#christmasship

[wegnant]

CHRISTMAS ONCEST!! I hope you guys like this, finished this in November but i waited until December to show you guys, i hope you like it :)

[glowoftheteehee]

Christmas ship out of focus. #christmas #christmasship #greece #lightplay #outoffocus #flashinglights

[historyatstate]

The Christmas Ship Part II: The Gifts That Keeps Giving

“The Christmas Ship” made its first port of call at Falmouth, England on November 27, 1914, where gifts destined for England and Belgium were unloaded. The Jason arrived in Marseille on December 6 then continued on to Genoa, Italy, and Saloniki, Greece through early 1915. That winter, children in the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, Serbia, and Russia received these gifts of goodwill. The project was lauded as a heartening gesture from American children to their counterparts abroad due to the scope and scale of donations.

“The vision of the children in Europe whose fathers have been killed in the war” Printed in The Pittsburgh Press, Sept 20, 1914

Despite U.S. neutrality, Department of State and military officials played a crucial role in the realization of the plan and thus were appreciated by local populations for their cooperation. Acting Secretary of State Robert Lansing sent instructions to overseas posts telling of the ship’s itinerary. His message ended with a subtle yet stern order:

“This generous and beneficent action on behalf of the children of the United States doubtless will bring comfort and pleasure to many households, and the department feels confident you will take pleasure in giving your cooperation in the proper way.”1

At each harbor, a “Santa Claus” presided over presentation of gifts. The man who played this role was John Callan O’Laughlin, journalist for The Chicago Herald and personal friend of Theodore Roosevelt. U.S. consuls or diplomats were also often in attendance. On December 6, U.S. Consul to Marseille Alphonse Gaulin, along with local officials including Prefect Schrameck, greeted the Jason as she arrived into port. Schrameck conveyed the gratitude of all of France in a heartfelt address:

“The action of the American children brings tears to my eyes from a full heart. Representing the French government, and in its name, I welcome you to Marseille and thank you and the donors for their kindly thought and remembrance for us in this crucial hour.”2

Toys offered by the United States, distributed by Madame Poincaré and U.S. Ambassador William Graves Sharp at the Hôtel de Ville [Paris], undated. Gallica (Bibliotheque National de France)

The packages destined for Germany were delivered in Genoa and received by an official German delegation, which conveyed appreciation to U.S. children. Baron Adolph Lutz, chairman of the delegation, gave an official statement of gratitude. Once the gifts arrived in Munich, the King of Bavaria stated, “It touches every German heart, and is in keeping with what might be expected of your countrymen.”3

The Empress of Russia sent her own letter of gratitude through diplomatic channels and requested her thanks be published in all the participating newspapers. Russian Ambassador to the U.S. George Bakhmeteff shared “her Majesty’s expressions of sincere gratitude to the children donors” directly with James Keeley at the Herald.4

The safe, timely delivery of “Christmas Ship” toys, clothes, and cans of food to the suffering populations was a symbol of U.S. neutrality and humanitarian aid.

Lilian Bell, The Story of the Christmas Ship, (Rand McNally & Co: Chicago: 1915), 339 ↩︎

Ibid, 369. ↩︎

Ibid, 372. ↩︎

Ibid, 373. ↩︎

[historyatstate]

The Christmas Ship Part I: U.S. Children Play Santa

Reports from Europe through autumn 1914 shocked U.S. readers and garnered sympathy for the war’s victims and refugees. While the U.S. Government maintained neutrality, descriptions of the devastation prompted U.S. citizens to provide humanitarian relief. Chicago Herald editor James Keeley promoted one such initiative and petitioned the children of America to play Santa Claus to children “whom Santa Claus otherwise would have forgotten.”1 While Keeley publicized “The Christmas Ship,” the original mastermind of the project was Lilian Bell.

A writer from Chicago, Bell was moved to action by the plight of European victims she read about in the news. Her vision to appeal directly to children was rooted in trust that they would help provide their European peers, especially those orphaned by the war, with a merrier Christmas. Bell pitched her idea to Keeley, who immediately and wholeheartedly agreed to publicize the effort. Within the first weeks of the war, Keeley published Bell’s impassioned open letter, “To the Children of America,” soliciting donations for the “Christmas Ship.” She appealed for toys, food, and clothing. The response was enormous and over 200 newspapers nationwide joined the cause. By November, the campaign raised enough money to provide more than 5 million gifts. Many children in the United States donated their own allowances to this Christmas fund.

Volunteers and soldiers working together to pack crates and get the Jason off in time to reach Europe by Christmas. Credit: U.S. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division

That month volunteers struggled to get the donations—roughly 1,800 tons of gifts—onboard the collier USS Jason in Brooklyn, New York, in time for the ship’s scheduled departure; soldiers from nearby Fort Hamilton were sent to help load the vessel.

Thanks to their dedication, the Jason sailed November 14. The send-off was a spectacular event. Civilians were invited on board ahead of the ship’s departure, many members of local government and philanthropic society attended, and a fifty-piece band played ‘Stars and Stripes’ as the Jason left the dock.

Spectators crowd the deck of the Jason before it sets sail, loaded with gifts destined for the war orphans of Europe. Credit: U.S. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division

President Woodrow Wilson himself honored the departure of the Jason in a telegram:

“My best wishes for a safe voyage. May the good ship carry comfort and relief to the distressed and suffering.”2

Chicago Herald editorial, quoted in Lilian Bell, The Story of the Christmas Ship, Rand McNally & Co: Chicago: 1915, 373. ↩︎

Bell, 345. ↩︎

[crimson-siders]

He may be inactive..... but he had a duty to uphold....

"We wish you a Merry Christmas; We wish you a Merry Christmas; We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Good tidings we bring to you and your kin; Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year." Began playing from an internal set of speakers. This was the first of many songs he would play~ and the best part? Not a word had to leave his lips~.