Evening star., 1943-01-18
North African Arabs
Reported|y Impatient
ForGiftof Allied Goods
U. S., England Described
As Missing Opportunity
To Win Vital Support
Bv WILLIAM Fl. STONEMAN.
War Correspondent OF The Star and
Chicago Daily News.

Chicago Daily News.
SOMEWHERE IN TUNISIA, Jan.
18.-"And when" the ragged Arab
population Of TuniSia now is asking
every one who will listen, do we be-
gin to get all of those good things
that We expected the Americans and
British to bring us?'
Our armies now have been in
Western Tunisia for a good seven
weeks and you can be sure nobody
has failed to notice their presence
Any army is nuisance in any coun-
try; the best thing we can say for
ourselves is that we have brought
our own food.
But both the Arabs and the
French expected, after years of want,
to find in us more than just another
army bent on victory. They ex-
pected us at least to bring them
coffee, tea and the cotton cloth
which the poor population depends
on for clothing. There are rumors
that some Of these things have now
arrived in North Africa It is high
time, observers here declare, that
they appeared up here near the
front, where it is vital for us to win
the loyalty Of countless people who
do not believe in anything unless
they can see it and feel it.
Clothing Needed.
Our seasoned official representa-
tiYes in North Africa fully appreci-
ate the necessity for giving the
Arabs more than a few pleasant
greetings. Having visited good
many districts in Tunisia and hav-
ing spoken to a good many Arabs,
who look to America as the only
possible instrument for their racial
betterment, I can testify that these
people need clothing desperately
and would thank us a thousand
times if we could give them coffee,
or tea, to boot A million yards of
cheap cotton cloth and two tons of
tea, properly distributed, would do
more to win Tunisia than 500 tanks
If and when we finally shake our
selves out Of our brown study and
produce the goods, it is essential
that they be distributed carefully
and most definitely they must be
distributed under American super
vision, preferably by the American
Red Gross.
According to the best advice I
have been able to obtain on the
subject every sheik should be re-
quired to provide a list of needy
people in his neighborhood and a
dependable French citizen. ac-
quainted with the district, should
assist the American officials in
checking the list.
French Ships Looted.
Somebody has gone to sleep on
this job and we had better get 60
ing, it is suggested. The Germans
have been smart and ruthless in
their efforts to grease the Arabs
They have allowed them to loot
French ships in Tunis and Bizerte
and they have flooded them with
French currency. so far, the only
items of clothing the Arabs in this
district have obtained from the Al
AASso plC a &c" oSNlO dIlu CIlllS Va ulll-
forms that dumb soldiers have
traded for eggs and chickens.
We, the Allies, could have undone
the German effort with one good
shipload Of cloth, tea and coffee dis
patched to this area and it is just
another of the wonders of this cam
paign Of wonders that we have not
made that effort.
Our Arab friends stress the impor-
tance of military success and they
realize how difficult it is to provide
it in the face of determined, hard
hitting German enemy. While we
are amassing enough force to obtain
this success, they say, we are stupid
not TO keep the home fires burning
with few bolts of cloth and some
coffee.
From the humanitarian viewpoint
alone, it is essential that we do
something for these people If they
are habitually shabby, they are now
absolutely in rags. And, If this
hadn't been mild winter, it would
have been awful.
(Copyright, 1913, Chicago Daily News, IneD