Evening star., 1942-06-15
Easy-Going American
Forces Welcomed
Throughout India
Free-Spendins Airmen
Cousine Booms in Many
Native Villages
BY A. T. STEELE,

chieaGo Daily Nexl
NEW DELHI, June 15.-This
strange old land has seen many
waves Of foreigners come and 90
during It's long history. but never
anything like these easy going,
free-spending democratic Ameri-
cans. who are coming to India in
a steady how to help the country
defend itself whether Mohandas K.
Gandhi likes it or not.
have Just spent several days in
an Indian city whose complexion
has been amazingly altered by the
influx Of American aviators and air
force personnel What is happen
ing in that town is happening and
will happen ir others. For one thing
it has brought a local wave Of pros
perity. The Americans are the best
paid fighting men ever to land on
Indian soil and they are spending
with prodigality.
They spend more money in that
town in one night than American
tourists spent in a whole year be-
fore. They 60 to town to see the
movies and spend their wages in
shops, restaurants and beer halls.
All along the street you see youths
in American uniforms haggling
with Indian merchants over pieces
Of silk, embroidered slippers, semi
precious stones, camel whips, Indian
jewelry and other Indian knick-
nacks. wherever they 90 they are
followed by queues of urchins and
beggars raising the familiar cry.
Hello, Johnny" or no mama, no
papa, 2 annas please"
Some boys just stand at the cor
ner watching the camek. sacred
cows and other odd features of the
Indian street pageant move by.
Negroes Impress Natives.
Among the Americans are quite
number OF Negroes who get along
fine with the equally dusky Indians
but still reckon there's mo place
like home" The Indians are much
impressed by the fact that the
American Negroes are as we'll paid
as their white colleagues and appear
to have the same privileges.
For the most part the boys are
living under canvas in spic-and-
span cantonments famed by hot
but not unhealthful breezes. The
use of mosquito nets is compulsory
As defense against malaria. Nearly
all the food comes out of cans and
Is Of American origin and l heard
no complaints about it.
What the lads really miss, and
miss badly. is reading matter.
For gosh Sakes," a Shreveport,
Ua0, boy pleaded, IF you write
home tell 'em to stop collecting
things for the Zulus and Patagoni-
ans and think of us. Boy how we
would appreciate some books and
magazines or even good old Mont
gomery Ward catalogue. There is
absolutely nothing here"
Another chap complained at re-
ceiving a neatly beribboned Bible
from his home town church when
he already had one. MY bunk
mates and me thought it was the
fruit cakes my folks had been prom
1sing me-" he said. well, you can
imagine how we felt"
Change Idea of Americans.
In the second place the new ar
rivals have quite changed the In
dian conception of the American
breed which they heretofore Judged
only from the movies and occasional
tourists. businessmen and writer's,
who passed through these parts.
Here is a new kind of American
sahib-a kind who seems unwor-
ried about matters Of face or caste,
who mingles casually with any or
all elements Of the population, who
often uses forceful language which
the Indians cannot find in any
Anglo-Indian dictionary.
Though the Indians are a bit
puzzled by the American code of
behavior, 50 unlike their own; there
is no question that the population
In that particular town welcomes
them with open arms even though
some old India hands and so-called
"poona boys" are inclined to raise
their eyebrows at the Yanks' famil-
iarity with the natives"
And what about the doughboys?
How are they taking it? Well, I
talked with quite number of them
and, while heard plenty Of COM
plants about the tropical heat and
lack Of recreation, there is no doubt
that the fighting spirit is very high.
What they want more than any,
thing Is action and from all indica-
tions they viii have plenty Of that
before the war Is over.
lConHrisht 1919 hy chicaRo Daily NeH&l