Evening star., 1943-03-02
By LIT. COL. JOSEPH b. PHILLIPS,
Public Relations Officer, United
States Army.

ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTH AFRICA, Feb. 20 (delayed)
Ruth Cowan of the Associated
Press and Inez Robb Of the Inter-
national News Service completed
their recent Ave days tour of rear
lines on the fighting Tunisian front
with the highest tribute the Army
can pay-good soldiers-to their
credit.
Both girls admit they left the
United States thinking they we're
going to England. When the convoy
landed IN Africa. their first request
was to be sent up to the front and
once at the front their next request
was to be allowed to stay there.
Inez and Ruth lived the life Of
soldiers for the most part. They
slept under canvas for a night on
the side Of bitter cold African
hill. They wore olive drab fighting
clothes and "coveralls," ate Army
chow, bounced around in Army
"Jeeps" and trucks, chinned with
privates and lieutenants and colonels
alike to find out what life Is like
in war, for their stories.
Crose to Action.
The newspaperwomen were Au-
thorized to make the trip to visit a
large evacuation hospital well to the
rear of the fighting 'front.' The night
they arrived the Germans pushed
through In the area forward of the
hospitals position and by the time
they could leave. enemy air action
was concentrated on a nearby air.
port.
Only once did either of them
violate the soldier hospitality. One
Army cook let them stay in his
kitchen while he prepared the meal
and the temptation was too much
for Inez. She had to offer sug-
gestions about the making of the
stew and soon the cook was routed
with 1nez In complete control.
Otherwise the nearest truck was
good transportation, proffered food
was excellent nourishment, avail
able blankets were warm and com.
Portable bedding.
A typical "a hours saw them by
the side OF road in the cold dusk
for two hours waiting for q ride.
hudding in a command car over
more than 100 miles OF biackout
driving in mountains, surprisingly
getting a bed in a luxurious and
vacant villa, hiking through a dusty
African city tammed and milling
with soldiers to go sight seeing, rid
Ing 30 miles IN the back of weapons
carrier to get to an airport, climbing
IN an Army transport for two rough
hours of flying. climaxing it all BY
banging to their destination In q
2l2-ton truck.
Track Stories Tirelessly.
Put five such days together and It
is obvious that claiming the girls
were not tired would be foolish.
They had filed by the time OF their
return one story. There was plenty
OF material for more. Inez had worn
out four pencils taking notes Ruth
had filled three notebooks. In other
words. they interviewed tirelessly
and completely, giving out only when
everybody went to bed or the story
was done
Even in military "savoir faire. I"
the women stood up we'll. It is true
that Miss Cowan thought a stack Of
egg-shaped airplane auxiliary gas
tanks were bombs and that neither
of them knew who has the higher
rank a major general or lieutenant
general. But in such things they
were not interested. From the things
they did and the interests they
showed, they went after the way the
Doughboy and the women, the nurses
and Red Cross workers, are fighting
this war over here. What they wrote
! proves they got it.