No invasion in 1943, says noted aviation authority
Effort to take Crete, Sardinia and Sicily will be made, William Ziff believes
By William B. Ziff, written for the United Press
…
Baruch calls for cessation of ‘bickering’
New trouble shooter for OWM hits quarreling among agencies
…
Pay-as-you-go bill approved by Roosevelt
75-100% of 1942 taxes to be forgiven by measure
…
Senate balks on plan to end pay for three
…
Ramirez given recognition by U.S., Britain
Axis nations also moving to make accord with new regime
By the United Press
…
Church leaders assure parents about WAACs
Service will strengthen character of women, clerics report
…
U.S. collects its mine fine or pays double
Contract sets the penalty for failing to heed terms of pact
By Fred W. Perkins, Press Washington correspondent
…
Interned Japs riot at camp, boss selves
Caucasian employees threatened with death, Dies group told
…
Roving Reporter
By Ernie Pyle
NOTE: Before the heavy fighting in Tunisia which led to the Axis surrender, Ernie Pyle took a little side jaunt around Africa – a mere 13,000-mile trip. Only now has he had time to write the story of that trip. This is the fourth article.
Somewhere in Africa –
In the huge aerial crossroads camp that I wrote about yesterday, hundreds of black natives work – as houseboys, as white-coated waiters, as drivers, and as plain laborers putting up more and more buildings. They are descendants of the ones who escaped being carried away to America as slaves.
There is a Negro houseboy for every two rooms in the officer’s blocks. He dresses in khaki shorts and goes barefoot. His job is easy, but he has less “manana” in him than some of our own Latins.
The boys are faithful, honest and pleasant. Most of them are devoted to their masters. It will be hard for many an American officer to get over being waited on hand and foot when he returns to the old hometown.
Handy houseboys got $12
The houseboy comes at 6:30 in the morning, and stays till 6:30 at night. He has an hour off for lunch, and two hours for resting in the afternoon.
He keeps your room clean, airs the bedding, hangs out your clothes, and shines your shoes every day, even if you haven’t worn them since the last shining. He does your washing if you don’t want to sent it to the laundry, and sews on your buttons.
He is always within yelling distance somewhere on the back porch, and he comes at call to get you some ice or find you some matches or anything you wish.
He gets $12-a-month salary, and each officer tips him 49¢ a week extra. The houseboy calls his officer “Master,” and sometimes it is slurred so that it sounds just like our old-time Southern Negro “Massuh.” When our boy Jim first called me “Master,” I thought he was talking to somebody else, and looked around to see who was in the room.
The colored boys all speak a native tongue, but they know enough English that you can talk easily with them. In that area, there is a whole vocabulary of pidgin English.
‘Who dat man?’ favorite expression
For instance, you never hear the word “tip.” The world is “dash.” You “dash” your houseboy two shillings a week. A beggar never says “gimme.” He askes you to “dash” him a penny. A meal is “chop-chop,” and when you’re telling a boy to do something immediately or to hurry, you say “one-time.”
Another favorite expression is “Who dat man?” It seems that the native soldiers call halt by yelling “Who dat man?” So, the thing has become a byword with our troops. If somebody knocks at your door, you call “Who dat man?” If a sinister villain appears in the movie to do the heroine dirt, the soldier audience yells “Who dat man?”
Everything wood is mahogany
Around this special camp, everything is made of mahogany. That doesn’t mean they’re squandering our taxes on foolish luxury; mahogany happens to be the cheapest and most prolific wood in those parts.
The clothes closets, the chairs, the weather stripping, all are of mahogany. This precious wood forms the rough benches of the outdoor movie. The projection shack is made of mahogany, and so are the concrete forms for the new buildings.
There is, in fact, so much mahogany everywhere that it almost ceases to be pretty, for after a while you just aren’t aware of it anymore.
A small proportion of officers and men – maybe one-tenth on the hottest days – wears khaki shorts in Central Africa, just as tropical Englishmen do in the movies.
At night, you are required to out on long trousers, long-sleeved shirts, and the officers must wear ties. It is as much for safety against mosquitoes as for discipline.
Everybody wears mosquito boots
Also at night, most people in camp wear mosquito boats – which are brown suede, sort of like cowboy boots, near knee-high. In fact, they won’t let you into the outdoor movie unless you’ve got on your mosquito boots.
The Army nurses have special boots which come clear above their knees. At least, that’s what my investigating department reports.
Oddly enough, you don’t see many deep tans among our troops in the tropical countries. The reason is that you perspire so much you just soak the tan off.
Cigarettes gets damp down there, and don’t taste the same. And you have to put your extra envelopes in the closet near the electric light. Otherwise, they seal themselves. That’s the reason I don’t write to anybody; all my envelopes are sealed. Any old excuse in a storm, I always say.
Scott wins sit-down strike
She’s tired of being old in films; studio meekly agrees
By Erskine Johnson
…