Evening star., 1942-08-19
Mule Power Solves
Transport Problem
On Burma Front
Thousands Being Used
To Garry Food and
Arms in JungIes
By DOUGLAS WILKIE,
Correspondent OF The Star and Nor
American Newspaper Alliance.

correspondent OF The Star ana North
American Newspaper Alliance.
ON THE BURMA FRONT, Aug.
19.-Among the many solutions to
the problem of maintaining big
army in the field in this terrible
climate and terrain the most spec
tacular is the reversion to mule
transport.
Many crack Indian regiments had
no sooner completed motorization
than they were compelled to aban-
don their trucks and tractors and
rely on mule power.
Touring the jungle tracks and the
apologies for roads which are usually
the sole supply lines along the slip
perry mountain slopes and rank for
est areas where five and often ten
times New Yorks annual rainfall
empties in three months. I have
seen countless thousands of mules.
1t is the mule which stumbles and
slithers over the hill tracks laden
with mountain batteries. plunges
through leech- infested SWamps with
food and ammunition and sWims
! flooded rivers with an astonishing
weight strapped to the pack saddles.
Even ambulance units are equipped
with mules carrying stretcher chairs.
| Worth Underestimated.
Transport officers who recently
| believed they had finally abandoned
mules for the more predictable kick
| of the self-starter are now the first
to acknowledge they underestimated
the worth of the much -maligneo
mule whose qualities are being
proved under an ordeal never be-
fore faced by modern army.
When mules cannot get through
it is a question of each man carry
ing his own weapon and rations OF
taking river boats. The Assam oper-
ations prove the mule cannot be
equaled by anything else on wheels
or four legs. Most tracks are toe
narrow for trucks and too steep anc
slippery for motorcycles. Horses are
too temperatmental. Elephants
although plentiful, have been Ions
abandoned by the army because
]
and prone to stampede under gun
fire
The mules serving on the Burma
front come from the Americas, Aus.
tralia and Northern India. They
are valued at over 1920 each, fal
dearer than an officers charger
Thousands of veteran muleteers de-
mobilized under the mechaniZatior
program we're recalled to the colors
Veterinary services were expanded
anew to insure safeguarding the
health of the mules with innocu
lations and other methods.
The supply of mules is necessaril,
limited owing to the breeding diff
culties.
Regarded With Fear.
Many hill tribesmen here hav
never before seen white man 0
Indian soldier still less horse O
mule. They regard the beasts Wit
fear aud wonder. Indian Sepoys en-
tering remote villages for the frs
time with a sweating mule train ten
to wear proud expressions.
Othe- news here consists Of tn
recapture of two German internee
who escaped last week, They wer
taken after making their way hun
dreds Of miles from Central Indl
trying to reach the japanese line
in Burma.
The Germans escaped While trans
ferring by train from one intern
ment camp to another. Maps an
money were found on the men.
They were recaptured because {
, the quickwitedness of an Indian VII
. lage policeman who wondered VIII
! two European civilians were travel
! ing cross country. He conveyed HI
, suspiclcns to the military authorl
ties.
, The Germans were detained b
= Indian Army units here whose patrc
= area extends into Burma. Both Gel
j mans. aged about 80, boasted it We
: their third escape. Both are able
speak japanese, one 1uently.
t When an escort arrived, the prison
= ers clicked their heels and marche
e along the jungle track smartly
S step with a guard Of Pathan sharr
n shooters.