Eleanor Roosevelt – My Day (1944)

61

March 10, 1944

San Juan, Puerto Rico – (Thursday)
In Kingston, Jamaica, we visited the U.S. Club which is run by Miss Mullaley. They have a nice building and are doing the most efficient work with a good program of activities covering every day in the week. From there we went to lunch with Mr. and Mrs. John Lord, our American consul and his wife.

We arrived at Kings House yesterday afternoon, where the Governor and Lady Huggins invited us to spend the night. We started out almost immediately to see a very good child welfare center. Here, a woman doctor was busy seeing a crowd of mothers and babies. Quite a bit of excitement was caused by the arrival of one woman who had triplets. Her family already consisted of the large number of seven children. They tell me that there is a tradition here that you can act your way into Heaven by having a large number of children.

At the day nursery where women who go to work leave their children and have them cared for at tuppence a day, we saw a number of tiny ones being fed their respective bottles. Out in the garden, in a screened-in house, a number of other youngsters were being taught in nursery school.

From there we went to the Jamaica Institute, which is an excellent library. They send books to various schools in rotation and have a fine reference library – the beginning of a Smithsonian for the island of Jamaica, as a young Rhodes Scholar from Rhode Island told me.

Then we drove through some of the poorest quarters in the city to a recreation club for boys called “Boys Town.” Boys of every age are kept busy here during their free hours doing athletics out of doors, learning carpentry work or tailoring. This has been going on for only two years, and it seemed to me a very good beginning.

Now Lady Huggins is planning to start a center for girls of the same type. We paid a brief visit to the Tuberculosis Sanitarium, which is a very fine hospital, and then we drove through the beautiful Hope Gardens, arriving at Kings House where the press was awaiting me for an interview at 5:15 p.m.

This left little time to dress before we went down into the gardens to meet a mixed company representing every activity of government, industrial and social life on the island.

The war has hit these islands very hard. There have been shortages of food and great difficulty in obtaining the kind of food to which the islanders are accustomed. Rice and beans is a well-established Sunday dish. They even have a folk song about it, and yet rice has been unobtainable and only a very expensive quality is now coming in. The engines to their little trains burn wood because they have practically no coal.

62

March 11, 1944

San Juan, Puerto Rico – (Friday)
On our arrival in Jamaica, we were met by His Excellency, the Governor and Lady Huggins, as well as several other island officials and Col. Dallin, who is in command of the U.S. Army Post. Gen. Shedd also had come over from Puerto Rico and stayed with us for the whole time that we were visiting the various activities on the base.

We began with a visit to the hospital which was brief because, as I told you, there were so few patients. But they gave us tea, and I had a chance to talk with the men. Then we went to the Officers’ Club where we met most of the officers, and later to the Officers’ Mess for dinner. They have the same kind of crayfish that one gets off the coast of Florida, and these were the greatest treat. Then we proceeded with the entire post personnel, it seemed, to the outdoor theater where a movie was shown. I said a few words to the men.

From there we went over to the Enlisted Men’s Club where one of the native Jamaican men sang some folk songs which were most amusing. I was warned that I would find their dialect hard to understand, but except for the fact that the names were unusual, it did not seem very difficult.

The boys came trouping in from the theater, and I noticed two boys sitting together eating ice cream and drinking milk. There is a dairy here so they can have fresh cow’s milk, and I notice that the mechanical cows are being used more and more and are really popular.

We got to bed fairly early, but then we had to get up early the next morning to get started on our rounds by 7:30. We visited a number of barracks and mess halls and day rooms. All of them were equipped with books, magazines, radio games, and sometimes pool tables or ping pong tables. From this post it is difficult to get to any city, so there is a recreation center planned consisting of a canteen, beer garden, bowling alley and various outdoor activities.

The chapel is attractive, but the commanding officer says the men are not very good church goers. Before leaving, we also went to the club for civilian native workers who help maintain the grounds and do a certain amount of work in other activities on the post. They are very proud of their own mess hall, barracks and club, and are shortly going to have a club for the women workers.

I went through the laundry where the civilian workers seem very well satisfied with their pay and working conditions. The bakery and the place where they make ice cream were also on our list of visits. The various shops under the engineering division were most interesting. Here, everything is being repaired, even the machines taken over from the contractors who built the base, and a very good job of salvaging is being done.

We saw a group of Navy men, one of Marines, and a detachment of Air Force men all in their various barracks, and finally drove over to Kingston.

63

March 13, 1944

San Juan, Puerto Rico – (Sunday)
In St. Thomas, which is one of the Virgin Islands, we were met by the acting governor, Mr. Morris F. de Castro and his wife, and Army, Navy and Marine Corps officers. I spoke to the Marines, Coast Guard and Navy men, then stopped at the hospital, and then drove through the submarine base and into town, going to the Army establishment where Puerto Rican soldiers are now stationed.

I went to the Red Cross and to Capt. Balsley’s home, where the civilian officials and the press met me. Then back to the Marine Corps Base where we lunched in the men’s mess, and I moved from one table to another in order to meet as many men as possible.

Back in Puerto Rico, we landed at a naval base, visited some of the personnel and buildings, and then drove through the Army base, which is still under construction. We visited another camp on the way back to La Fortaleza and stopped at the USO in Caguas, where I was impressed by a young Puerto Rican woman who seemed particularly energetic. She showed me around the whole building and told me she taught in high school six hours a day, spent an hour at noon at the USO and returned there from 3:30 to 5:00 and from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m.

In this USO I met two discharged veterans. One was in a hospital in Fiji last August when I went through, and I saw him there. The other one was injured in Africa. Fortunately, both men seemed to be getting well and strong again.

In one of the camps, I was fortunate enough to see Pvt. Richard F. Thomas who was brought over to see me as I mentioned to one of the officers that I had a letter from his sister asking me to see him if possible. He had no idea why he was brought over, and seemed very much surprised when he was introduced to me and I asked him how he was so I could send word to his sister. He assured me he was quite well, and I saw him later at the USO in Caguas. He must have traveled fairly quickly to get there before we did.

After our return to La Fortaleza, I had a last short interview with the press and we managed to be ready at 7:15 to go to the USO which is in the center of the town. It is a very beautiful building which was once “The Puerto Rican Club.” We were invited to be the guests of the servicemen. Selected men from the various groups sat at the table with us and our food was excellent. The boys all remarked on how good it was, and said they enjoyed trying something different.

At least once a week, sometimes oftener, they have dances with a floor show which features some distinctly Puerto Rican dancer or singer. The Coast Guard and the Air Force bands played and we watched the dancing for a little while. At dinner and during the dancing I think I signed my name several hundred times on a variety of bills, papers and ladies’ fans.

This ends our stay in Puerto Rico. Of course we have not seen all the men who are stationed here but I think we have done as much as it was possible to do in the time allowed.

64

March 14, 1944

San Juan, Puerto Rico – (Monday)
I want to go back now to our first day in Puerto Rico. The flight from Jamaica took us over the islands of Haiti and Santo Domingo which looked beautiful and wild from the air. On our arrival in San Juan, I could see many changes beginning with the new airfield which was not here when I landed by Pan American in a flying boat ten years ago. The Governor and Mrs. Tugwell and the head military officials met us.

The slums along the waterfront which filled me with horror the last time were not to be seen, but I was told that they had just moved a little further away. They had not disappeared.

The housing situation is almost as bad as ever, according to the governor. Living costs have risen about 50%, and the head of one of the political parties told me that rice, which used to be five cents a pound, is now ten cents a pound. It is one of the things which the poor people count on as a main article of diet.

The chancellor of the university, Señor Benítez, dined with the governor and Mrs. Tugwell, and he told me the university had grown very considerably in the past ten years. He said that the government has now established a system of scholarships whereby the best scholars in the high schools are given a chance to go to the university.

A choir from the university led by the head of the music department sang in the evening at the Governor’s reception and gave a very lovely program.

The governor said they had kept everything quiet about my arrival, but nevertheless everybody seemed to know I was there and the children who were out of school early made the narrow street leading to La Fortaleza seem narrower than usual.

We left our things at the governor’s house, and started out almost immediately with Gen. Shedd. He asked me to review with him a regiment of Puerto Rican troops who seemed to me to march very smartly in spite of their few weeks of training.

Then we went to the enlisted men’s new recreation building. It is built right on the cliff looking across the ocean. There are some good bowling alleys, a little music room, a writing room upstairs and a big room for games with a sundeck outside, which I am sure will be filled on pleasant evenings. As I “opened” the building I was allowed to roll two balls down an alley and failed each time to hit the pins at the end. At this center, a boy was introduced to me who came from Poughkeepsie, New York, and Pvt. Smith was photographed with Gen. Shedd. This will be a photograph which I imagine he will want to send home. It doesn’t often happen for a private to have his picture taken with a general!

Curious coincidences are always occurring on these trips. Another young officer, when introduced to me, told me that his name was Deering and that his father is a great friend of our old friend, Maj. Henry S. Hooker.

65

March 15, 1944

San Juan, Puerto Rico – (Tuesday)
Our first morning in Puerto Rico started with a visit to the Red Cross. The center here is very active. It runs an information center in a busy part of town where boys can get information of any kind and a snack with a cup of coffee. The regular chapter house where the offices are is a very busy place because those in charge take care of the soldiers’ family cases, and these are increasing rapidly as Puerto Rican soldiers leave the island. Allotments come through slowly both here and in the Virgin Islands. The Red Cross has had to come to the rescue of many families.

We also visited the production center where volunteers have been busily at work and the shelves are well filled, even though they are sending out a great many things. Emergency supplies are on hand in case they should be called upon suddenly. They also have a mobile canteen which can be turned into an ambulance if necessary, and can take two or three stretcher cases. They are in the midst of their money raising, and the quota is large for Puerto Rico, so they asked me to speak on the radio for them. I did so.

The rest of that morning was devoted to visiting Navy installations. I am afraid you will begin to tire if I tell you of all the barracks, mess halls and hospitals I go through. You can take it for granted that in each military area, I visit all of these things and in addition all the recreational facilities and the post exchanges.

I was particularly glad to see Mr. Adrian Dornbush, who has been setting up a laboratory of design here for the Puerto Rican Industrial Association. The island needs industrial development if it is ever to have a better standard of living, and this is one of the ways in which it may be achieved.

The Army and Navy photographers, as well as the press photographers, have been quite busy on this trip, and I was enormously amused at seeing young Charles Eggert of the Navy suddenly dive down for his extra flashbulbs, which he kept in his sock. The Navy uniform does not have any convenient pockets for photographers. I have watched him ever since with the greatest amusement. He has now entered into the joke, and reminds me that one of the things which will make me remember Puerto Rico is the peculiar way in which Navy photographers carry their flashbulbs!

It is evident that there are still many problems in the civilian life of Puerto Rico which have not been ironed out. I asked Governor Tugwell about the food supply of the island. He explained the difficult time they had here, as on all the other islands, when the submarine sinkings were serious. But now they are really better off, he said.

Nevertheless the cost of living here, as on the other islands, has gone far beyond the rise in the cost of living in the continental United States. People here can be grateful for the fact that the military activities on the island have given them work so far.

66

March 16, 1944

Somewhere in the West Indies – (Wednesday)
Saturday, we flew over many islands. The one that looked the most interesting from the air was Saba, which belongs to Curaçao. As far as one can see from the air, the cliffs go right down into the sea, but there must be a landing place somewhere. The summit has a number of very flat places, and these are dotted with little red-roofed houses with fields laid out in regular squares.

St. Christopher’s Island was pointed out to me, and I feel sure it must be what I have always heard called St. Kitt’s. In a very short time, we landed on Antigua. The governor and some of the island officials met me, and we exchanged regrets that I would only have time to see our American troops. Then I proceeded to see the men, the barracks, mess halls, kitchens, libraries and recreation rooms. I was sorry not to be able to go to St. John’s to see the cathedral which was built in 1678.

We went on the St. Lucia where again I was met by the governor and some of the island officials. I spent my time at this base as usual, seeing the men and the barracks and the hospital. Our final flight was into Trinidad, where we arrived in time to leave our bags at Col. William V. Rattan’s house, which he very kindly turned over to us, and then we went immediately to mess with the men.

The band played outside while we ate, and the music was delightful. We had a particularly nice group of young men – one Puerto Rican and the others from various states in the union. They asked me about rationing at home, as usual, and seemed to think that people were not getting enough to eat.

I told them that was not really our trouble. It was just that we were not accustomed to the point system and not being able to buy whatever we needed. One boy said:

My mother has always had a big family and she is accustomed to laying in supplies on Saturday, but she can’t do it now.

I told him that they were getting part of the food we didn’t use, so we really didn’t mind.

After supper with the men, we went back to dress and I went to a number of movie theatres in different areas to deliver a message from the President to the men. Finally we went to the Officers’ Club dance. It was a delightfully cool evening. The most beautiful tropical moon made it almost as bright as day. One of the blessings of being stationed in Trinidad is that the nights are cool, and one sleeps under a blanket although the days may be very warm.

At 4:00 a.m., I was awakened by what sounded like a flood, but it was just a severe tropical rain, however, and like most tropical rains, did not last long.

There are snakes on this island, but fortunately I didn’t see any and nobody seems to be really troubled by them. There are a number of malaria cases in the hospital, but the malaria control people are doing a wonderful piece of work and there are fewer and fewer cases.

On the whole, in all the islands, health seemed good among the men, and the hospitals and clinics do a good job of prevention as well as of cure.

67

March 17, 1944

Natal, Brazil – (Thursday)
On landing in Belem, there was a reception for the Brazilian officials who welcomed me and for some officers, nurses, Red Cross workers and USO workers. The next morning there was a short press conference at which questions had to be interpreted and my answers translated! Afterwards I visited the Naval Air Station where LtCdr. Congdon is in charge, and then we left for Natal.

Adm. Ingram is away on a mission, but Gen. Walsh and Adm. Read are not only taking good care of me, but are arranging full schedules so that I may see as much as possible of what has been accomplished and as many of our men as I can.

The Red Cross girls have only joined the field director a month ago. One is from Philadelphia, one is from Baltimore, and one is from Boston. They are already popular in the hospital, and are setting up a small recreation center for the men on the post and will teach craftwork.

After a night’s sleep, we started out fairly early and visited the Naval Air Base, the hospital, and various other installations around the camp. At 11 o’clock, we took off for Natal. This is a country of magnificent distances and as yet communications are not highly developed, so each state is like a little country in itself.

An interventor heads the state, which is divided into counties, and his duties are similar to those of our governors. Because of the lack of transportation facilities, the old families have lived in their own cities with less contact sometimes with other parts of Brazil than they have had with European countries.

What impresses me is the extraordinary cooperation that has existed between our officials and the Brazilian officials, and how very kindly the people have felt towards our men. Needless to say, here as everywhere else, our boys have been remarkable ambassadors.

Senhora Salgado Filho, the wife of the Minister of Aviation for Brazil, was sent by Madame Vargas from Rio to be with me here, and with her came Senhora Lia Souza E Silva Do Amaral, who heads the Brazilian Legion for Assistance, and Senhorita Dedei Aranha, the daughter of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is a member of this same organization.

At dinner, both these young women told me how remarkably well our men, from the young flying officers down to the sailors of our Navy, behaved. They stressed particularly the fact that in Brazil it is the custom for a woman to speak first, showing that she is willing to be addressed. Our boys have observed that custom meticulously, but when the women greeted them, they were always most polite in answering. This must require some restraint on the part of our boys, for when they land they must be hungry for a word from a woman and they are not usually bashful when they are at home.

68

March 18, 1944

Somewhere in the West Indies – (Friday)
I think I am more deeply impressed by the work of the engineering groups and the Seabees on the different bases on Trinidad than anywhere else, though it is impressive everywhere in this area. In Trinidad, the Seabees have cut a base out of the jungle and cleared about 32 square miles. A number of fine roads have been built and one of them looks like an extraordinary feat of engineering.

Sunday morning we visited the naval operating base including the naval air station. Everything was planned in expectation of more active opposition in this area than we have encountered, but our very preparation is what has brought about our safety.

The naval hospital here is a fine hospital with every facility for taking care of the men. There are a few serious accident cases, but all are getting well. One youngster will have a permanent handicap to fight, but he has the stuff to win, I think.

During the day we drove to a high point where there is an extremely interesting station. The officer in charge seemed to feel that he and his men were all one family, and were particularly privileged to be by themselves on top of a mountain! The naval base has many acres of citrus fruit, and if properly taken care of, these orchards ought to provide our men with fresh fruit and be a great asset to the fleet and bases in this area.

Sir Bede Clifford and several of the island officials met me on our arrival in Trinidad, and we met again at a dinner at the Officers’ Club at Macqueripe. There is a beautiful view of the harbor from this club, and it is in every way a charming spot with a good swimming beach.

We saw the most wonderful recreation area at Scotland Bay which was developed by the men on the station and the men from the ships which come in here. Everything that anyone could possibly want to do out of doors is at hand. Some of the men were doing some fancy diving; others were practicing upsetting in a rubber boat and climbing back. Basketball, horseshoe pitching, and just lying in the sun with the prospects of food cooked on the out-of-door grills and soft drinks and beer when they wanted them seemed to provide a good day’s outing to all.

I also saw the recreation rooms for enlisted men on the post, and one club for the non-commissioned officers, all of which must help to build up morale – that intangible thing that nobody likes to talk about but which everybody thinks about. In the evening I went to two USO clubs in Port of Spain. Both were well equipped and crowded.

I would like to mention the work of a colored naval construction unit which has done such good work that it has earned a wonderful reputation among all the officers.

69

March 20, 1944

Somewhere in South America – (Sunday)
The first evening in Natal, a reception was held for the Brazilian officials and the Army and Navy officers at the U.S. base. Madame Salgado and the Senhor Interventor for the state were hosts at the dinner given at the guest house.

At ten p.m. we started out for operational headquarters. This is one of the busy spots where night can be as active as day. Gen. Robert Walsh asked me to notice particularly that the restaurant ran all night, so that those who go through can get food at any hour. It appears that my husband was concerned about this when he visited here. Very good hamburgers were being cooked and Brazilian coffee, which is usually stronger than ours, seemed to be very popular. I am sure my husband would be entirely satisfied.

The following morning, we visited our Army and Navy and the Brazilian forces. At 11:30, we gathered at the naval base to attend the formal ceremonies where a Navy flying squadron was decorated for its courageous and successful achievements during the last few months. The squadron consists of a wonderful looking group of young men, and I was very happy when VAdm. Jonas Ingram gave me the opportunity to pin on their decorations. There was a moment when I thought that their beautifully starched uniforms were going to withstand all my efforts to get a pin through the material. I was glad when we reached a point where I could just hand them the medals without actually pinning them on.

These ceremonies are not only interesting, but very moving, and the playing of the “Star Spangled Banner” takes on a special significance at an occasion of this kind. We lunched at the transient enlisted men’s mess. At my table there were three men who are stationed permanently at this base. The others were all passing through. Some of the other ladies told me that at their tables there were only men who were either going out or returning.

Madame Salgado, wife of the Minister of Aviation for Brazil, and two younger Brazilian ladies were extremely popular with our men who asked a tremendous number of questions which showed a great interest in Brazil. On the drive back, we reviewed a number of Brazilian Army contingents and attended a charming double flag raising ceremony which was held at one of the Brazilian establishments.

After returning to the U.S. Army base, we held a short press conference, and then, in the barracks, there was a tea for all the women that included Army nurses, USO and Red Cross workers and civilian employees.

70

March 21, 1944

Somewhere in South America – (Monday)
On the second evening in Natal, I was hostess to the Brazilian officials and Army and Navy officers at dinner at the Army guest house. After dinner we visited the Red Cross recreation room where there was a singsong going on.

Tech. Sgt. Lew Kerners, who has been master of ceremonies at many posts and is just back from Ascension Island, did a wonderful job of amusing the boys and making them sing wholeheartedly. A Red Cross girl with some selected boys led the singing. The band made up of servicemen was good, and I enjoyed the singing and the playing here.

As in every other place where groups of men were gathered, I gave them a short message from their Commander-in-Chief. The two younger Brazilian ladies stayed on after the older people left, and answered questions about customs and ways of life in Brazil. They came back after having had a grand time, and they were very pleased with our boys. I think the fact that young ladies here do not often associate with young men in large groups added to the zest of the occasion.

After leaving the Red Cross Club, we saw a group of fliers just before they took off, and one young man asked me to sign a new bill saying he was not yet a short snorter but would be the next day. The captain of that crew said they were “going all the way,” so this boy will be well seasoned by the time he gets home. You wish them luck with a catch in your throat because you know that for the “first-timer,” there are experiences ahead of which he scarcely dreams.

On the morning of March 16, accompanied by our Brazilian friends who came up from Rio to be with us, we were in the air by 8:30 and on our way to Recife. The flight took less than 45 minutes. I can perhaps give you an idea that transportation is not highly developed in this area when I tell you that later in the day, we ran beside a little narrow gauge railway track and passed the train which, because of the coal shortage, was burning wood. That train meanders around the back country, but takes 16 hours to go to Recife.

I hope the Brazilians in this newly developing country will avoid one of our mistakes. This track of theirs runs along a beautiful beach in Recife. The road runs beside it, and across the road are some very lovely houses. It did not matter much in the old days in the USA when we laid some of our railroad tracks along our most beautiful river banks, but what wouldn’t we give now to have them put further back where they would not interfere with the scenery!

A large gathering of officials greeted us in Recife, for this is one of Brazil’s largest cities. After the greetings were over, we proceeded to Captain and Mrs. William Hidgman’s house, where Miss Thompson and I spent the night.

71

March 22, 1944

Caracas, Venezuela – (Tuesday)
We arrived at Atkinson Field, British Guiana, Saturday morning, in time to be greeted by the Governor, Sir Charles Leatham. With Col. Alan, the commanding officer of the field, he accompanied us to a movie theater where some of our men had assembled. After talking to the men for a few moments, we went back to the officers’ mess for luncheon and the governor bade us goodbye, leaving Col. Hooker, a very delightful Scotchman, to represent him.

The governor said he had a commission in Georgetown visiting him from Great Britain, which was taking testimony on the local education situation. Just before meeting us, he had had a parliamentary committee, so he was being kept very busy. I gathered that these committees were like some of our own which go to investigate conditions and are a little trying to residents of faraway places sometimes, because committee members have to be told all the things which the people who are on the spot have taken months to learn. Decisions which have been arrived at by people who have perhaps lived for years in that locality are often misunderstood because visitors have less experience and background on local situations.

We had a very pleasant lunch with the officers on the field, and then went back to talk to another group that had come into the movie theater from other parts of the field. In anticipation of bombings from the air, the camps are widely scattered and well camouflaged, which was a wise precaution but which does make gathering at any one place a little difficult.

We drove around the base, stopping at the hospital which had very few patients who were all on the road to recovery. It was rather interesting to see two Brazilians whom Maj. Art Williams had brought in by air from far outlying ranches on the border between British Guiana and Brazil. They were extremely grateful for the care they had received, and it had a great effect upon the feeling of friendliness which these men in isolated places now have for Americans.

For two hours in the afternoon, Maj. Art Williams, a friend of ours who is a character and has lived in this country for 10 years, showed us interesting places in the interior. He was a flier during World War I, and he knows every mountain and stream.

Around Georgetown and all along the coast, British Guiana is low – practically underwater. Rice and sugar grow and there is a certain amount of gardening on drier spots. But the jungle is thick as you get further back, and you see both up-to-date and very primitive gold and diamond mining in occasional clearings, and then high mountains loom before you.

The rivers are filled with rapids. We hoped to get a glimpse of the highest falls in the world, but the mountains were enveloped in mist. Instead, we saw an extraordinary sight, swiftly blowing dark clouds, a lowering and angry sky, and below us, a steaming jungle from which floated upward what might have been clouds, smoke or steam.

I could only think that it would have been a remarkable illustration from Dante’s Inferno, and we in our little plane might have been the disembodied spirits looking down into the terrifying Hell of Dante’s dream. It was evil looking and yet fascinating, full of hidden things.

72

March 23, 1944

Caracas, Venezuela – (Wednesday)
Back in the mountains of British Guiana are flat plateaus where the hardy rancher can build himself a home and in 20 years, so Maj. Art Williams told me, he can be secure enough financially to send his boys and girls away to school. Men and women must work hard, however, and no weakling could succeed. Spaniards, Scotchmen, Americans from Texas, and various other pioneers are today ranching successfully, and their stories seemed like those written about our own early pioneers.

The officers at Atkinson Field gave me a most interesting bag made by a Mr. Melville, one of the ranchers, who is a friend of our guide, Maj. Art Williams. He killed a jaguar and a deer, and he dressed the skins to make this very unusual and beautiful bag.

Maj. Art Williams also flew us over the old Dutch seat of government, where the diamond shaped fort and old Dutch Government House stand, and he pointed out forests of greenheart wood which will not float but must be loaded on barges for transport.

At 5 o’clock, we landed at the U.S. naval base. Here we went directly to mess with the enlisted men. The boy next to me came from Washington, DC, and I have promised to tell his wife how he is when I get home. Then there was a boy from Seattle, one from Minneapolis, one from New York and one from Arkansas. I had a chance to talk to a number of the boys and some of the girls brought out for a dance by the USO Later we went to the movies with them all, and saw a gangster film which I am sure took their minds from the war. I was breathless when it was over.

Then we went to the naval hospital, where again they had very few patients. This is evidently a healthy spot. It is a tribute to the work done by “malaria control” and clearing the jungle around the bases. Finally, we went back to the dance at the mess hall, and spent an hour or more talking to various boys as they gathered around.

It was well after midnight when we got to bed, and we had to take off the following morning with Maj. Art Williams at 7:30. Back at Atkinson Field, we changed to a bigger plane and left for La Guaira. We were met on arrival by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Senora Parra Perez and our Ambassador and Mrs. Corrigan. I drove with Foreign Minister and Señora Parra Perez to Caracas.

It is a wonderful road, winding up into mountains giving view after view of sea and mountains below and above. After arriving in the city, we went immediately to the Pantheon, and I laid a wreath on Simon Bolivar’s tomb. This is a dignified and beautiful building worthy of the great liberator who lies surrounded by monuments of other Venezuelan patriots.

The older part of the city through which we passed is interesting, with some lovely squares and public buildings. Many people live in the suburbs of the city where houses are surrounded by beautiful gardens. We spent the night at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Phelps, which is charming in every way.

73

March 24, 1944

Caracas, Venezuela – (Thursday)
The people of Venezuela seemed very friendly. They waved and made us feel most welcome. Venezuela now has a very progressive government. They are clearing away slums and have started on a low-cost housing program in the heart of the city of Caracas. They are training teachers and building new primary schools. A system of maternal and infancy care in which ladies’ groups are much interested is being tried here.

The war has complicated the lives of these people because of the lack of shipping for their products. The cost of living has risen, so I imagine the poor people are having a hard time, even though wages are fairly high in oil fields and on government work, and have risen in some other occupations.

The question of granting the franchise to women is now being discussed, and I gathered at my meeting with representative groups of ladies, and afterwards when I met with the press, that this is creating a good deal of talk. One might almost say a feminist movement exists here.

After lunching at our embassy, we went to call on Madame Medina Angarita, the wife of the President of Venezuela. The President and Madame Medina Angarita received us on our arrival at Mr. Phelps’ house, and that night we dined at their home.

At 4 o’clock, we reached the headquarters of the American Society, where I met first with the ladies belonging to various organizations and answered some questions which they had prepared for me. Then I met the press, went through the building and back to our embassy for a reception for American women in Caracas. To my surprise, there must be several hundred here, which I think surprised even the ambassador!

Quite a number of our boys come to Caracas on short leaves and the American ladies have formed themselves into a committee of hostesses, instead of starting a USO. Whenever they hear that either officers or enlisted men have arrived, the acting hostess contacts the men, finds out what they’d like to do, and makes any arrangements for their entertainment. She sees that they are asked into homes to buffet suppers and dancing parties.

The women tell me they have had most appreciative letters thanking them for making the boys feel “at home” away from home. It has evidently been of great satisfaction to Americans who feel far away from the war in which many of their loved ones are involved and who want to do something to be drawn closer to the war effort.

We had nearly two hours to rest before dinner, but we really needed to rest because this column had to be written and, in the morning, we had to be on our way again a little after 8 o’clock.

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March 25, 1944

Balboa, Canal Zone – (Friday)
Miss Thompson and I were very much touched at the Navy base at Curaçao when, at the movie theater, we were presented with little gifts which the whole camp had brought for us. The gifts were lovely in themselves, but the thought touched us more.

At 7:45 Tuesday morning, the band was already playing in the inner square as we stepped from the Governor’s house and stood on top of the high steps. We looked down upon a very big group of schoolchildren who were carrying the Stars and Stripes and orange school banners, and the Dutch flag.

Much of the teaching on the island is done by Catholic brothers. Some of them led the children in singing all the verses of “The Star-Spangled Banner” in English, followed by their own Dutch national anthem.

Most children talk “Papiamento,” so it is an achievement to know both Dutch and English and they told me that many of them learn other languages as well, but of course the language of the schools is Dutch.

We drove to the flying field, took leave of the governor and left for Aruba. Since this is the dry season, this island which calls itself “The Gem of the Caribbean” looked to me rather arid. Their rainfall at all times is low, only about 13 inches yearly, and I wondered that herds of sheep and goats got enough to eat.

We drove through refinery grounds and were amazed at the sight of flourishing little gardens around many houses. I soon discovered, however, that these gardens flourish because water which is brought from the United States and very carefully doled out for drinking and washing purposes, is occasionally diverted to the gardens.

I had a chance to meet all the American women living here after I had met the Army and Navy personnel. The USO here is a particularly good one as Mr. Vint, director, was here before and knows people. He has obtained good cooperation and seems to keep his program moving all the time.

It took only a little more than an hour to fly to Barranquilla. Here the wife of the acting president, Mrs. Echandia, with other Colombian officials and our ambassador, Mr. Lane and his wife, met us, along with local military officers and Gen. Brett and Adm. Train who came over from Panama.

We drove to the city about ten miles away to see the club which the women of the city run for the soldiers. It is the equivalent of our USO, but it was started before the USO became active down here. They have open space at the back with shade, trees and gay hammocks hung for the boys to lie in. Twenty-five steaks can be broiled at once on the big grill. They give the boys service which is exceptional.

The boys are always looking for gifts to send home, and frequently shopkeepers put up prices because they know American boys are unwilling to bargain and do not know the value of native products. Our boys think only of getting gifts started toward home. The ladies who run the service club have the gifts consigned to them, put on display in the shops, and then let the boys buy through them. They told me they had sold more than $6,000 worth in a few months.

I visited the Army and Navy areas, and before we left there was a short reception at the airport. Three o’clock found us taking off for Panama.

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March 27, 1944

Balboa, Canal Zone – (Sunday)
On our arrival in Panama, we were met by the President and Mrs. de la Guardia and various officials of Panama, as well as our own Army and Navy officials. We went at once to supper with the enlisted men of a troop carrier squadron. I happened to notice the clever, Walt Disney-like illustration on the barracks sign and found that a young Chinese, who was sitting on my left at supper, had not only drawn that but had also drawn many other things. His home was in San Francisco, California. The table, as a whole, was representative of different groups within the squadron and of a great variety of states.

After supper we drove to the home of Governor and Mrs. Edgerton, where we had just time to change before going to call on President and Mrs. de la Guardia at 7:30 p.m. The entrance to the Presidencia has a fountain with water flowing over into a basin which gives the whole patio a cool feeling even on a warm evening.

We talked over various reforms which the President is trying to put through, such as control of tuberculosis, an asylum for children which I gathered was really to be a hospital, and other improvements which are all contemplated as soon as building materials are available.

After this visit we went to the USO where a regular visiting show was being put on. I became part of the show for a few minutes, and spoke to the audience, which was most responsive and in the best possible spirits. I don’t wonder that the people who go to camp shows tell me that the soldiers and sailors are the best audience in the world. They certainly respond as no audience in the United States would to any effort to entertain them. That ended my first day in Panama.

We started off the next morning at 7:45 and attended an orientation class conducted by the enlisted men themselves. The discussion was on “What Shall We Do With Germany After the War?” As boy after boy got up to comment on various proposals which were put forth as possibilities by Sgt. Joseph Klein, I was interested to notice that many of our Army men still speak with an accent which denotes background from another country, but they think as Americans. The young man who led the discussion, Pvt. Warren Dempsey, did a very good job. The young lieutenant, Dan Herr, who sponsors these courses, went to the Army school in Virginia and is a veteran of the New Guinea campaign.

From there we went to Fort Clayton Army Hospital. Then we drove through Corozal Military Cemetery. The older part of it has trees and looks very well cared for, but it has had to be enlarged since the war. The new part is less attractive. This will change with time, however.

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March 28, 1944

Guatemala City, Guatemala – (Monday)
It took only a little over four hours to fly from Panama to Salinas. Here we were met by the wife of the President of Ecuador, Senora Arroyo del Rio and several Ecuadorian ladies, as well as our Army and Navy commanders, Col. Cunningham and Cdr. Hummer.

We visited both the Army and Navy hospitals, and I’m glad to report that they had very few patients. There is practically no malaria here; the climate is very dry and the one real difficulty is lack of water. All the water is distilled, but since there is a wonderful beach with good, safe swimming, I imagine many of the men take to the sea when water gets scarce.

Salinas itself is used as a summer resort by people from Quito and by British and American people working here, which is pleasant for our men.

At lunch with a mixed group of Army and Navy enlisted personnel, I found myself talking to a boy who had married a girl from Quito. The girl’s mother was from the United States, and is now married to an Ecuadorian. Now the boy, who is American, is planning to take his wife home with him when the war is over.

Next, we went to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Toes where Senora Arroyo del Rio gave a reception and we met some Ecuadorians as well as members of our own embassy staff. The Ecuadorian troops stood on guard near the house and their band played “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Our flying officers are instructing a group of Ecuadorian cadets whose training planes are kept near our base. It seemed to me that the best of feeling exists, and cooperation is very good here as everywhere else.

By 1:30, we took off for the Galapagos Islands, where we arrived in time to get an idea of the amount of work which had been done to create the Army and Navy installations. Much building is still going on. We had supper with a representative group of enlisted men, and found among them a boy who said he had worked in Poughkeepsie, New York, for several years.

We went back to our quarters and emerged an hour later with a great feeling of satisfaction because of the work we had done. We went over to the Officers’ Club at seven, where both Army and Navy officers and civilian engineers were gathered. This must be a very pleasant place to come to after the day’s work is done.

We spent an hour talking with various officers. Among them was a young man from Washington, DC, who said that I had spoken at his high school. He is now a flier, and with him was another young flier whose wife works in the District. I hope he will give me her name so I can call her up on my return, though he could not find a pencil and paper at the moment to write it down.

Some of the boys feel the monotony and the loneliness of this particular post, and would like very much to be nearer to what they feel is active service. Yet the job here is essential and must be done, as so many other jobs depend upon it.

Saturday morning, we went to our enlisted men’s mess at 6:30 a.m., leaving our quarters a little before six. Saturday was one long succession of visits to day rooms, service clubs, post exchanges, gun positions, the chapel, the cemetery and the Army and Navy hospitals. In all of these there are certain similarities, since there is a standard set for each place according to the size and need of the installation. But one has to realize in looking at them that for each man this is his particular achievement, and vitally important to the wellbeing of the group.

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March 29, 1944

Guatemala City, Guatemala – (Tuesday)
On our last full day in Panama, we left the house at the very reasonable hour of 8:00 a.m. We visited the Marines, saw the naval hospital and attended a demonstration at the firefighting school. The men do a remarkable job on firefighting today. They are not only putting the men at the base through this school, but they even give intensive instruction to men who can be spared from ships. It was an extraordinary demonstration of how fire could be handled on ship board. As one boy said: “In the old days we would have thought there was nothing to do but jump overboard.” It is a very important course for both officers and men to take, as it gives them knowledge and training which will see them through many tight places.

We went from there to another naval installation on a nearby island. This gave me my first chance to travel on a PT boat. What speed these boats have! Any young man who has ever liked a yacht would be fascinated by the compactness with which they are designed. I went all through the boat, for I knew that I would probably never have another chance to see one. My chief concern on the trip was a photographer, who insisted on taking photographs from precarious places. I was thankful when we had him safe on land again.

On the island we visited the naval hospital, which had no patients thus showing what a healthy spot this place happens to be. Since there is not a very large group of men, the men here have one advantage usually found in small places. They feel like a family group. We had lunch in the enlisted men’s mess.

After returning to the mainland, we went to visit a school run primarily for Puerto Rican inductees, although many officers and men from the continental troops attend. We heard an orientation lecture given in Spanish and I thought every class, whether it was held in a classroom or in a shop, captured the men’s attention and achieved the desired results.

Then we went to Gen. Brett’s residence for a press conference. These conferences are rather amusing because many of the press representatives speak only Spanish. Therefore, the questions are carefully prepared beforehand and translated into English. As I answer them, they have to be translated into Spanish.

Later, we went for a short drive around the city and visited the very fine Santo Tomas Hospital. Many of the nurses on the staff go to the USO dances on their time off. I had a glimpse of the church of San Jose, with its wonderful golden altar which was brought from Brazil many years ago. It is carved out of mahogany and covered with gold leaf. It is one of the most elaborate and dazzling pieces of work I have ever seen.

We had supper in one of the enlisted Navy men’s messes, and at 6 o’clock we attended an informal reception given by the President and Madame de la Guardia at the Presidencia. In the evening we went to three USO clubs. One had a particularly large gathering, and two soldier bakers had provided one of the most elaborate cakes I ever saw in my honor. So of course, I had to cut it. Again, I drew the door prizes at a jungle dance, and then the show went merrily on.

We did have a little time to sit and talk to our hosts, and I was glad to have this opportunity. I hope I shall see Governor and Mrs. Edgerton in Washington before long, since the governor’s tour of duty is nearly over. I did want a chance to thank them both for their very generous hospitality, which included calling us at 5:30 and seeing us off at 6:45 in the morning.

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March 30, 1944

Washington – (Wednesday)
Now that I am back in the United States, I would like to sum up the impressions which remain after my recent trip to the Caribbean and South America plus an excursion into the Pacific.

My principal impression is of the weariness that our men feel as they are kept waiting and watching for long, long periods, without the stimulus or even the expectation of quick action. The men want and probably need change. A rotation policy has been under discussion, which, if put in operation, would bring some of them home in regular order.

First the difficulties of transportation have to be recognized, but one does hope that some definite rotation policy may be established.

In view of the tropical climates in which all these boys exist, and in view of the fact that it is hard to remain alert on a job which is purely a waiting and watching, life becomes exhausting.

Seeing our men in the tropics has made me more conscious too of the loneliness and hardships in areas like Alaska, Newfoundland and Iceland. The men in waiting and watching zones need more recreation, more athletic activity and more work than they would in a fighting area.

So much for general impression.

Our bases in the Caribbean are well established. The men are as comfortable as they can be under existing military and climatic conditions. They have two prime obligations, one to watch so that no enemy airplane or submarine can get into the area undetected; two, to build up better relationships for the United States on the islands and on the mainland so we will have friends to help us meet our problems of the present and of the future.

In this area there are grave economic questions which have never been considered jointly in the past by all the nations interested in the Caribbean. A commission has been studying these problems and recently a meeting has been held for the purpose of discussing our joint problems. Our military groups can help or hinder the working out of these problems by their understanding and their attitude towards the people of these countries.

In places like Dutch and British Guiana and Brazil and in some other countries in South and Central America we have built up remarkable installations. Sometimes they are built in places where you wonder how the original people managed to exist.

Zandrey Field, Dutch Guiana, is bare and dreary even today when all the facilities are there and a road leads to the city twenty miles away. The bases themselves have been made healthy. Much traffic bound for faraway places passes through them. The men have the double job of guarding this traffic, of keeping up their base, of helping out when supplies and repairs are needed, and finally, the diplomatic job of building up good relationships with the country in which they find themselves.

They can never forget that they are on land which belongs to another sovereign nation which has ceded it for our joint benefit during the war. In the future, if there are to be mutual benefits from development in these countries, our soldiers can never forget that it will be the good feeling they have created which will make it possible.

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March 31, 1944

Washington – (Thursday)
So many things happened on my trip to the Caribbean and in South America that I did not have time or space to report on them as fully as I wanted to.

I would like to go back now to some impressions of Jamaica. The great problem there is malnutrition, especially with the children, and yet, in spite of this, the women and small children walk along the road carrying baskets or large bundles on their heads, which gives them a very graceful walk and erect posture.

Much is being done by the government to teach new agricultural patterns and to get people back on the land. A campaign is on throughout the land to decrease illiteracy and volunteer committees have been formed in every parish to teach people individually to read and write. Of course, this is an adult education program of some magnitude. Part of the island raises good cattle for beef. Goats and little donkeys are on the roads. The donkeys carry big baskets and often a man or woman and child as well.

Both the Governor and Lady Huggins have experience in living in the tropics and a great interest in the welfare of the people, and I was warned that Lady Huggins had a reputation for energy somewhat like the one which I have acquired. I think we are both maligned!

However, all we have is an interest in human beings which keeps us going because it is always possible when you are interested to push yourself a little further!

In Puerto Rico, I was most particularly interested in a trip with Governor and Mrs. Tugwell to Arecibo, where we saw a new experiment in the use of the land. Much of the sugar cane land has been bought from the companies there and though a large part of it is still operated as one big property, now, after all the expenses have been paid, the profit is divided among all those who work it in common. Individuals have small pieces of land belonging to them where they can build their own houses and have a garden and a small crop of their own. This is still in the experimental stage but promises to be successful.

I was also interested in a trip to Mayaguez, which I had visited before. It used to be the heart of the needlework industry. Now they stitch gloves and make ladies’ underwear, but handkerchiefs, which used to be the main product, have gone out, largely because Puerto Rico now has a minimum wage law in operation which prevents the low prices formerly paid for piece work. While this does not mean that people get high wages, they are far more adequate than they used to be.

Mrs. Tugwell also took us to visit three of the milk stations for children between two and seven. This took us through some of the poorest parts of the city, and I cannot say that it was a much more cheerful sight than when I was here before. Though the children are getting only one good meal a day, they looked in far better condition than the ones I saw ten years ago.

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April 1, 1944

Washington – (Friday)
Looking back over my trip to South America, I want to tell you today about my brief visit to Dutch Guiana and my trip from there to Brazil.

My few hours in Dutch Guiana were all spent at Zandrey Field, where we landed. This is about 30 miles from the city of Paramaribo, and I think it must be a rather lonely place, though they tried to give our men stationed there good recreational facilities.

I was sorry our schedule did not give us time to go into the city, near which we have a fairly large military establishment. There we have a USO club which is visited by the men from Zandrey Field whenever they can get in, but is primarily used by our servicemen stationed nearer town.

His Excellency the Dutch Governor and a number of officials came out to greet me and went with me to visit all the various field activities. Afterwards, there were some formal ceremonies at which a few of our men paraded with some Dutch units. I was particularly interested to meet the head of the Dutch WACs in this colony and to see one of their battalions parade.

After lunch, we took off for Belem, Brazil. For hours we flew over dense jungle and finally over the mouth of the Amazon, which has formed many islands because of the silt which makes it a muddy river. The Para River, which we crossed just before landing, is really just the southern mouth of the Amazon.

I was impressed by the difficulties which have been overcome in the building of facilities in the jungle. It grows up so fast and encroaches on cleared land so quickly that it requires constant vigilance to keep it down, and yet, around our military areas, they have even managed to do very efficient malaria-control work. There is comparatively little illness among our men and the climate must be fairly healthy in spite of the humidity.

It was early autumn there, since we had crossed the equator, and it was the end of the rainy season. During the rainy season, it rains six or seven times a day at other times, only about once a week.

Our men there are homesick, of course, but many of them told me that they were much impressed by the possibilities that the country offered for development. One of them told me he felt sure there were rich iron ore deposits and that anything we grew in the United States would grow there almost continuously the year round. Perhaps this is one of the areas where displaced populations can settle in the future.

At Zandrey Field in Dutch Guiana, it seemed a little odd to be walking along a path made of material which is rich in bauxite, and the governor told me afterwards that that particular material was their greatest contribution to the war effort.