The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1943-05-27
Speak American.
Lady
By Lucie KinsOIuing
(WHU Feature-Throurh special arrangement
with Woman's Home Compsnion.)


fWNU Festme-Throurh special arrangement
with Womsn's Home Compsnion)
All over the world, the American
soldier likes joke, even when war
puts him in a field hospital. To
keep him happy, the American Red
Cross girls of the hospital recrea-
ton groups help a lot. | was the
first OF these girls to go to North
Africa.
I'D give a months pay to talk to
an American GIRL" confided one dis
consulate boy. This morning when
stepped up to a neat little French
number and said, Bonnie jaWer,
comment alesse WI, she breezed
right past me! No American dame
would treat me that way"
It's being unable to make them
selves understood by the feminine
sex over there that's one Of the
hardest things for our soldiers in
North Africa, | found | interpreted
for an hour and half to a French
lady for an American officer. His
tactics were Anglo-Saxon directness,
hers were Gallo evasion. At the
end of that time the gentleman had
no idea whether the lady was
amused or merely contemptuous.
This incident gives you only a
slight idea of the varied ways that
we Red Cross recreation workers
try to make ourselves useful.
There was rumor that a very
greet American general had said
year ago he would never have
wanted women mixed up in a war;"
but after he saw what Red Cross
workers accomplished in England
he definitely wanted them in Africa
and right away
Greeted by Soldiers.
When our Red Cross group locked
in North Africa on the first sunny
day we had had for two months,
we were greeted by shouts OF vel
come from the soldiers. Speak
American, lady" they cried as they
had in London where they had
stopped us on the street just to
hear the home twang.
AS we drove up the roadway. the
populace OF varying races and re-
ligions who had learned American.
isms fast, held up two fingers in
the Victory salutation, hoping this
would bring them chocolate and
"chue-gomme.
Some faces wore doubtful express
sions, mystified by our women's uni
forms, but when we came closer
light broke through. VOLTA La Croix
Rouge they shouted enthusiastical-
ly. "Vive La Croix Rouge" Imagine
what thrill that gave u.s.
First Red Cross Club In Africa.
That very night we opened our
first American Red Cross club in
North Africa. Only a few hours
before it had been a barnlike empty
automobile Showroom. But AL Fink,
Herb Siffert and Jim Sneider, three
of our enterprising field directors,
had worked such wonders that as
played the piano for the soldiers to
sing heard one boy blurt out, Gee,
this sure Is like homel"
This was In Oran, Algiers, not
many days after our troops ar
rived. Since then In our Oran
club hundreds Of men have
found "a home away from
home" In addition to the piano,
We have radios, games and at
night entertainment by army
musicians.
AT first we had difficulty provid-
ing snacks for the boys, but we
found we could fill in the hungry
spaces with mandarins and dates.
Our next job was a tough one
to organize Red Cross hospital for
which our six months supply of
everything was lost. | felt like
Christopher Robin, for | spent my
time going down to the end of the
town" getting warehouses open
where there were priceless Red
Cross stocks OF cigarettes, tooth |
paste, brushes and shaving cream
for the wounded.
Living Problems.
Our personal problems OF living
are easier than we had imagined. I
as women in a mans army on
battle front, but they are extremely
incongruous. Unbelievable luxuries |
are mixed with discomforts. We can
have coiffures that do things for
you" but no hairpins. We have ex-
otto tropical fruits but no pasteurized
milk. Fine handmade shoes are in
shop windows, but no stockings. We
live In typical French house sur
rounded by palms, golden cascades
Of mimosa, and giant tree ferns.
We have become increasingly
resourceful since that hot day i'm
September when, loaded down
with musette bags, steel he'll
NETS and gas masks, group of
us Red Cross girls hitched up
the gangplank Of troopship.
Our quarters were comfortable,
on a very crowded ship, and we
Il