Show Pilgrims to Hear Mass in Bethlehem By GERSHON AGRONSKY United Press Special Correspondent BETHLEHEM I Dec 24 24 Over Over the traditional spot where the Christ was born more than 1900 v years ears ago the most solemn mass in Christendom Christen Christen- Christendom dom will bo be celebrated tonight In Inthe Inthe inthe I the presence of Pilgrims from all parts of or the world word Bishops of the thc Catholic church magnificently garmented for the annual ceremonies will read the I Christmas s mass beginning at midnight midnight midnight mid mid- night In the Church of ot the Nativity Nativity Na Na- a- a the tho oldest Christian chur church churchin h hin in the world which was built b by bythe bythe I the Empress Helene Helenc mother of the theRoman theRoman theRoman Roman emperor Constantine Constantino Christian peasants from front Palestine Palestine Palestine Pales Pales- tine will mingle with richly clad European residents of the country country country coun coun- try and travelers who were arriving arriving ar ar- riving today by boat in the pilgrimage pilgrim pilgrim- ago age through the low hewn d door or into the church MARBLE MANGER MANGERA A marble manger has replaced the strewn straw-strewn room of the first Christmas morning A silver sliver star has been designed on the tho floor to represent ent tho the star stal of the east cast Thousands of candles throw a soft glow over tho the chamber The eyes of all Christians of the world again will wUl bless the event that happened long ago on the little mUe spot beneath these peoples people's feet Many were arriving today to take part in the celebration cele The Tho steamer teamer steam team er Empress of Australia bringing many Americans among the passengers was tho the first fr t of ot Innumerable Innumerable erable strips ships to dock at it Haifa the nearest st port The Tho road from H Haifa through Nazareth and ancient ancien Sachem to Jerusalem and Bethlehem Bethlehem Bethle Bethle- hem w was as crowded with traffic traffic traffic fic all aU today many on foot m like e those with whom Joseph and Mary came cameon on the order of the king to pay taxes DIFFERENT SECTS Splendid as it will be Christmas in Jerusalem would attain greater grandeur if all Christians In n Palestine Pales tine celebrated it at the same time Of or about Christians Christians' in il the country there are aro probably not nol more than in the holy city and they belong to some sixteen different churches recognizing different different dif dif- ferent terent calendars Among the sects represented in Palestine are aie the Greek Orthodox Roman Catholic Greek An An Anglican Gregorian Armenians Armenians Jacobite Ja Ja- Ja Jacobites Jacobites Copts Abyssinians Ab Abyssinians and Lutherans Those using the Latin and Anglican calendars celebrated celebrated celebrated cele cele- Christmas tonight and the remainder 13 days later Devotions tonight will begin in the Latin church ChUlch of St St. Catherine which is closely bound with medieval his his- tory The nave na will be in almost complete darkness but huge candelabra candelabra cande cande- labra abra electrically wired in recent years light the transept A screen will m shut the tho eyes Eyes of tho the people from the greater gretter part of tho the mass on only a a. few Europeans standing near the tho chancel being able to glimpse the ceremonial and disrobing of or the patriarch clothed alternately in gold and i scarlet TO FORM PROCESSION After tho tiro services in the Church of ot St St. Catherine the tho robed dignitaries dignitaries dignitaries of ot tho the church and senior British British British Brit Brit- ish officials with ith their families will form tho the procession to the Church of the Nativity and the mang manger r. r The humbler worshipers meanwhile meanwhile meanwhile mean mean- while will v crouch patiently in the half halt light waiting wafting for tho lowering lowering lower lower- oer ing Ing- of the chandeliers and the joy jo joyous bus ous ous ringing of of bells proclaiming that a new Christmas day hat has dawned |