Imperial Valley press., 1943-09-21
1Muz z)a,,
BY e.
ELEANOR
ROOSEVELT

tTr. Nix. Reg. U. s. Pat. Off,
Reproduction in whole or part
forbidden
ON A PLANE OVER AUSTRIA
LA" Sept. Is -- Have I told you
about the houses in Rockhampton?
They are built on stills high up, off
the ground. In many cases, people
keep their cars under their houses
and often the washing is done
there and hung up to dry, Things
are stored in the space below the
house since il is cooler Flowers
and vines are planted as screens
and nowhere did I see an unattrac-
tive approach to a house.
They are all detached, with
ground about them. and the people
are good gardeners, for hedges of
bougainvillea in every color grow in
profusion. Frequently a vine will
cover an entire tree and. while the
tree dies, the vine is very beautiful.
Many other flowers grow that are
semitropical. but it is not too warm
for fruits and vegetable of the
temperate zones to flourish also.
TAME PETS
In every camp we visit there are
numbers of dogs as pets. but in one
camp the soldiers caught and
tanned poSsum. The commanding
officer said it visited his tent fire.
quently. but was not always well
come. so when we saw the possum,
he was tied to a fence by a long
string. They had built a gateway
to their camp and perched on top
of the highest point was a Koala
bear, solemly looking from his point
of vantage at the world and ignor-
ing all pleas to descend and be
petted.
The soldiers had to acknowledge
that he could cling SO well with his
claws that they would find it a
hard job to dislodge him against
his will Far and away the most
appealing pet was a little three
months old walloughby, sitting up
in wire enclosure with tall SOL
dier leaning down feeding her milk
from small bottle with a nipple
taken from some babys bottle.
Nipples are scarce but this baby
had to have the best that could be
obtained
In this country they seem to me
very waSteful of their trees Every
where in the wooded section you
see them completely ringed about,
so they will die. The reason given
me is that they must clear the land
so that grass will grow better for
grazing purposes. OF course, there
are still vast areas of densely
wooded sections, but as look
down from the plane. I recognized
the familiar look of eroded land
which we now have to try to stop
| in our own country.
LOOKS AT BOOKS
/ have been looking at some pic
ture story books for children by a
young Australian, Elizabeth Mac
Intyre who has, l believe, had
some of them published in the
| United States, where 1 am sure
they will be popular with children.
Many letters have come to me on
| this trip but I am going to give
you an extract from one, because
think many mothers of youngsters
at home will appreciate its appeal.
Il hope you will like Australia and
have happy visit here. Australia
would have been different place
now, if all the American soldiers
had not come and saved our coun
try for us. We cannot thank them
enough. My daddy went with the
A. l. F. to Malaga to fight there,
but. he has been missing since
Singapore fell"
The littl egirl is only thirteen,
but she reflects the feelings which
made so many people here offer
their homes to our boys in this far
away land. Australia was near
enough to be bombed and shelled
on several occasions SO there was q
! realization that the invasion was a
, real danger. The trenches dug in
the cities and the dugouts pro-
vided for air raid protection are
witness to the danger which was
once near and has now passed with
the success of the Allies in this
theater of war.
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT #
Copyright, 1943, by United Fea-
ture Syndicate, Inc)