Show IN NAVY how the festive season Is observed aboard ship not much work la Is done athletic sport sports traditional dinner and evening entert fea turea tures of lon i in all the world Is the N spirit of christmas entered into more whole heartedly tha on board boar d the ships ot at the united states navy observance of this chief of all national holidays varies ot at course in form with the location of the fleet at tho the time into each ot of the continental home ports bead headquarters quarters of at certain individual vessels the big gray monsters come dropping in by twos and threes till in new york and philadel philadelphia aphis and norfolk and frisco it looka looks al most like a naval review according to long custom they are there to give the boys in blue a run on the beach liberty as they call it in tho the service and e epry man jack who Is not actually undergoing PU pun n Is allowed and encouraged to taho take his look at the bright lights go home on leave or uptown for tun fun or anything else bo libei like as long as hie his money lasts but away from the ship in any event this custom applies not alone to the enlisted men but to the officers as well and when christ mas morning dawns in a homo home port thero there are not likely to be many more persons on board any man 0 war than tho the regula regulations tiona call for tor in the mini mum 0 the tow cannot un der such circumstances make a very successful effort toward merriment rear admiral samuel Ic Gowan writes in the national monthly but what they lack in numbers thoy they invariably make up in other ways one of those these ways being the complete satisfaction of the inner roan man abroad 1 and wid at sea though it Is al at together different every boul u on I 1 av A christmas concert or on board ship board from froen the usually sedate nag flag officer and the more or less proa chable first lieutenant down to Jim jimmy myla lass s and the ships cook and t the ha messenger boy boi voluntarily constitutes himself a committee of ono to see tho the thing through in old navy fashion and even king neptune when he comes on beard board on crossing the line to douse every hayseed and landlubber has a formidable rival in the spirit of christmas it matters not much whether the ship be anchored oft off vcra vera cruz or plowing through t le te e pacific ocean the distance from home homa and friends makes it incumbent on all to do their level best beat to make at least a brave try tor for merry christmas routine drills ore are entirely suspend od ed and except for cle cleaning anine ship alf cleanliness in the navy being deemed not only akin to but actually neck and neck with godliness It sef not a lick of avoidable work is allowed to be done by anybody all bands hands are called to be cure sure on scheduled time but many more men than usual am allowed to I 1 sleep in and after the tiniest minimum of up preparations for the days fest ies jes are gotten under way mere is a varied athletic program that begins in the forenoon and after an hour or so off tor for dinner at midday continued well along toward sun sat sailors are taught to be thorough so they go at their potato races and pic pie eating contests contest 3 and tugs of war and jumping contests with the same leavor that they show when trying tor for a 13 inch turret gun record or stamping out a caribbean revolution there Is no lack of iLter Lt erest eat that can be depended on and when awl 11 Is sounded they thew are a tired lot iol toward sunset the verbus bonts contests ts have haye been completed or not unum ally called cl cl on account of darkness as the baseball eay say and after an early supper a stage ja Js rigged up in sn the dec and the crowning cowning lant 1 of the entire celebration is on it is a minstrel mi astrel show abow another time a vaudeville bv LOX fornance for manco mance but without exception there Is plenty of music and near music and no such entertainment would be complete without the inevitable and inimitable cakewalk some of at the improvised costumes are tearfully fearfully and won dertilly der tully fully made but they are striking and for the most pan pall very ap ato ate while the pirouetting and rating of the cake walkers era thema elv pie well worth seeing the program Is a long one but interest never lags for a moment tor for american sailors are just as through tho tough ough at play as they are while at woi k |