Imperial Valley press., 1943-09-12
NV uDou
BY
FL EANOR
ROOSEVELT

(TR. NIX. REG. U. S. PAT.
OFF.-Repr0duct in whole or
part forbidden.)
MELBOURNE, Australia Delay
ed)-Our arrival here was prompt
as usual and, after greeting Gov
ernor Sir Winston Dugan and Lady
Dugan, with other officials at the
airport, we left Immediately to visit
some more of the men in our armed
forces.
During the day / visited camps,
hospitals, Y. M. C. A. huts and the
Salvation Army building which had
the only open fireplaces and which
will, I'm sure, be very popular for
that reason. Far be it from me to
suggest, however, that the men
seek creature comforts in preference
to spiritual leadership, for the cur
rent sa;;ing, There are no atheists
in fox holes,' takes on new mean
ing here.
CIVIC CLUBS
Some of the smaller hospitals are
caring largely for malaria cases
and are stated by Australian doc
tors, nurses and volunteers. They
are kindness itself to our men, who
receive exactly as much attention
from Australian Red Cross workers
as they give to their own soldiers.
Near one of the camps, which is
some distance from Melbourne,
there is an American Red Cross
club. 1t was set up at one time as
rest home for recuperation after
time spent in a hospital, or for
fur1ough periods. 1t has been
turned into the usual type of club,
where meals are served, games are
avalS.ble and places are provided to
write or read, or just sit and talk.
Some craft work is carried on and
a few beds are kept in readiness for
boys who want to spend their night
off in real bed with spring
maCUress, white sheets and blankets
OF course, there are areas which
I am visiting which are rest areas,
where units are IL training or being
given rest periods after long months
spent in the actual battle area.
In the evening we dined at big
Red Cross club in Melbourne, where
1000 meals are served daily. In
Australia, Sundays are days of rest
and no places OF amusement are
open, SO these are the evenings
when the men and their friends
like to be entertained at club. We
spent a short period at a show
where much soldier talent as we'll
as professional talent was in evi-
dence on the stage. 1t was crowd
ed place and am sure there are
few idle moments for Miss Florence
Hizk or any of the other workers.
NEW GUINEA CELEBRATION
been Up to New Guinea last Christ
mas, gave me description of their
celebration. On Thanksgiving Day,
he said, he and his men had tea
and spinach as their only food, but
by Christmas Day they were able
to have really good dinner. They
placed star on the top of the
tallest palm tree, worked all day.
but had unloaded and brought in
by night the little Red Cross par
GELS sent up for each man by the
Red Cross. They cut up all candles
in camp SO each man had a little
piece of light.
The familiar Christmas songs
were sung, Protestant service was
held and just at midnight, a Cath
clio mass celebrated. Then the
lights went out and Jap planes came
over, but not until every man had
scattered so no casualties occurred.
That is Christmas few of those
men will ever forget. Mr.. Gamble,
OF the Red Cross, told me that as
the wounded came back the follow
ing days, they might have no
clothes, but what was on their
backs. but many of them clutched
the precious little Christmas pack
age
During the afternoon we stopped
at the Crippled Children's hospital,
where cases of infantile paralysis,
rheumatic fever and tubercular
bone diseases of every kind are
being treated and many of them
being cured These cases take great
patience and many of them spend
from four to six years in the hos
pital, but it's encouraging to know
that they have a high percentage
OF cures. The hospital looks out
oter the sea and the children are
exposed to all the air and sunshine
possible in very beautiful surround
ingS.
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT
Copyright, l943, by United Fea.
ture Syndicate, Inc.)