Honors the 100th Anniversary of the World War I Christmas Truce of 1914, and recognizes the Truce's symbol of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity.
Commemorates the Christmas Truce of 1914 and its legacy as a message of future peace and unity between all nations.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 781 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 781
Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the World War I Christmas Truce
of 1914.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 11, 2014
Mr. Crowley submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the World War I Christmas Truce
of 1914.
Whereas by December 1914, World War I had left about 90 percent of the highly
trained members of the British Expeditionary Force in France with
casualties, and about 30 percent dead;
Whereas the cries and moans of the injured and dying in no man's land could be
heard throughout the Western Front, and many of the dead had been lying
unburied;
Whereas, on December 7, 1914, Pope Benedict XV suggested a temporary hiatus of
the war for the celebration of Christmas;
Whereas despite this proposal, the warring countries refused to create any
official cease-fire;
Whereas, on Christmas Eve, which under German tradition has more celebrations
than the day itself, German soldiers began to sing carols and place
lantern-lit Christmas trees above their trenches;
Whereas much of December had been wet, but on this night the temperature dropped
and a sharp frost settled over the landscape, making both trench
conditions more bearable and the air clear and still;
Whereas Rifleman C H Brazier, Queen's Westminsters of Bishop's Stortford,
claimed in his letters that the German soldiers said they would not
shoot on Christmas Day if his fellows did not;
Whereas another letter from Private Cunningham, of the 5th Scottish Rifles, to
his friend Mr. James D Gray, in Carluke, Scotland, also reveals in more
detail how such truces came about: ``On Christmas Eve the firing
practically ceased. . . .'';
Whereas, on Christmas Day, the soldiers of opposing forces emerged from their
trenches and declared their own unofficial truce, and shook hands with
their enemies;
Whereas according to many letters, a good-spirited, impromptu football match
between German and Allied soldiers took place in no man's land on this
day and is commemorated annually by English football teams;
Whereas in recognition of the 100th anniversary this year, special Christmas
Truce candles will be lit around the world, including by Archbishop
Desmond Tutu in Cape Town, South Africa, and Pele in Santos, Brazil;
Whereas worldwide celebrations are expected to take place, including the
unveiling of a sculpture by Andy Edwards in Liverpool capturing the 1914
Christmas Day football match; and
Whereas the lessons of this event are that the light of human empathy can dispel
the darkness of despair, the possibility for future peace can still
exist when at war with other nations, and that behind the clashing of
weapons and trenches of indifference humanity essentially endures: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives --
(1) honors the 100th Anniversary of the World War I
Christmas Truce of 1914;
(2) recognizes the Christmas Truce's symbol of the triumph
of the human spirit over adversity; and
(3) commemorates the World War I Christmas Truce of 1914
and its legacy as a message of future peace and unity between
all nations.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1827)
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