The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-01-16
By FRANK PRIsT (As Told to Jean Graflsl

By FRANK PRIST
 GAS Told to Jean Grafls)
 There's no native problem" on New Guinea, where I have just been with American and Australian troops in their successful drive on Buna.
 Returning home after some seven months of direct assOCla- ton with the busy -haired blacks who call that swampy, stlnklng, mosquito and fly-ridden place home, I can report those natives not only friendly but cOopera- tive, too.
 Their work has been no minor factor in our victories. With con- tinued proper treatment, they will become permanent assets, perhaps even serving on an appreciable scale in the Allied armies there.
 Port Moresby, once swarming with these genial blacks, has it. self lost much local color through evacuation of women and children. But sizeable crews of native men remain. Their homes make a pie turesque suited village, visible from the main settlement.
 LEARN ROAD-BUILDING
 They work hard unloading sup ply boats, storing and sorting ma terial, and as errand boys, house boys and cleanup men in labor bat talions.
 They have also gone into road building under American supervi- sion, and work, slowly but anlicably, with and for our own troops.
 Both American and native labor units contributed heavily to our success with their trail and road building. On one stretch of mour1- tain wilderness these engineers coH1- structed a jeep trail over terrain 50 steep men had to pull themselves up by a rope. Incidentally, the teeps made the same grades without help
 In rest sectors, natives lay out baseball fields, build grass huts for soldiers, police the camp grounds, and perform innumerable minor services.
 Out in the jungles nearer the front Jones' natives have more seri- ous jobs. On overland pack trips, supplementing the Transport Con- mand'es supply line, they are in- valuable.
 Many soldiers who made the first trek across the island from Port Morseby to the Buna front were saved from probable death by ra- tives who took over heavy field packs when the going was toughest
 Often when I thought couldn't move another step forward @ na- tive toted my cameras and field pack on into camp.
 Occasionally soldier got so tired he couldn't go on without discard ing some of his belongings. Natives picked up the castoff articles and brought them on into camp. For this they received 0 standard re- ward-half a stick of issue tobacco, good for either smoking or chewing.
 Americans greatest fault with the natives is in beglng too gen. eronus. When a new group of American soldiers arrive at @ grass hut village, the natives celebrate. They climb trees, pick, clean and pass around fresh cocoanuts; they sing, chatter, clean the soldiers shoes.
 FEAR JAP PLANES
 Amazed by this display, Ameri- cans offer cifiarets-sometimes an entire pack, which Is the same as giving someone back in the States Q 20-dollar bill for running across the street atfer @ stick of gum.
 Far more girlish than the girls themselves are New Guinea's na- tive males. They glamorize them- selves by painting their bodies, and their clothing leans to sarongs. One day Itried to make a picture of one of the men, but he halted me with violent gestures and rushed away, Moments later he was beck, posing artfully with flowers In his hair.
 Native women seem to try to ruin whatever natural beauty they have. Wearing grass skirts without upper covering, they are lavishly tattooed on neck, breast, back and legs.
 The natives generally are afraid of a shooting star, and all have a deep fear of Japanese planes. When a plane flies over, your na- tive will turn to ask, querulously:
 American? Americanp"
 If you tell him no, your native disappears into the jungle with out delay.
 But many of them are brave, and their knowledge of the jungle makes them dependable guides and leaders,
 NATIVE GYP GAME
 Australian ofilcials likewise re- alize what contributions the New Guinea native can make to the AL lied cause. Australia's Fuzzy WuzZy drives to collect funds for natives welfare are examples of the trend
 The New Guinea black has ms faults too. He is lazily slow and must be kept at his job. Also, ! learned, he is a mild type Of chisel- CT. Martin Barnett. Chicago news reel cameraman, accompanied me once on a fairly long trip. We ob- tained two natives to carry our camera equipment.
 After an hour of plodding, our natives threw down the bags and in pidgin English complained they were too tired to go on. A cigare' each bribed them into motion again Again they halted. We passed tne smokes and resumed the journey After numerous. repeat perform anees, the trip was completed.
 That night Lieutenant Hoggard the "angau'' who supervises na' tiyes of the area. heard of our ex' perience. Hoggard immediateiy called all the carriers together ano had oa,v men gtep out front. Repri-