Show 1 1 a yr r rI I Jens In N. N Africa With the British Eighth By George Ceorge Lait La it IntI IncZ News Service war tear correspondent nt who icho Is jj back after teT 31 months months' continuous action under fire first firstin in the die London L blitz blits then in the eastward British retreat r treat and the triumphant u est est- rout Rommel to with Mont Mont- Montgomery's Montgomery's gomery's gom ry Eighth Army He lie lived lit d in the desert for lor a year ear ar and a half hall was teas wounded three times and frequently cited for lor valor J JIt It gets really hot in the Western 1 Desert Desert degrees and no shade being quite common during the Summer Sum Summer mer season But it is no more uncomfortable un uncomfortable comfortable than New York at 95 degrees In the desert its it's just heat in New York its it's humidity The American fliers and British Tom Tommies Tommies mies mid wear lightweight clothing for comfort but the Arab wraps up in heavy woolen blankets and half half-a- dozen flannel nightshirts to Uto keep out the heat Everyone's The Boche Boehe and are scrupulous scrupulous scrupulous lous observers of international law lawas lawas lawas as regards rendering useless the infrequent in in- infrequent infrequent frequent wells in the desert Instead of poisoning the vital water sup sup- supply supply supply ply which is prohibited by agree agree- agreement agreement agreement ment they pollute wells as they retreat re re- retreat retreat treat by killing a camel sheep or goat and tossing the carcass into the well Makes M kes water temporarily un un- unfit unfit un- un unfit fit for human or animal consumption consumption consumption tion but doesn't permanently destroy the spring Several times during the Eighth Army's mile 2500 chase after Rommel this was the only water we had we drank it by hold hold- holding J C ing the nose retained it a few mo mo- moments then did a railing-of- railing the-ship the act But managed to gain just enough moisture to keep going When forced to abandon ab huge hogsheads hogs hogs- hogsheads hogsheads heads of wine at the running Italians paused just long enough to pour a gallon of gasoline into each barrel So we used the wine in the 1 radiators of our desert cars and drank the water originally intended for the radiators Mail lUaU deliveries to the boys out there vary in my own experience from one week to eight months Through the U. U S. S S Army Post Office I have received airmail letters from New York to Tripoli in seven days Through the regular steamer mail via Cairo and the civilian delivery setup a Christmas package from Sherman Billingsley was delivered to me in July It contained six not- not too sedate neckties neckties for for which an Arab Arab- offered to exchange a wife or a camel camel and and books of Stork Club matches which are priceless out in the blue In Tunisia where the stork is considered a bird of favorable omen Shermans Sherman's match- match matchbooks matchbooks matchbooks books were highly acceptable gifts and valuable articles of barter in I our dealings with the Tau- Tau reg and Berber The rate of exchange was one book of matches for one one egg one book of matches for one scrawny chicken one book h I. I 1 Certain Bedouin tribes and also the famous Indian of Mont Mont- Montgomery's Montgomery's Montgomery's gomery's Eighth Army never draw their knives from the scabbards un un- unless unless g less the blade draws blood To expose ex ex- I blood blooding blooding pose the naked blade without o ing it makes the weapon v lose face f So when a Bedouin or takes takesI his knife e out to show to a pal he J I cuts his own finger to draw a drop of blood before returning it to its sheath In New v York when a dame wants to give a guy a off brush she tells him her name is Miss Trout and gives him the phone number of the Aquarium as hers In Cairo and Alexandria under similar circum circum- circumstances stan stances es es she gives him the phone number number of the Egyptian Army Barracks Bar Bar- Barracks Barracks racks and tells him to ask for Talata in Arabic right right- threes by-threes or squads right The Arab in the cities of North Africa is dirty beyond civilized be be- lief The Bedouin of the desert how how- however however ever is meticulously clean although he e may die of old age without ever having had a bath in water The desert Arab scrubs himself many times daily with fine dry sand at least seven times daily as he must cleanse himself thoroughly before each of the seven required daily 0 prayers to Allah Throughout North Africa the com com- common common mon tongue is Arabic But dialects differ so widely that natives of one region cant can't understand the speech of other regions But written Arabic I is the same throughout as all lit literate crate erate Arabs learn to write from the Koran So while an Arab cant can't al always al- al always ways talk to a stranger if both can write they can get along fine by scratching tracings in the sand Ordinary dry tea leaves are arc the most valued article of barter be be- between between tween the troops in the desert and 4 the Arabs A pound of tea is worth about 6 in the desert region o of Egypt Libya and itania Sugar is second in the Arabs Arabs' choice prohibited bylaw by bylaw bylaw law third When I first arrived in inthe inthe inthe the African Desert the normal rate of exchange was 75 eggs for a can can- canteen canteen teen cup of dry tea As more am and more soldiers poured into North Africa the rate dropped to one 7 cup of tea one egg I. 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