White Christmas In Many Parts Of The World

Press, Volume C, Issue 29706, 27 December 1961, Page 13

White Christmas In Many Parts Of The World

(A -Z-P-A.-Reuter— Copyright) LONDON, December 26. It was a fairy- tale white Christmas in many parts of the world yesterday, with country- families in Sw-eden driving to church in open sleighs, youngsters out skating in Holland, and much of the United States a picture-book scene of snow.

In Italy, the Pope was tinable to make his traditional appearance on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to broadcast a Christmas message because of rain. Instead he broadcast from a room in the Vatican Palace, saying that he hoped the Nev/ Year would see "the end of all wars and discord.” In the divided Holy Land bells rang out in both the Israeli and Jordanian sectors to herald Christmas Day. Troops On Guard In Berlin, carpeted with snow at Christmas for the first tune in many years, allied troops stood guard along the wall dividing the Western sector from the rest of the city, while other soldiers relaxed off duty and enjoyed a traditional holiday. Reuter correspondents filed these reports: New York.— Most Americans celebrated Christmas quietly in the warmth of their homes today, looking out over a thick carpet of snow. There was 5 inches of snow in New York and more than two feet in parts of New Hampshire with further falls forecast during the day. Moscow.— Religious ceremonies were held only in the Baltic republics of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Millions of Soviet people went to

work as usual while children looked forward to holidays starting on Saturday to mark the New Year. Peking.— Many of the 20,000 Christians in the city attended midnight Mass and morning services in Protestant and Catholic churches, but most went on to their offices after church. Nanking. The Catholic cathedral in the southern part of the city was decorated with Chinese lanterns and a huge golden crown with red streamers The choir sang "Silent Night” in Chinese and "Adeste Fideles” and other Christmas hymns in Latin. Paris.— About 2500 miners at Decazeville. Southern France, had their turkoy 1000-feet underground and priests celebrated Mass near the coal face The miners have spent six days in an underground strike in protests against reports of the mine's imminent closure. Geneva.—A white Christmas reached the city at the last moment this year, with the first snowflakes falling at midnight as church bells pealed out to welcome Christmas Day. Vienna.— Austrians had a white Christmas and lit fires along the borders with Czechoslovakia and Hungary "to greet the suppressed

peoples behind the Iron Curtain.” The Hague.— Queen Julian,., in her special broadcast, said: "Freedom was both an obligation to accept the freedom of others and a right to discharge our own responsibility." East Berlin.—A priest in the mam Protestant church, the Marienkirche. preached that East German Christians "should not despair” as there "are always people who will come to help us.” East Berliners looked out across the wall dividing the city in the hope of seeing their friends and relatives in the west. Elisabethville.— The day was quiet, with hot sunshine and people out on the streets on their way to attend Christmas services.