The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1943-08-05
A Yank's Life
In India
By William Chaplin
(WNU Feafure-Through special arrangement
with Womsn's Home Companion.)

tiers of the Tenth Air force of the
American army. 1t is really city
of its own.
Before this war, there have been
eight Delhis, six of which crumbled
away with declining civilizations.
Beginning of the war found still in
existence the seventh Delhi, typ
ical teeming eastern city Of rickshas,
sleeping coolies and wandering
cows; and the eighth Delhi, gov
ernmental suburb of broad streets
and fine buildings known as New
Delhi
Now that the Yanks have
come to India, there has come
into being a community which
may well be called the ninth
Delhi.
When my plane arrived in India |
drove to the Imperial hotel, then
the American headquarters, along
streets my taxi shared with camel
caravans, bullock carts, motor
buses. bicycles and pony carts. On
broad tree-lined Queensway we ran
between empty lots where ground
was broken for construction projects.
Already masons were at work
ON fresh foundations and loose
limbed hill-women with rings in
their noses and heavy silver
anklets clanking above their
bare feet were carrying bricks
ON their heads.
| stayed in India six months and
long before | left the ninth Delhi
was completed and occupied, with
the American flag flying before the
headquarters building and thou
sands of American soldiers comfort
ably installed in their new quarters.
Bomb Japs in Burma.
As ! write, British troops are still
pouring across the Burma border
and members Of the American Tenth
Air force are bombing japanese in
stallations in Burma. America
didn't get into the war in time to
give mass aid to preventing the loss
of Burma, but by wise planning
they got there in time to take part
in its reoccupation. Theirs is des-
tined to be vital part in turning
the tide of war in the East.
The ninth Delhi, spread along both
sides of QueensWay for half a mile,
comprises tWo-story barracks, Of
ficers' quarters, office buildings,
hospital and post exchange. Last
but far from least are the mess
halls, where Yank soldiers eat as
do few armies on either side of this
war.
While, the barrack room bearers
are making the beds and comparing
admiring notes on their new mas
ters, the boys themselves are eating
a breakfast that might just as well
have been prepared in East Orange,
NJ. j., or Terre Haute, Ind. Fruit,
eggs, much Of the meat and all the
fresh vegetables are purchased To-
cally, but there's a good sprinkling
of canned and packaged goods
brought through half a dozen sub
marine zones so the boys can have
the kind of meals that mother used
to make.
Yanks Eat American Style.
The American soldiers in India
are eating American style in the
army mess halls, but healthy Curl
osity has led them to make a thor
ough investigation of Indian food as
we'll
The little restaurants are always
crowded with them, nibbling strange
curries, savoring hot spices, perhaps
even trying a chew at the red betel
nut the Indians think good for their
digestion. And a particular favorite
is a rich pastry covered with real
silver leaf.
The Indians think silver is
good for their insides. The
Americans don't take much faith
in that, but they do get kick
out of eating real silver. Some
OF them are writing home warn
ing the folks to lock up the fam
lily silver after the war; they
say they might forget where
they were and chew up Aunt
LOUIS best creamer or swallow
those souvenir spoons from the
Worlds fair.
These men Of the Indian AEF are
mechanics, clerks, cooks, techni-
clans of a hundred different kinds,
and they put in full day at their
appointed tasks unstayed by sun or
dust storm or monsoon. But they
have their fun while they can get it.
A tonga is a two-wheeled cart
drawn by an understood, NANCY but
spirited Indian pony. There is one
broad seat, separ ated into two by a
back rest running from side to side.
Thus two passengers can ride facing
forward and two facing backward.
The man who invented tongas
didn't know much about the laws OF
balance. If two passengers take a
tonga and sit in the back seat. the
shafts 60 up in the air so high the
pony has to walk on tiptoe. To
counterfeit this the driver crawls out
on the right shaft and operates as a
sort OF off-side jockey.