The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-04-20

Mrs Samuel Tcich, 36, the mother uncle here are pictured together aft saw fit among the Arab chieftains who fought his battles.
 Now his pay Is eighty cents a portion. The rest he spends on gas- day From this he saves d small aline for his American built speed boat, his motorcycle, and for gram ophone records for what he calls his "tinned music" supply.
 No Arabian prince ever had such power as Lawrence had during the war. Not even Field Marshal Lord Allenby. in command of the allied Lawrence's technically superior ofii- cers, interfered with the orders which he issued in the desert. Law renee was, in effect, "uncrowned king of Arabia. Now he lives in an army hut with 19 other men, most of them air force mechanics. He sleeps on an olive-green iron army cot with a tough mattress of cocoa nut fibre. He has five service blan- kets and pair of sheets to cover him. His pillow of the same ma terial is as tough as his mattress. Above his cot is a green steel locker. | HtS SchCIdiy COlltlIo illO5I OI tIc owners treasures'-books, tobacco, spare clothing. and the like.
 Lawrence showed me all this. While he was doing 50 he told me why he chose this mode of living. He explained how 1t felt to be "hounded by the ghost of fame. He denied ill-health caused him to retire.
 "I am an archaeologist," he said, "but since my adventures in the desert the parts which l want to explore are banned territories to me. I can't go to. Egypt. The French won't allow me through any of their territory. Turkey won't have me-.
 He paused, smiled, then pointing a finger at himself:
 Look at me-" he said, T am dangerous man..
 He. laughed at his own sarcastic reference to his small stature.
 They say I entered the k. A. r. because of bad health! Some say I was 'riddled with bullets; others say I was verging a nervous break down following my experiences in the desert. You can't become a member of the R. A. r. if you are physically or mentally unfit. joined the k. A. r. simply because I wanted a job at which I could work with my hands, as l used to when conducted excavations.
 Traditions in England made my desire difficult to fulfil. Wherever l went I was expected to become the firm. Nothing, you see, could be head or one of the heads of the good enough for Colonel Law renee. Once a colonel. always a colonel. That colonel should want to do work generally considered to be beneath what q colonel should do was unthinkable.
 "In England rank counts for much. There are certain things which are just not done when you have rank here. For one thing, you do not, as rule, repair machines when you are in a position to order someone else to repair them for you. l like repairing machines. I enjoy tinkering with machinery. If I cant do this as colonel, then l want to do it as a private. So l am q private!"
 Being waited upon hand and foot as he was during his war in tie desert, he explained, was monoton- ous after a time. Having rank and responsibility entailing obedience to politicians, he said. was odious 10 him. You don't have to agree with the policy of government when you are q private in the air force, he continued.
 That is one reason why refused decorations and other honors offer ed me-" he continued. Had ac- cepted them at the time they would have shut my mouth! By refusing them I was able to speak my mind. A s. lnner Hf NUfth htnnf ministers and others, I got the gov ernment, thanks to Winston Churchill, to fulfil as many promises made to the Arabs during the war as it was humanly possible and practicable to fulfil. Then it was ] decided to give up all of which was sick and tired and chose to en- ter the R. A. Y.
 There is no mystery about my life there. I live as public a life as 1t is possible to live. l am In bar racks with other men. I sleep under the same roof with 19 of them. I eat with them. I perform my duties daily. as they do. can be seen any time by anybody who takes the trouble to look at me. I am known to hundreds In the air force. In my hut we all know each other well. 'To begin with we all take our shirts off in the same place every morning. We soon find out all about one another. We soon know to whom we can lend a shilling and be sure to get 1t back. The life lead, l should say. is So public that one can hardly suggest that am in some distant part of the world stirring up trouble; that Is one req son why chose such a life. Yet. from newspaper clippings sent 10 me I understand that to this very day I am accused of being the soul Of rebellions which break out from time to time in far distant lands! But I have no such power. While they say these things about me I am doing far leaa roma ntlc fhingH.