Evening star., 1943-08-22


Parisius learned tbe Germans had scat
tered land mines so far and wide that
the Arabian field labor was afraid to
get out for the harvest.
The Army, meanwhile, was demanding
as one term of surrender that the Ger
mans and Italians turn over their mine
maps. They did, and American sapper
squads started out Immediately to clear
the mines. The natives went back to
work, the crop was saved
Then Parisius rounded up 300 trucks
of captured Axis materiel, some work
squads of Italian prisoners and the
wheat moved, He now reports Tunisia
will happily produce a surplus of grains,
dried beans and peas. The Allied armies
can draw on them as they need.
This relief work is done by an outfit
with big name, the State Departments
Office of Foreign Relief and Rehabilita-
tion Operations The staff has shortened
that to "OFRRO." But every one else in
Washington calls it the Lehman Com
mittee" because former Gov. Herbert
Lehman of New York heads it.
We're feeding the natives in territory
we take to make certain they don't get
into the Army's hair. We're also figuring
on the propaganda value of good relief
job: Bring peace and order to Tunisia
for instance, and it may put ideas into
the heads of people in Turin, Belgrade
or Berlin, for that matter.
So the job is also delicate one
There are three phases to it. The
Army as 1t moves in, does just enough
relief work distributing clothes, food
medicines) to help its operations.
When the shooting Is over, the Army
leaves military governor in charge
that AMGOT-and the Lehman Commits
sion moves in to do hundred things:
Reopen the stores and schools, feed and
clothe the war-shocked people, get the
farms going, move the food into the
cities, and feed and clothe people with
out means or homes
The third phase is designed to put the
people on their feet so they can help
themselves. Here are two small ex-
amples: Getting seeds to the farmers
w
getting refugees into jobs so they can
pay their own rent and meals.
Much Already Repaid.
Actually the work has moved quite
fast. In some cases the Lehman people
have cleared up local relief plan in
two weeks.
And money is coming back. This ma
tion shipped s4o,0O0,OO0 worth of goods
for the North African job. The French
government has already repaid s25,-
100000.
Only 5 per cent of these goods was
taken by the Lehman relief men to
handle the immediate chaos. They were
prepared to give it away, if need be.
But they found, especially in Tunisia,
that the people had money to pay, If
there were only good to buy. So we're
selling much instead OF giving It away.
One problem involved the 5000 politi-
cal refugees scattered in concentration
camps throughout North Africa. Men
who had fought Hitler fed to Africa
and then had been slapped into the
camps by German and Italian armistice
commissions. They were in pitiful con-
dition when released. They needed
food, clothes, jobs.
Lehman agents set up three relief
centers for them-and then had a
pleasant surprise. The relief chief took
100000 francs to the center at Oran with
him-donations from American and Eng
lish private relief agencies-to give away,
If need be. But four-fifths of the politi-
cal refugees turned down the 200 francs
apiece he was prepared to give them to
tide them over to a job. They were
grateful for the clothes
The delighted relief Official phoned
African relief headquarters he'll have
$4,000 francs to return. Later he phoned
he'd have still more
The injured refugees were special
(See RELIEF, Page C-3)