The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1943-11-29
Star-NewS Writer Finds
Arabia Is Strange Place
CONTINUED from Page One)

were able to find only one paddle.
After we had padded into the main
stream and the current and tide
picked us up, we discovered that
We had a one-man canoe, which
would never carry two of us any
great distance. We sat very still.
When the current forced US end
about end, and we found our course
reversed. I handed him the paddle.
And in turn, he handled it back to
me. We began to ship water, so we
bailed with our hands.
We were half away across the
river when the river patrol threw
a spot light on us, and we yelled,
Don't Shoot in three langua ges.
When we reached the other side
they were quite surprised to see
two Americans step out of the boat.
We returned to the hotel very
much distressed over our failure,
with our wallets and tobacco pou-
ches dripping in our hands, mud
caked in sloshy pads On our shoes,
and the seats Of our pants in bold
relief and dripping wet. don't
think the exclusive Shat-Al-Arab
hotel ever entertained two more
pathetic and undignified guests as
we were. The desert, we decided,
was at least dry.
I had the opportunity to travel
over U. S. Supply lines in Persia to
Russia. I had in my possession let
tiers and credentials which estab-
lished my position as being in the
interests of the press. After about
three weeks of consistent nego-
tfation with authorities in Iran, l
secured a military pass which
would carry me to Kazvin, about
100 miles below the Caspian Sea.
I left the same AFTERNOON with
convoy of supplies bound for Rus
STA.
The territory above Kazvin and
Tehran is controlled absolutely by
the Russian government. In the
north lies the oil-rich Causasas,
which had teen the NaZis goal in
their about offensive against the
Russian armies of tie south. Arm
ored units Of Germany and Italy,
based in Libia, trien repeatedly to
break through the Nile valley, cut
off the Suez CanaI, and seize the
vital oil fields of Iras and Iran.
In the middle of August l found
myself in the hottest town IN the
world. According to Robert Rip
lev the town o. Dizfu], situated in
the middle of the Azgros Mountains
of Persia, mas recorded tempera-
ture of 100 deg, ees, and l have no
reason to doubt the veraclty OF
MIR. Ripley, or the foundation upon
which this statement was made.
The town is surrounded by desert
and barren rock. We were about
200 miles east of the city of Bag
dad.
I found the road north to be COW
cred with the fine. granny dust OF
the desert, which seeps through
YOUR nose and throat In winter the
mountains and ice make this road
treacherous In binding snow
storms, camel caravans are some
times lost, their white bones later
to be seen picked clean, lying IN
the desert SUM- This eerie mon
strosity of the desert reminds me
that I must not linger too long.
This highway was camel-trod
900 wears ago, and under con-
slant attention of U. S. Army En-
eineers it has taken on new as
pect.
NV first driver was Cpl. Howard
Hellmich of Milwaukee, Wiconsin.
He pointed out signs along the
wav that Indicated that heat stroke
stations are a necessity in this
country. HOSPITALS in this area
have been equipped with special
thermometers A standard thermo-
meter only registers 1O8 degrees.
Often these soldiers have to wear
their identification tags inside OF
pockets. The metal tags and belt
buckles become hot enough to burn
when held next to the skin.
r When the convoy pulled into the
first installation OF MTS, ordnance
men took cnargs Of the trucks and
the drivers had coffee and some
thing to eat. While VIC walked over
to the mess hall. Cpl. Hellmich ex-
,1oined that since the engineers
had received their new equipment,
trucks seldom lost their batteries
or parts of the engine. I remember
ed how I held my teeth together
and, finally, we stopped to re-
place the hood.
During stops between laps OF this
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