Evening star., 1943-07-04
u. 5. Relief Agency
In 0ran and Tunis
Aids $4,000 Arabs
By Staff Correspondent of The Star.

BY a staff Correspondent OF The star.
ALGIERS (By MaiD This land
of baked mountains and yellow
blooming valley with its diverse pop
ulation of Arabs in rags, Arabs in
silken robes, dark Berbers. rich
French and poor French, is the
after-war work in miniature.
Its problems, now that the tides OF
battle have passed over its pink and
blue cities, clay villages and wheat
fields, are, on relatively small scale,
those which the Allied nations must
face when the Axis is driven from
the occupied lands of Europe.
Thus North Africa Is an excellent
testing ground for relief techniques.
involving almost every phase Of
human living, which will have to be
applied later to far more serious
situations of the same general ma
ture. This will be the great war
after the war, the conflict against
malnutrition. hunger. disease and
the first battle-perhaps little more
than a skirmish-is being fought
here by the ONCE of Foreign Relief,
a unit of the far-reaching organiza-
ton in process of formation under
the direction Of former Gov. Herbert
H. Lehman of New York.
Problems in Tunisia.
The local organization is directed
by Fred H. Hoehler, chief OF the
public welfare and relief division OF
the North African Economic Board,
a former member OF the University
of Chicago faculty, and for several
wears associated with various ma
tional relief organizations with head
quarters in Washington.
The end of the fighting left serious
problems. especially in Tunisia
which had been an occupied coun-
try.
Two regional Offices have been
set up, one in Oran and the other in
Tunis. In Tunis. members OF Mr..
Hoehler's staff found nearly 10000
Arab refugees from communities all
over the northern part Of the COLONY
In addition there were about 1900
Jewish refugees from nearby Bizerte
and a large number of Europeans
who were moving back to their
homes as rapidly as possible.
Established Milk Stations.
For the Arabs there was estab-
lished in the Medina, the Moslem
section. at the request of the local
shiek, milk distribution program
serving 1000 children day. This
is being increased gradually as needs
are revealed by local authorities and
members of the staff. All this milk
is consumed at the place of dis
tribution to prevent any Of It being
sold on a black market.
The Jewish refugees are being
served in four centers. The service
includes health inspection and pro-
vision of milk, sugar. rice and cloth
ing for children and the sick. The
staff is assisting the Jewish COM
munity in evacuating people from
the centers and establishing them In
their own homes or the homes OF
friends, so that abnormal living con-
ditions can be completely eliminated
Other groups. including European
Italians and Sicilians. are being aid
ed by local social agencies.
Relief Stores Set Up.
A major Job of the organization
has been setting up relief stores for
the distribution Of American goods
at cost prices. The local civil
authorities are asked to accept re-
sponsibility for the conduct of these
stores They supply list Of families
Each family is given a ticket per-
mitting purchase of such articles
as milk. sugar, coffee, tea, cloth OF
clothing. These articles are rationed
on the basis of the size of the family
All purchases are intended to make
up for losses to the enemy. AL
goods on sale at these stores come
from relief supplies. At the latest
checkup there were about 5000 ton,
of food and clothing for distribution
in Tunisia.
Internees Destitute.
OF paramount importance is the
refugee service section set up Il
care for men just released from in.
ternment camps. and to arrange fol
their release. They come out, a!
literally millions will do later ir
Europe, completely destitute, fal
from their families, If any Of thes.
are left alive. The object Of thu
division is to start them of on {
new life in which they will have Z
fair chance of success. Small
amounts Of money are given them