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Show kit .,.,.., ,. Jn JV. Africa With the British Eighth: (By George Lait, Int'l News Service war correspondent, who is back after 31 months' continuous action under fire, first in the London blitz, then in the eastward British retreat and the triumphant tri-umphant westward Rommel-rout to Bizerle with Montgomery's Eighth Army. He lived in the desert for a year and a half, was wounded three times and frequently cited for valor.) It gets really hot in the Western Desert 130 degrees and no shada being quite common during the Summer Sum-mer season. But it is no more uncomfortable un-comfortable than New York at 95 degrees. In the desert it's just heat; in New York it's humidity. The American fliers and British "Tommies" "Tom-mies" wear lightweight clothing for comfort, but the Arab wraps up in heavy woolen blankets and half-a-dozen flannel nightshirts "to keep out the heat." Everyone's uncomfortable. uncom-fortable. The Boche and Ginzos are scrupulous scrupu-lous observers of international law as regards rendering useless the infrequent in-frequent wells in the desert. Instead of poisoning the vital water supply, sup-ply, which is prohibited by agreement, agree-ment, they pollute wells as they retreat re-treat by killing a camel, sheep or goat and tossing the carcass into the well. Makes water temporarily unfit un-fit for human or animal consump-aon, consump-aon, but doesn't permanently destroy the spring. Several times during the Eighth Army's 2,500-mile chase after Rommel this was the only water we had; we drank it by holding hold-ing the nose, retained it a few moments mo-ments and then did a railing-of-the-ship act. Eut managed to gain lust enough moisture to keep going. When forced to abandon huge hogsheads hogs-heads of wine at Tobruk, the running Italians paused just long enough to pour a gallon of gasoline into each barrel. So we used the wine in the radiators of our desert cars and Jrank the water originally intended or the radiators. Mail deliveries to the boys out there vary, in my own experience, trom one week to eight months. Through the U. S. Army Post Office have received airmail lettei-s from New York to Tripoli in seven Jays, rhrough the regular steamer mail iria Cairo and the civilian delivery letup, a Christmas package from Sherman Billingsley was delivered to me in July." It contained six not-too-sedate neckties for which an Arab offered to exchange a wife 3r a camel and 100 books of Stork 21ub matches, which are priceless jut in the blue. In Tunisia, where the stork is considered a bird of favorable omen, Sherman's match-Dooks match-Dooks were highly acceptable gifts and valuable articles of barter in our dealings with the Senussi, Tau-reg Tau-reg and Berber sheiks. The rate of Exchange was one book of matches lor one egg, one book of matches lor one scrawny chicken, one book 3f matches for one meaL Certain Bedouin tribes and also the famous Indian Ghurkas of Montgomery's Mont-gomery's Eighth Army never draw their knives from the scabbards unless un-less the blade draws blood. To expose ex-pose the naked blade without "blooding" "blood-ing" it makes the weapon lose face. So when a Bedouin or Ghurka takes ois knife out to show to a paL he cuts his own finger to draw a drop of blood before returning it to its sheath. In New York when a dame wants to give a guy a brush-off she tells him her name is Miss Trout and gives him the phone number of the Aquarium as hers. In Cairo and Mexandria. under similar circum-atances, circum-atances, she gives him the phono Dumber of the Egyptian Army Barracks Bar-racks and tells him to ask for Yamenick Talata (in Arabic, right-by-thrccs. or "squads right"). The Arab In the cities of North Africa is dirty beyond civilized be- lief. The Bedouin of the desert, however, how-ever, is meticulously clean, although he may die of old age without ever having had a bath in water. Tin desert Arab scrubs himself mat-J times daily with fine, dry sand; at least seven times daily. s he must cleanse himself thoroughly before each of the seven required daily prayers to Allah. Throughout North Africa the common com-mon tongue Is Arabic. But dialects differ so widely that natives of on region can't understand the speech of other regions. But written Arabic Is the same throughout, as all literate lit-erate Arabs learn to write from th Koran. So. while an Arab can't always al-ways talk to a stranger, if both can write they can get along tine by lei ati-hing tracings in the sand. Ordinary dry to leaves are th most valued article of bailer t'O-tween t'O-tween the troops in the desert ami the Arabs. A pound of tea is woith about $( In the desert region ol l'V.pl. Libya, I'jrenaiea aivl I'npol Itama. Siu::ir ts second in the Ai.ibs' choice; hasheesh ipi o!vbil,l by lav tliil.l. When I Hist aimed in the African IVscrt. the noui-al ta'.f of ecbaiu:e was 73 co:s for a can teen cup of idy tea A n'oie m,i nioie soUu'H pome, I m'.o N.-i:!-Africrt. the late lii. ppcd to ' cif cup of tea. one 1-1:1 |