Show Truman Asks Nation to Aid Refugees WASHINGTON ASHINGTON Dec 24 INS President Truman lighted the nations nation's Christmas tree Saturday with a plea for remembrance of the homeless in war-torn war lands who like Jike the Holy Family on the Jie first Christmas find no room in n the inn The chief executive spoke by radio from his Independence Mo home lome in connection with the annual annual an- an nual mal ceremony dedicating the national national national na na- na- na community Christmas tree on the White House grounds Mr r. r Truman said Sitting here in my own home so like other homes all over America America Amer- Amer ica ca I have been thinking about some families in other once happy lands ands We musj must not forget that there are thousands of families homeless homeless home- home less ess hopeless destitute and torn with despair on this Christmas eve ve For them as for the Holy Family on the first Christmas there here is no room in the inn Children Suffer Among these families families broken broken with the tragedy of homelessness are are myriads of little children who have never known what it was vas to have a home or a country that hat they or their parents or their brothers and sisters could call their heir own The president told his fellow Americans In Inthis this bless blessed cd season let not blind lind passion darken our counsels We Ve shall not solve a moral question question ques- ques tion ion by dodging it We Ve can scarcely scarcely scarce- scarce ly y hope to have a full Christmas if we ve turn a deaf ear to the suffering of even the least of Christs Christ's little ones Miss Lesson Mr Truman said that since his return home he had been rereading re rereading rereading re- re reading in the family Bible some of the passages foretelling the sublime event of Christmas He added We Ve miss the purport of Christs Christ's birth irth if we do not accept it as a a. living iving link which joins us together in n spirit as children of the ever- ever living iving and true GodIn GodIn GodIn God In love alone the alone the love of God and the love of man will man will be found the solution of all the ills which afflict the world today The president urged Americans to o dedicate themselves anew to the love of our fellow men because because because be be- cause in such a dedication we shall find the message of the Child of Bethlehem the real meaning of Christmas Despite icy streets and subfreezing subfreezing subfreezing sub- sub freezing temperatures Mr T Truman Truman Tru Tru- man took his customary brisk walk Saturday morning The president home for Christmas Christmas Christmas Christ Christ- mas left the Truman home at 8 35 See Page 2 Column 7 1 TRUMAN I Continued from Page One am a.m. and returned 15 minutes later He wall walked ed about eight blocks The temperature was 25 above zero Large Large Xe News Entourage Mr Truman appeared surprised by the large number of reporters and waiting for him Look at this he exclaimed Do you fellows feel energetic enough this morning 1 We Ve have to I guess a shivering shivering shivering shiver shiver- ing newsman replied Only a few people were on the streets but many watched from home windows Occasionally someone someone someone some some- one shouted Merry Christmas Mr Ir President Mr Truman walked through the snow and ice without overshoes or rubbers but used a cane to great advantage to keep from slipping He slipped slightly once but a secret service agent took his hand momentarily He was red f faced from the cold when he j g back home fc He said he helped decorate t i family Christmas tree Fri Frid night f When reporters asked for rn m ml details a about ut the family's Chr Ch mas activities he told them thern hoped some time to be able to to i ithem them the Ule same questions they i him such as what they had breakfast what they got jJ fJ Christmas and whom they kis 1 Visits in Kansas Kansa City j f- f The president spent pleasa pleas hours going through greetings and visiting with V n friends in his Hotel l penthouse suite before return to his home later in the day J i. He took time out from the wo to accept a traveling clock bouin bow bou bowin in leather and trimmed in g go from the officers of the T Democratic club who were h hing ho Ii- hoing ing a party in his honor downs in the hotel The clock was scribed To Our Chief From Truman Democratic Club D I 24 4 1949 4 1 |