Evening star., 1943-04-01
Writers Research
On Algerian Lottery
Wins Not a Franc
Semi-MonthIy ,Drowine
Ploys to Full House
As Wor-ReIief Project
BY JOHN LARDNER,

North American Newspaper Alliance.
ALGIERS, April 1.-While the
British 9Th Army rolled ahead in
the South Tunisian battle sector,
six children on the stage of
crowded music hall here were spin
ming six cleaning spheres of metal
wire. and little girl about as long
overall as the radius of one of the
spheres. was trotting back and forth
relaying significant sealed numbers
to six gentlemen near the footlights
who looked like dentists in their
knee-length coats of white.
Spin energetically. my little
onesi' shouted the announcer at the
microphone when the 1000 ,00O-f franc
number came up for the draw.
Spin piously. my heroes he ad-
monished the infant tools of destiny
when the last number. representing
the 5000, ,O00-franc ticket, followed
to crown the ceremony.
For the purpose of the record I
will note that the 5000, ,0OO-fr
number was 09l030 and that the
holder OF the winning ticket was an
anonymous subscriber in the neigh
boring seaport of Oran-much to
the detection of the citizens of~Af-
giers and British. French and Amer
lean soldiers who crowded the the
ater to the caves to watch the
drawing.
Sixth Drawing of Year.
Neither rain nor hail nor dark
nor Montgomery and Rommel i'm
pedes the progress of the Algerian
lottery as conducted fortnightly in
behalf of the government by some
of the city's most respected citizens.
This drawing. witnessed by your cor
respondent while awaiting trans
portation to the front, was the sixth
OF the year. The number of the
ticket which bought for the pur-
poses of scientific research was not
called at all. not even for 100 francs
or 81.
Many financial thinkers, public
commentators and private citizens
In the United States have been ad-
vocating an American Government
lottery for years. Whether or not
their arguments are sound morally
and fiscally it is the plain truth that
American soldiers in both principal
foreign theaters of this war have
been exposed to the workings of
legalized lotteries. In Australia there
are the lucky casket." a state lot
terry in Queensland. and the latter
sails lottery in Tasmania. Here in
Algeria the numbers game is a glori-
fled bank night staged in the middle
Of a vaudeville show at the city's
biggest theater every two weeks and
1t plays to standing room only.
Americans from New York City,
Los Angeles, Baltimore, Tampa and
other hotbeds of numerological cul-
ture who have explored the policy
racket in shady surroundings are
startled by the cheerful public at
mosphere of gambling for the masses
here. Husbands and wives come to
watch the drawing and they bring
the children. About 80 per cent of
the members of the studio audi
ence. including Allied soldiers, hold
tickets in the lottery.
Follows AcrObatic Act.
Following an acrobatic act and a
tired female impersonator on the
music hall stage, the curtain rose to
display the six shining spheres, the
six child spinners, the six white-clad
attendants and the smallest little
girl in town." Any one conversant
with lottery and bank night tech
nique knows it is customary to enlist
the smallest child in town, prefer
ably feminine, for the role of the
number bearer. The reason for this
is obscure unless it serves to diffuse
an atmosphere of virtue and in
nocence upon the proceedings.
Before the drawing Monsieur the
President of the Lottery Committee
appeared before the footlights to
make a brief speech. Taking cog
nizance of the growing Anglo-Amer-
ican complexion of his clientele.
Monsieur the President spoke in
English, reading from his notes
dialogue which he alleged he had
overheard between a spinster and
pretty girl.
The dialogue was highly symbol
ical. The spinster thought lotteries
were sinful. The pretty girl said
that they were not really sinful
because you might win and you
might lose. and If you lost the
money went to war relief. The
audience seemed to find the point
well taken but requiring no further
elaboration. so Monsieur the Pres
ident left the stage and the draw
ing got under way.
About 200, 900 tickets are sold-all
over French North Africa-for each
drawing of the Algerian lottery.
Each Of the six digits of the win
ming numbers Is drawn from . dif-
ferent sphere. Each synthetic den-
tist carries q cleaning screwdriver,
by courtesy Of the government. with
which he unscrews 4 seal from the
ball-shaped object brought to him
BY the smallest little girl In town" !"