The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1943-06-03

tains and pools and water lilies, and
arbors weighted down with overloaded
Orange trees. There was a price for the
sight of all this loveliness though. Had
l been foresighted, | would lave carried
several packages of cigarettes with me
and saved myself tortured mental gym
nastics trying to remember the relative
value of French francs and American
bucks. As it was l had to tip the gate
keeper, several of the attendants, and,
of course, my driver, who acted as guide
in the grounds.
Both oging and coming from the pal
ace we passed many modern, fashion
able French villas shut off from this
world of care and woe by nigh walls
over which %geraniums and many other
flowers unknown to me rambled in a
gay and pretty confusion. At some OF
the windows l saw maids peering out at
the lonely young Ensign in the big carri-
age and one or two of the more daring
smile. As for the children in the streets,
they were all daring. They saluted, they
yelled american" they ran alongside
III CdIIidBC pSesihs "ShSss
money" or more often a "smoke,
smoke" 1t was all very exciting; the
French and Moroccan soldiers we're very
snappy in their s~aluting and | tried to
be dignified and "easy" in returning the
favor. l passed many other "taxis" fill
ed with laughing sailors and grinning
American negro soldiers. There are few
cars in Casablanca, other than those
belonging to the U. S. Army. During
the day it is easy to get a carriage
but after eight in the evening you have
to "hoof it" or if you're lucky, catch
q ride in an army truck.
The next day l wasn't lucky enough
to get a ride either in a taxi or with
the army. So l tramped out of the hot,
dusty dock and strolled toward the city.
/ spent that afternoon visiting the native
shops which line the east side of the
Palace de France. l ven in all of them
and found them much the ~same-small,
dirty, gaudy with red, brown, and blue
leather bags and purses, coarse rayon
scarfs, queer leather shoes, and big
loosely woven rugs and blankets. The
owners were mostly Arabs who knew
little English but managed to drive hard
bargains with the little knots of Amer
lean soldiers and sailors who pushed
their way from one store to another. 1
picked up a red leather purse 1 though
you would like. In one STALL" where
the salesman proudly told me that he
had spent six weeks in Brooklyn, l man.
aged to find some perfume whose sale
is forbidden but which has a flourish
ing "black market" I'm sending you
what l bought, l suppose you will know
whether it's good or not. l only know
that I liked the odor-and the garcan
insisted that l was getting a great bar
gain for 400 francs. 1 had remembered
Evaline's uncle's address and managed
to find the shop but it was closed.
father who promised to tell his son that
I had called and had me write my name
SO that he could tell Evaline and Nellie
that l had been there. When /. got
ready to go back to the ship, it was
almost dark and the crowds were rapidly
thinning out into little clusters that
hesitated on street corners or chung to
the entrances Of the bars and cafes.
What these crowds do besides drink
and sit and walk? Well they go to the
picture show to see such old films as
"Muntiny on the Bounty" and "Nancy
Had Three Loves" ! saw the latter my
self in French but not because wanted
to see a show or learn new French words.
I wanted to her Josephine Baker sing.
She is an American negress who went
to Paris at the end of World War l
and was so successful that she stayed
there until the German occupation drove
her to Casablanca. Rather thin and
ugly but with a fascinating personality,
she was one of the most striking
entertainers I've ever seen. Her sing
ing was mediocre but her showmanship
wal excellent. One tune, "J'ai Deux
Amours," was so catchy I've been hum
ming it ever since; the two loves are
France and Paris. And when she sang
it. she received a tremendous ovation.
She sang it again and again. In front
of me l could see an elderly woman wipe
away her tears and on my left a stout
looking gentleman blew his nose quietly.
Before Baker had finished, half the
audience had joined in and were sing
ing the chorus with her. l think l was
as impressed by this outburst of spon-
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