Imperial Valley press., 1943-10-05
1MuZ uZ)au
BY
ELEANOR
ROOSEVELT
lTr. Nix. Reg. U. S. Pat. Off,
Reproduction in whole or part
forbidden,

Reproduction IN Wnoie or part
forbidden.
HYDE PARK-Thursday-I have
a vivid recollection of my first big
native dance and song competition.
Three villages competed. One girl
had evidently been chosen to honor
me and danced in front of me con-
stantly, once she came and shook
hands. once she came and kissed
me- I was glad since she was an
appealing and attractive young
thingl
A fine army band alternated with
the native entertainment during the
evening and all the soldiers and
sailors who could get off were there
and proved TO be most apprecla-
tive audience. I imagine that the
mems dancing is more difficult
than the women's, but l marveiled
at the suppleneSs of the girls. l was
driven all day b. Sergeant Martin,
he was a wonderful driver, whether
we were in q car or a jeep. He told
me about his little girl, whom he
had left in Johnstown, New York,
with Miss Bessie Miller, the super
intendent of schools.
LARGE BREAKFAST
We left at $40 am. with the
moon and stars still out and l
had breakfast with the boys at the
aviation station. This was the big
gest breakfast I have seen any
group enjoy. 1t consisted OF three
of four enormous flapjackS, large
spoonful of marmalade on them
spoonful of marmalade on them,
four enormous flapjacks, a large
sausage, a sweet roll, butter and
coffee. / couldn't quite compete
with their appetites, but that was
| lust as we'll since it gave me time
| to talk and to listen to them and,
| finally, to sign short snorterS',
photographs, slips of paper and
bills of denomination which did not
indicate membership in the Snort
snorters. II / eXpostulated, they
said, It's one way Of being sure
we won't spend it and we'll have 1t
after the war" Money has little
value out there, SO l was told the
men were buying bonds in very sat
| isfactory amounts. In this pest NJ
| flee they send about $4,000 dollars
worth of money orders home every
pay day. The finance officer, Ist. 1t.
Carlos DeLima of Fayetteville, N.
! c., was laid up with a broken arm
| SO the pay checks had to walt a
day or two, but no longer, for .Ie
was an old soldier who Was making
light of his injury and showed me
how he could write if the dJctOr
would let him. He gave me mother
of pearl pendant which I shall cher
ish, because l admired his spirit
SO much.
At about nine am. we reached
a beautiful little island and some
fairly high ground which we reach
ed by a safe but very steep road.
The view was beautiful and I was
amused, for 1 think the Colonel
expected me to refuse to be driven
up. If I survived he expected me
to prefer walking down. He die rot
know my husbands love for building
roads, and for being his own en-
gineer. This sometimes results in a
road which only my husbands car
will climb when he, himself, is
driving it!
PROGRAM GOES WELL
We had coffee here with the
manager and his wife from New
Zealand. The natives are Maoris and
the Colonel spoke we'll of their de-
! sire to help in the war effort in
any way they could The Red Cross
, representative here seemed to feel
his program was going we'll ard
he was cooperating with the spe-
cial services officer. Between them,
they were meeting the mems neds.
One OF the most important SER
vices the Red Cross renoers is con-
sultation about home problems. To
do this work well, the men in the
field have to rely on the home chap
| ters. I gather that they are rarely
disappointed, and I would like to
extend my congratulations to the
workers at home. 1t is not a CLAM
orous job to follow UP on a family
problem, but it makes a world of
difference to the soldier SO far
away from home.
Colored and white troops are on
this island. AS they stood before
me on the parade ground and, later,
set while I talked to them, they
both looked like grand American
soldiers, doing their job as we'll as
1t can be done in these far away
places.
e. r.
(Copyright. 1913. by United Feat-