The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1942-11-12
BLUFFT0N WOMAN
IN AFRICA may BE
IN PATH OF WAR
Catherine Gratz, Missionary in
Dakar Area of French
West Africa
Status Uncertain as Vichy Gov
ernment Breaks Relations
With u. S.

A Bluffton woman stationed as
missionary in French West Africa
may be in the midst of world history
making events as the scope of war
widens this week and Africa appears
| to be the strategic key to military
operations of the United Nations.
The Bluffton woman, Miss Cath
crime Gratz, daughte rof Mr.. and
Mrs. Peter Gratz of South Jackson
street is located at Kankan, in a re-
gion controlled by the Vichy French
government. Dakar, an Atlantic
port 500 miles to the north, is as
| suming a role of increasing import
ance as one of the worlds most
strategic spots in view of African
military operations.
Altho there has been no report of
concentration of Allied troops in the
vicinity of vichy controlled Dakar,
it is expected that this region will
become involved i'm military activi-
| ties.
BETWEEN FRENCH FORCES
Kankan, location of the Bluffton
missionary, is some 800 miles from
the harbor of Kpnakry and lies be-
tween Dakar, Vichy French naval
base and Lake Chad in the interior
where Free French forces are re
ported massing.f
Letters written by Miss Gratz re-
ceived here by her parents are heav-
lily censored and give no indication
as to the local Situation as regards
the sympathies ] of the natives to-
ward the Vichys regime or the Free
| French.
The situations however, as far as
American missionaries is concerned
became further involved this week
due to the brzalllng Of diplomatic re-
lations with the United States by the
Vichy government.
What effect that would have OF
missionary activity in the area is
not known. The Bluffton woman is
working under the board of foreign
missions of the Missionary-Alliance
organization with headquarters ir
New York City.
She has been in the field for more
than two years having left Blufftor
in April of 1910. Furloughs are
granted to missionaries in this area
every four years because of the rig
orous climatic conditions.
Six WEEKS FOR LETTER
| Mr.. and Mrs. Gratz last hearc
from their daughter about the frs
week in September. Ordinarily i
takes about six weeks for a lettel
to arrive in this country from tn,
far away African post.
| Her most recent letter reports
| that there has been little evidence
of war activity in her district ex
cept that some missionaries were or
| dered out of the province by Vich,
| French because they were suspecte,
of having Free French sympathies
The natives as well as the mis-
sionaries are required to exercis
caution in the expression of opinio
about French authorities, Miss Grat
stated in her letter.
No GASOLINE
Missionary and evangelistic activi
ties in the West African area hav
been greatly restricted by the gov
ernmental decree eliminating the US
of gasoline for automobiles by mis-
sionary and religious workers. Thi
has made it almost impossible t
travel to some of the missionar
outposts.
The only means of travel availabl
are to walk or to use some of tn
native domesticated animals.
Under ordinary conditions tn
, Bluffton missionary would be due fo
a furlough to America in a yea
and half. Present circumstance!
, however, may compel her return
J this country before that time, he
) parents believe.