The Ambler Gazette 19421231

              CTORY
The Ambler gazette
VOL. LXIV —NO. 44
-HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Clifton House . . 1 Sep 43f care Miss Alice L. Roberts r R. D. 1
AMBLER, PA., DECEMBER 31, 194?
$1.75 Per Year in Advance, 5c Per Copy
Township   Raises   Service   Flag Honoring 116 Former Resi¬
dents With Armed Forces
s.
BACK HOME AT GRANDMA'S YOUNG MERCHANT SEAMAN TELLSOF SINKING AT SEA
His grandmother's home on Bethlehem pike, in Ambler, prob¬ ably never before looked so good to nineteen-year-old Edward H. Johnson, Jr., as it did this week.
For Mrs. Frank Cline's grand¬ son, who is in the merchant ma¬ rine, is just back from an exciting time at sea. His ship was attacked by two German submarines in mid-December, when it was about 170 miles off the coast of Brazil, and Edward spent three and one- 'half days in a life boat.
"When the second torpedo hit I it split the boat in two", the young
^^^ifyCi^ Tieu^Tfwt
A service flag honoring 116 ..Jbwer Gwynedd Township resi¬ dents now in service was raised at the Township Building at Spring House on Sunday afternoon.
The guest speaker. Congressman J. William Ditter, of Ambler, de-        . .        „
clared that  "we gather today  to  seaman relates, and it went down test our devotion.   After all, war  pretty quickly." is merely a time of testing." j     Only one man aboard was killed.
He remarked that it was with a i however,      and     another     badly
deep sense of gratitude and pride that township residents had lived together and watched the "boys" pass through high school and col¬ lege and then respond to the call to join the armed forces of the country.
"I challenge you today with a new sense of courage, courage from a real fortitude," he said, "and I urge you to accept priva¬ tion and sacrifice."
Township service men present for the program were William Gray, William R. Wolf, Edgar Bell and Charles Neilson.
R. •Sturgis Ingersoll, a member of the township's civilian defense council, was master of ceremonies, and Floyd Schneider, chairman of the defense council, spoke briefly. The Ambler High School Band provided music and John C. Mathers, soloist at St. Martin- in-the-Fields Episcopal Church, Chestnut Hill, presented a vocal solo. The invocation was given by the Rev. J. J. Meagher, rector of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, North Wales, and the benediction was delivered by the Rev. G. G. McGee, pastor of the Penllyn Bap¬ tist Church.
The list of Lower Gwynedd Township men in the armed forces will be found on page 6 of this issue.
burned, he said. The crew of fifty five  took lo two  life boats,  with twenty-nine in one boat and twen¬ ty-flve in another.
"One of the subs surfaced and a German officer came out to ask if we were all right."
He explained that this is a fav¬ orite enemy tactic, so that when, through voices, the men are lo¬ cated, the submarine can come for the captain and take him off to Germany. But the men from his ship remained silent, Johnson said, and so the submarine submerged again.
"We knew where we were and in three days we sighted land. Then we had a feast and stopped stingying on our food supply."
Johnson has been in the mer¬ chant marine for about a year. His father,   Edward  H.  Johnson,   Sr.,
WEEK BRINGS EIGHT ENGAGEMENTS
Three Betrothals Announced in Ambler; Others in Fort Wash¬ ington, Erdenheim
Christmas week in Ambler and vicinity was a time for school va¬ cations, dinner guests and heavy mailings. It also was a time for announcing engagements.
In Ambler the oetrothals of three young women were announced, and three Fort Washington fam¬ ilies also made engagement an¬ nouncements. The betrothal of a Chestnut Hill girl and a Fort Washington man was announced also, and an Erdenheim couple an¬ nounced their engagement on Christmas Day.
Following are the engagement announcements:
DAVIS—ELY
Mr. and Mrs. Warren A. Ely, of 357 Fairview avenue. Ambler, an¬ nounce the engagement of their daughter, Miss Ethel Mae Ely and \
... and a salute to the New Year with a pledge to VICTORY. We offer this message of cheer with the underlying hope that tlie year of 1943 will prove to be a victorious one for Anjcrica, and our allies, and for our boys who arc far from home. .
The  hclis  ring out our  message:   "A  Victorious  New Year to everyone."
J HE AMBLER GAZETTE
Final Physical Examinations Scheduled for 116 Draftees
HOLD 60RIAL SERVICE
Men  V^ill Report  at AUenlown on  January   14 and   15;  Sixth Registration  Period  Continues
e.°li^ :^J'Llht^: ^.\.tl^^ Air j ^^^vair Burton B. Davis, U. S. A.,
Forces at Belleville, Illinois, mother   at   present   is   living Frankford.
In North Africa
Santa Visits the Canteen
Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus didn't forjget the Stage Door Canteen in ."Philadelphia at Christmas.
Over 3,500 service men visited the Canteen on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day, and there were gifts, turkey platters, entertain¬ ment and carol singing.
Visiting service men were given numbers, and each hour between 5 p. m. and midnight on both Thursday and Friday nights three numbers were drawn. The holders of the lucky numbers won the privilege of telephoning their homes anywhere in the United States, at the expense of the Can¬ teen.
There to supervise things were Santa Claus, in the person of George Kearney, and his wife, knovyn elsewhere as Mrs. Upton Favorite. And Ambler representa¬ tives, who work each week at the Canteen, were on hand, too, to help make Christmas as merry as possible for those away from home.
RED CROSS AUXILIARY GETS EMERGENCY ORDER
With 273 articles to be com¬ pleted for the American Red Cross by February 1, the Ambler Aux¬ iliary of the Wissahickon Branch of the Red Cross is issuing an urgent appeal to women in the' community to aid in the work.
Mrs. George Bardens, chairman of production, in announcing the need for workers, declared, "This is an emergency and we certainly hope women will respond. There fire helmets, sleeveless sweaters, turtlneck sweaters, watch-caps, knee bands and gloves to be knit¬ ted for both the Army and the Navy".
The Auxiliary rooms on Main street will be open from 10 a. m. to 4 p. m. this Wednesday, Decem¬ ber 30, and those willing to help with the knitting are urged to come at that time for their wool.
One hundred and sl&teen draftees registered at Local Draft Board Number 5, in Ambler, will report at Allenlown on January 14 and 15 for final physical examinations prior lo induction into the United States Army, the board has an¬ nounced.
Fifty-eight will be examined on each of the two days, and both groups will leave the Ambler rail¬ road station at 8.34 a. m.
The sixth draft registration for eighteen    and    nineteen-year-old
^ ,^ ^ , ^ . „ „„, youths continues, but only about A?" .u^J^'^^- •^°^^P*' ?^ u'f •  °^ ^^   sixty-five have registered to date,
°//r    ^^f^"" ^''^^1"^'r.^'"'''u'':u according lo the local board.
Miss Ely and Mr. Davis both are jhose who were born on or after graduates of the Ambler High | November 1, 1924, but not after School    Miss Ely IS a graduate of I December  31,   1924,  will  be  reg-
JOHN R. WARE
Somewhere in North Africa with United States troops is John R. Ware, son of Mrs. Ethel Ware, of Pleasantville, N. J., and formerly of 322 Euclid avenue. Ambler.
He is a graduate of Ambler High School, where he was a member of both the Band and Orchestra. He now is a member of the 36th Engineers' Band, U. S. A. , His mother received word last week of his safe arrival in Africa.
the Hahnemann Hospital School of Nursing. Private Davis is stationed at an Army Air Base near New Orleans, La.
URBAN—WOOD Mr. and Mrs. Harry A. Wood, of 430 Church street. Ambler, an¬ nounce the engagement of their daughter, Miss Doris Elaine Wood and Mr. Norman William Urban, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Urban, Sr., of «46 Euclid avenue, Ambler. (Continued on pnge 3)
MEN'S GROUP TO MEET
The Men's Association of the Presbyterian Church will hold its first meeting of the year on Mon¬ day, January 14, at 8 p. m., at the church. All the men of the church are invited to attend.
The children of the Primary and ¦Junior Departments of the Ambler Presbyterian Church presented a Christmas service of songs, recita¬ tions and playlets on Sunday eve¬ ning at 7.30 o'clock, under the di¬ rection of Mrs. Harold Worth, su¬ perintendent of the Primary de¬ partment. Claude Rohr, superin tendent    of     '
School, presided. Special music was presented by Mrs. Leidy Heckler, Mrs. Claude Rohr and J. Willard Cassel, and *by the adult choir.
istered through Thursday of this week.
Beginning Friday, January 1, all those bo^ on or before January 1, 1925 will be required to register
on the day they attain the eight¬ eenth -anniversary of the day of their birth.
Following are the names of the last six persons to receive ques¬ tionnaires in the fifth registration. Mailing of their questionnaires was delayed because necessary lorms were not available. 12,341 N579 Albert Paul Mesza- ros, 411 E. 10th Ave., Consho.
12.343 N581 Edward Thomas Wilson, c'o E. N. Finckel, Dresher Rd., Horham.
12.344 N582 William Theodore Hansen, 816 Spring Mill Ave., Consho.
12.345 N583 Donald Edward Hi- land, 225 Spring Mill Ave., Consho.
12.346 N584 Howard Milton Robbins, Hatboro Pike, Hor¬ sham.
12.347 N585 James Comasso, 113 Tennis Ave., Ambler.
Justice of the Peace Served as
Republican Committeeman
for Forty Years
Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon for William Urban, one of the county's best known Justices of the Peace and Republican committeeman of Am¬ bler for forty .years, who died Christmas Day al Abington Me- jnorial Hospital after a short ill¬ ness.   He was 71.
OF OPEN NEXT WEDNESDAY
Sessions lo Be Held at Presby¬ terian Churches in Ambler and  Flourtown
CONGREGATION HONORS THIRTY MEN IN SERVICE
Calvary Methodist Church, in Ambler, paid tribute lo thirty members of the congregation now wilh the armed forces wilh the dedication of a service flag al the church on Sunday.
The  flag was presented  to the ( congregation   by   Mrs.   Thurman: Wright,   in   behalf   of   her   class, i Congressman J. William Ditter, of Ambler, was the guest speaker.
Those now in service are: Ed¬ ward Assenheimer, Sidney C. Bu¬ chanan, Charles H. Charlton, George G. Charlton, William Clif¬ ton,   Stanley   Collier,   Thomas   F.
T,-    , ,   ,, „       .'!: j Collier, Ralph J. Davies, Robert H
Next week the sewing rooms will  o^^i      j^i^ ^^ Craig, Waller P. return lo their regular  schedule i -     -     • ^'
with hours from 10 a. m. to 4 p. m. on Thursday.
CONTINUE AMBULANCE DRIVE
The Community Ambulance As¬ sociation of Ambler continues its yearly drive for "Dollar A Year Members", and is hoping to reach its goal in the near future, accord¬ ing to Bernard Lindenfeld, chair¬ man of the organization.
The   group    acknowledges    the latest contribution of five dollars
Dickinson, George D. Douglass Charles D. Flanagan, E. H. Good- sell,  David  K.   Hellings,  William
Next Wednesday will see the opening ot Community Schools of Religion in Ambler and Flourtown. The schools are being sponsored by Ministerial Association of Ambler and Vicinity, and the program calls tor nine weeks of classes on Wed¬ nesday eveningSi Sessions will be held at the Presbyterian Churches the    entire    Sunday | in Ambler and Flourtown.
Courses to be offered include "Methods of Teaching in the Church School", "A Just and Dur¬ able Peace", "The History of the Christian Church", and "Bible Studies in the Prophets".
The Rev. Martin L. Tozer, pastor of the Upper Dublin Lutheran Church, will give the course in "Methods of Teaching in the Church School", which will in¬ clude practical instruction for teachers who wish to know the ways in which a lesson may be pre.sented to a class. II will deal with the use of handwork, pic¬ tures, drama, work sheet assign¬ ments, etc.
The course in "A Just and Dur¬ able Peace" will be given by Dr. Robert D. Hershpy, pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church, Ambler. Dr. Hershey was in Germany from 1938 to 1939 and has an acquaint¬ ance wilh the problems which will face America in the making of a permanent peace.
"The History of the Christian Church" course will be led by the Rev. Paul E. Schmoyer, pastor of
z
TO PHILADELPHIA
'Information     Please'     lo     Be Broadcast from Academy; Ad¬ mission By Bond Purchase
"Information Please" will ex¬ tend its tour in behalf of the Treasur.y Department. The crea¬ tor and producer of the show, Dan Golenpaul, has volunteered to ac¬ cept a quota of $100,000,000 lo $150,000,000 of War Bonds to be raised by the sale of tickets of admission to "Information Please" when the show lours various key cities in  the  country  during  the I St- Paul's Reformed Church, Fort
coming year.
The plans for the lour were agreed upon as a result of the highly   successful   appearance   of
R.'Lunn,'jr., John Kayser, Herber't | ';,^i'l°l'??.^'°"„P'^^^,l'j'i,?„°jtei^.o"
Lindquist, Edmund E. Posey, Al fred L. Renner, John E. Roach Richard Slehman, Donald Roberts
December 4 as a War Bond show, when 2600 Bostonians bought $4,- 036,000   worth  of War   Bonds   in
or more from Mary Montgomery     —Do your part . . . buy United Lewis, of Blue Bell. St&les War Bonds and Stamps.
1943 Motor Vehicles Display Stickers and Wooden Plates
George T. Rue, Thomas T. Rue, i value ot Irom $50 to $5,000 to gain Elmer E. Spence, G. Bickley Stev- admission to the broadcast at ens.   Earl   J.   Stone,   Joseph   W.   Symphony Hall ,    ,   .    ,
Walmsley and Stewart I. Wood- This is one ot the greatest single ^^j.(j      "^ promotions for the sale ot bonds
in which the range of value was limited to $50 to $5,000. The next stop of the "Informa
Washington. Its aim will be to present a true picture of the Chris¬ tian Church, so leading to an ap¬ preciation of the American Pro¬ testant Church.
The Rev. N. B. Groton, pastor of St. Thomas' Episcopal Church, Whitemarsh, will instruct in "Bible Studies in the Prophets", and all attending the Schools are urged to lake this course since the messages of the prophets, who preached when the world was at war, are fell to be vital al present.
Each session will include two forty-minute  class periods and  a
SOLDIER LAODS WORK
ERDENHEIM MAN SPENDS HOLIDAY WITH FAMILY; RECALLS PEARL HARBOR
It  was  a  merry  Chi-istmas for Mr. and Mrs. William Hofllman, of I Montgomery avenue, Erdenheim. j     Their   son.   Chief   Petty  Officer I Harry  Hoffman,   U. S. N.,   arrived j home unexpectedly the Sunday be- i fore Christmas for his first visit in I almost four years. I     II was a merrier Christmas than I last year for their son, loo. For he was aboard the U. S. 'Tennessee at Pearl Harbor last December.
Hesitant to discuss the Japanese attack, Hoffman says that he has "made a careful study of the whole thing" and that "maybe I'll write an article about it some lime."
He did reiterate what has been said by others who were al Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
"I was below deck when things ¦started happening. When the at¬ tack on the air base began they sounded general quarters. I thought it was an odd lime for a gunnery
j drill, but of course I went on deck.
i     "By  the  time   I  got   there  the
' planes were coming over us. We thought it wfes the Army pulling off another sham battle. We even thought il was an awfully stupid
' lime lo pull something like that. But when the bombs started drop¬ ping, well. . . ."
Hoffman's ship was bombed, ma¬ chine gunned and fired but the casualties were lighter than on many other boats, he said. He him¬ self was uninjured.
An Oreland man, Robert Burs- ton, also was al Pearl Harbor dur¬ ing the attack, according lo Hoff¬ man. Burslon was aboard the am¬ munition ship U. S. Pyro.
Hoffman has been in the Navy for eight ahd one-half years. Be¬ fore entering the service he worked al E. S. Wells' Keystone Garage in Erdenheim.
IaS car HITS CULVERT ¦
Gwynedd Marine, Home On Fur¬ lough, in Critical ConcKlion in Naval Hospital
WILLIAM URBAN
Calls Service 'Utterly Amazing'; Organization Operates 50 Rec¬ reational  Clubs  Overseas
The American Red Cross is the only civilian organization which actually accompanies our men lo the fighting front abroad and car¬ ries on its work within military reservations at home.
How well the hundreds of Red Cross Field Representatives and Recreation workers are doing their job abroad and at home may be judged by a recent letter from a man who has served with the United Stales forces abroad for more than a year.
"Utterly amazing!" This is what Sperry Andrews thinks of the work of the Red Cross wilh the United States fighting forces abroad. And Sperry Andrews is in a position to observe. In a letter to his father, Charles S. Andrews, a New York banker, he says:
"The Red Cross is doing a splen¬ did—a superhuman job here. Be¬ fore the war I thought of the Red Cross as a typical routine organ¬ ization of slow-moving, kind- hearted Americans. Well, let me tell you—and I speak from exper¬ ience  after seeing the  Red Cross
(Continued on page 6)
 0	
Paratrooper Sees Action
Mr. Urban, who lived at 127 North Spring Garden street, served Ambler as a Justice of the Peace for twenty-seven years, and was a founder of the Montgomery Coun¬ ty Justices of the Peace Associa¬ tion, filling the office of secretary , (Continued on page 2)  0	
Christmas Mail Heavy
The Christmas season brought wilh it the annual avalanche of mail, and the Ambler Post Office canceled 145,150 letters in the pe¬ riod between December 14 and 24, according to Poslmastei' Oscar H. Stillwagon.
This was an increase of 12,000 pieces over the amount handled last year, the postmaster said, but wilh the cooperation of the public every piece of mail was out by the evening of December 24.
There were 500 more packages insured and sent parcel post this year than last year, Stillwagon said.
DR. CARL LORENZ LEAVES FOR DUTY WITH NAVY
Dr. Carl Everett Lorenz, Ambler physician, of 315 East Butler ave¬ nue, left Sunday for active duty with llie United Stales Navy at Naval Construction Camp Peary, iMagruder, Virginia.
I Dr. Lorenz, who enlisted in No- i vember, has been commissioned a I lieutenant senior grade. He is an j assistant surgeon in the Naval Re- i serve.
During his residence here he has served as Whitemarsh Township police surgeon and medical direc¬ tor of the Whitemarsh Township Civilian Defense Corps. He is a graduate of Washington and Lee University,    Lexington,    Virginia,
I and the Hahnemann Medical Col- |
I lege, Philadelphia.
Al present his wife and daugh- i ler are making their home with Dr. i Lorenz's father, Carl G. Lorenz, of I Plymouth Meeting.
Windshield slickers, date tabs, and <^^ wooden license plates will oi3[|nent America's motor ve¬ hicles J > the year ahead as the re¬ sult of ingenuity exercised by mo¬ tor vehicle departments in provid¬ ing proof of registration despite a W. P. B. order curtailing use of steel for this purpose by 90 per cent.
This was reported today by The Automobile Club of Philadelphia— AAA in its annual review of state license plates lo be provided in the year ahead for the nation's motor vehicles.
Half the states will continue use of present license plates wilh the addition of a small tab or strip showing the year date. Thirteen states will not use steel even for this purpose, with registration be¬ ing shown by a windshield sticker. Two slates, Florida and Massachu¬ setts, will issue both dale lab and windshield sticker. Pennsylvania, which now has a license plate de¬ noting Ihfc geographical outline of
the stale, will carry the note of individuality further wilh a dale tab cut in the form of the state's symbol—a keystone.
Among the remaining states, a variety of m«thods are being used. Several     slates,    including    New
lion Please" tour will be the Acad- I twenty-minute   devotional  period.
emy of Music in Philadelphia on  Classes will begin at 7.30 p. m. and
(continued on page 2) adjourn at 9.30 p. m.   During the
 o 1_ second class period al the Ambler
FINES 2 FOR DRUNKENESS j^'^^^^^row^n'cMfrct'lh^e^l^ot.^sVin Charged with drunkenness and "Bible Study in the Prophets" will disorderly conduct and resisting be offered. For the first period at arrest, Joseph Piper, colored, ot Ambler and the second period al 306 West Maple avenue. Ambler,: Flourtown the remaining three paid a fine of $25 and costs plus j courses will be offered. $9.25 for damages before Magis- Those wishing to attend may Irate Robert Keoler on Saturday. | register with representatives in Piper was arrested Friday night ^^.';i''^'^*l"';^\^^'- Registration also by Sergeant John Monaco on But- ^,i'i SlH'l°Sl3l ?P^,"'"^ "iSh'l- ler avenue,  between Spring Gar
Last Day Dates In OPA Regulations
The Rev. Mr. Tozer is Dean of the Ambler school and the Rev. George Teaz Jamieson, pastor of the Springfield Presbyterian Church of Flourtown, is Dean of the Flour¬ town school.
York    Mississippi,   Rhode   Island | ^^n   and  Main   streets.    Monaco's and   South  Carolina,   issued  only: rai„^,Qat ¦    ^^ ^l^^n he at¬
one plate last year and will use ^^^^^^ to take Piper into custody, the remaining steel lo issue one! „, , ,,,.,, additional plate this year. In most | „ Charles \Warfield, colored, of instances, the steel has been manu- Pfnllyn, was arrested by Sergeant faclured into plates and will have Monaco and Officer Robert King lo be re-processed. Illinois will at 1.50 a.m. Saturday at the inler- issue two plates made from non-  section  of  Rosernary  avenue  and
essential material, while Arkansas Poplai'   street,   Ambler.    Charged ; d D , Li D   Bishop of Penn
is providing dale tabs for passen-  with  drunkenness and  disorderly, :^T,^„X^  Ji.iL^^.^^ll'^ZZT'll ger cars and  license plates made' eonduct,  he  was given  a hearing from treated wood for trucks and i by Magistrate Kepler and lined $10 motorcycles. I and costs.
As a result of this metal-conser-  o	
vation program, the annual gay pa- AUXILIARY TO MEET
rade   of   new   automobile   license      The   monthly   meeting   of
BISHOP CONFIRMS NINE
The RiRhl Reverend Francis M.
plate colors has gone the way of Women's Auxiliarv ot the Arlman
pants with cuffs for the duration. Home, Ambler, will be held at the
Instead  ot  the   usual   coming-out home on Thursday, January  7th,
(Continued on page 5) 1943, beginning at ?.30 p.m.
sylvania, visited Trinity Memorial Church, Ambler, on Sunday, De¬ cember 20, to administer the Right of Confirmation.
The   following   were   presented
for   Confirmation:    Elizabeth    W.
the 1 Goodell, Sara  J.  Albertson.  Mar¬
garet Robinson, Eleanor Scherff, Jean Thompson, A. Howard Al¬ bertson, Jr., William Albertson, Roy Crowley and John Belts.
ALBERT M. DAGER
Now seeing "plenty ot action" with United States paratroopers in North Africa is Private Albert M. Dager, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert M. Dager, of 327 Church street. Ambler.
In a Christmas message received by his parents last Tuesday, he wrote "I've seen plenty of bombs, bullets and blood."
Private Dager entered the armed service on January 5 and received his basic training al Camp Wheeler, Georgia. He trained as a parachutist at Fort Benning, Georgia, and landed in England in June.
December 31—Last day for re¬ tailers and wholesalers lo file cof¬ fee reports with OPA.
January 1—Last day on which holders of typewriter certificates ma.y purchase machines; no cer¬ tificates have been issued since December 1.
January 3 — Last day to use Coupon No. 27 lor purchase of a pound of coffee. Coupon No. 28 becomes valid January 4 for an amount to be announced.
January 5—Last day on which institutional and industrial sugar users may register at ration boards for their January-February allot¬ ment.
January 6—You can now use Fuel Oil Coupon No. 3. Deadline is February 20.
January 15 — Last day, under new deadline extension, to obtain War Ration Book No. 1 from local rationing boards. The previous deadline was December 15. You must hSive book No. 1 to gel the all-purpose War Ration Book No. 2.
January 21—This is the last day on which Coupon No. 3 in the gasoline ration A book will be valid. Coupon No. 4 becomes ef¬ fective on January 22.
January 26 — Last day to use Fuel Oil Coupon No. 2.
January 31—Last day lo register your tires under the compulsory lire inspection program. Price: 25 cents a car if no tires are removed, 50 cents a lire if removal is neces- sar.v;
KIWANIS CLUB HOLDS
ANNUAL YULE PARTY
Santa Claus and Professor Abdul Fakir, a turkey dinner and carol singing were all on the program when the Kiwanis Club of Ambler held its annual Christmas party for underprivileged childrep last Tues¬ day night al School Inn.
Twenty-nine youngsters attend¬ ed the parly and each received a gift certificate with which lo pur¬ chase any needed article. On Thursday the club members ac¬ companied the youngsters on their shopping expedition.
Carol singing was -led by the Rev. Paul E. Schmoyer, pastor of St. Paul's Reformed Church, Fort Washington. Frank Peirce, of Fort Washington, as Professor Abdul Fakir, provided magic and mistifi- cation.
The committee in charge of the party was headed by Waller Roller and included George Davis and the Rev. Mr. Schmoyer.
William A. Gray, 21, U. S. M. C, son of Mrs. Mary Gray, of Spring House, is in critical condition in the Naval Hospital in Philadelphia, as the result of an automobile ac¬ cident in Whitpain Township, Monday afternoon.
Gra.v, who suffered severe shock, possible fracture of the skull, con¬ cussion of the brain and severe lacerations of the right arm, was taken lo the Montgomery Hospital in Norristown following the acci¬ dent. He was removed to the Naval Hospital late Tuesday eve¬ ning after the Marine Corps had been notified of the accident and his condition.
He was given two blood plasma transfusions soon after being taken into the hospital and underwent an emergency operation last eve¬ ning.
Gray apparentl.v ' was driving •North on Penllyn pike when his car skidded on the wet and slip¬ pery down-grade of that roadway as he neared a curve near Morris road, said Chief Joseph Murphy, Whitpain Township. The cap left the roadway, struck .some iron fence rails and then hit a stone culvert.
It is believed the youthful Ma¬ rine lay in the automobile, for about 15 minutes before he was found by a Stale Highway work¬ man. He was taken lo the hospital by two passing motorists.
The youth, who lives on the Ro¬ land "Taylor Estate, in Spring House, has been in the U. S. Ma-' rine Corps for more than three' years. He was home on a ten-day furlough over the Christmas holi¬ days and was to have started back lo Parris Island, South Carolina, on Monday night. He holds d Ser¬ geant rating.
Gray was driving a car owned by his brother, Francis, al the time. The automobile was wrecked com¬ pletely, said Chief Murphy.
Chief Murphy and Sergeant Kenneth Rempp, of Lower Gwy¬ nedd Township, gave blood lo re¬ place the plasma used in the trans¬ fusions given at the hospital dur¬ ing the afternoon.
 o	
The Pike Gets a Milk Bath
Bethlehem pike got a Christmas present, too — a milk bath on Christmas morning.
A milk truck from the Walnut Bank Farms, in Quakertown, smashed into the rear of another car at Bethlehem pike and .Spring¬ field avenue, Flourtown, and over¬ turned, sending 1,800 quarts of milk spilling along the pike. Springfield Township police blamed the accident on the fog.
The collision occurred when Charles J. Wilkinson, of Spring¬ field avenue,' Flourtown, turned his car south on the pike at Spring¬ field avenue, failing lo see the milk truck also going south behind him. The truck was white and barely visible in the fog, police said.
Crashing into the rear fender of the Wilkinson car the Jruck, op¬ erated by Stanley Magee, of Qua¬ kertown, overturned, and with it went the milk. Neither driver was hurl, however, and Wilkinson's automobile was only slightly dam¬ aged.
LEAVING FOR NAVAL DUTY
Assistant District Attorney Har¬ old G. Knight, Jr., of Skippack pike. Blue Bell, son of Judge Har¬ old G. Knight, of Ambler, will re¬ port lo Harvard University, Cam¬ bridge, Mass., this Saturday, Jan¬ uary 2, for duly with the United States Nav.y.
The second member of his fam¬ ily lo enlist in the Navy, he re¬ ceived his commission as a lieu¬ tenant <jg) on December 15. A brother. Ensign Alexander Knight, has been with the United Stales Naval Air Corps since March, and recently was admitted lo practice in the State Supreme Court.
WATCH-NIGHT SERVICE
A Community Watch-Night Serv¬ ice will be held at St. John's Lu¬ theran Church, in Ambler, at 11.15 p. m. Thursday, December 31.
The Rev. Paul E. Schmoyer, pas¬ tor of St. Paul's Reformed Church, Fort Washington, will be the guest speaker. The service is being spon¬ sored by the Ministerial Associa¬ tion of Ambler and Vicinity.
PARENTS INSPECT SCHOOL
Members of the Fort Washington Parent-Teacher Association were entertained by the school children last Tuesday afternoon.
The parents inspected the school rooms, and were especially im¬ pressed with the art work of the students.
Tea was served after the inspec¬ tion tour, wilh Mrs. Philip Bylhe- way pouring.
The Association's next meeting will be held on Tuesday evening, January 26.
Accident Reduction Program Planned for Five-County Area
STUDY GROUPS TO MEET
Three Sunday Evening Study Groups have been announced for St. 'Thomas' Episcopal Church, Whitemarsh.
They will be held on January 17, 24 and 31, and on each evening four classes will study "A Just and Durable Peace", "Race Relations", "Christian Family Life" and "Latin America".
HEADS  MEDICAL CORPS
Dr. Edward B. Krumbhaar, of Mill road, Flourtown, has accepted the appointment as chief of the medical corps of the Whitemarsh Township Civilian Defense Corps.
He replaces Dr. Carl E. Lorenz, who has entered the U. S. Navy.
—Do your part . . . buy United States Wer Bonds and Stamps.
MESSAGE FROM AUSTRALIA
Mrs. William Clifton, of Bethle¬ hem    pike.   Ambler,    received    a | Christmas cablegram from her son, William P. Clifton, who is with the armed forces in Australia.
According lo Mrs. Clifton, "Wil-j Ham likes Australia—it's Spring there, the scenery is pretty and the people are very nice lo the soldiers. But he says he'd be very happy to exchange it all for Penn¬ sylvania al any lime."
William M. Jeffers, Federal Rub¬ ber Director, has before him pro¬ posals made by the Keystone Auto¬ mobile Club for a reduction in the number of tire inspections con¬ templated in OPA regulations.
"Keystone," a statement by the Club says, "believes the regulatory set-up should be salted with a little more common sense. It is hard to understand why il should be necessary lo examine the tires of many millions of A ration book holders every 720 miles.^which is what will happen on the basis of inspection every four months under curtailed mileage allow¬ ances. Tire wear under such lim¬ ited driving doesn't appear to war¬ rant a check-up wilh that fre¬ quency."
J. Maxwell Smith, director of the club, told Director Jeffers that while his organization is in full accord wilh the conservation idea, it believes changes should be made in inspection regulations "lo bring I them into some balance with real¬ ities."
In this connection he pointed out the current lack of mechanical manpower as a handicap in carry¬ ing out the multiple inspection program. He also seriously ques¬ tioned the compelenc.v of many garage employes to make tire in¬ spections, declaring: "It is well known in the automotive field that competent 'tiro men' are extremely scarce, especially since demands of military service and the greater rewards in war industry have de¬ pleted the ranks of automobile me¬ chanics."
It is the Club's contention that two inspections per year for A book holders probably would an- swei' all reouirements, and that the numbdt- of inspections for B and C book holders could be pared down in accordance with the condition of their tires.
Smith emphasized that unless the Federal plan is coordinated with Stale inspections in Pennsyl¬ vania, A-rationed motorists will be obliged to* make five trips to inspection stations annually, and B and C b^ioh holders, eight trips.
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