how the poor man cannot be were left at the depot, but as the himself to the lawyer's large-sized able to pay sixpence for his letter, The people do not think of using the festive four ineluded a cool the din- wallet, handkerchief and watch.

This Is 1932!

THIS is not Christmas, 1935, but Christmas. 1932. because according to religioas bistory, language and astronomy, Christ was born in what we improperly

call 7 B.C.

Three facis fix the year of Christ's birth: the first enrol- meni decreed by. Augustus (51. Lnke, 23: the death of Herod 181. Matthew. 2, 19); and the Star of the Wise Men frorn the East (St. Matthew, 2).

dated To Judge from the documents (adds the “American Journal of Pharmacy.") tha census beg in B.C. and Herod

led in 4 B.C.

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ON

OPEN UNTIL 10 P.M.

ITD.

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