Detroit evening times., 1945-11-02
BEHIND
THE NEWS
Paul
MalIon

have fallen upon hard times.
But they have put over some
amazing stunts on us, always
doing it in a half-hurt. half
superior sort of way, as if they
had a right to our gold eye-teeth
or the worlds oyster.
Not the least of their offenSeS
for their own business interests
against the world is what they
have done in Assam, Malay
theater, where native inSurrec-
tions are top news.
A LTHOUGH the natives are
"a naked, hungry and i'll the
British have succeeded in inn
posing upon our armed forces
an officiafiy=ordcrcd restriction
against leaving ANYTHING behind
of benefit to the natives.
Our hospitals Will have to be
RACED 10 the ground, unless the
British take them over for
themselves.
The medical supplies and
equipment (which the natives
reed so mitch already are be-
ing subjected TO the same fool
iSh disposition.
Believe il or not, the sun
glasses of our air corps men
were collected as they de-
parted for the states, and taken
out to the air strip where a
steam roller was run -oYer them
Again, 5000 ordnance wrist
watches were destroyed with
in two weeks period by
MPs. Our men were not per-
m1tTad 10 purchase them, but
if they lost one, they had TO
pay the purchase price.
OUR soldiers were told the
" government h a d over
bought Swiss watches during
the war 10 keep the Swiss
watchmakers from making pre-
ciSion instruments for tn e
NaziS. and all this surplus must
be destroyed as government
property-and cannot he given
10 the natives or brought home
for use by our men.
Three auto vehicles were
stalled at a missionary rest
camp due 10 the monsoon. The
missionaries asked 10 buy them
for the mission. Instead an Off
Ger was sent out with three
sticks OF INT and destroyed
them 10 prevent any one from
using them.
Chemicals and drugs are
buried in the ground for de-
struction when no longer of use
to us and surgical instruments
are Systematically ruined in a
government dump prepared for
that purpose. Appeals for use
Of the drugs in mission hos
pitals were unavaillng.
OUR American pay standard
" TO the natives had 70 be
lowered al the request of the
British. Even so we paid a
top Of about 80 cents day for
the best Indians around hos
pitalS.
This will he lowered TO eight
cents a day when We leave,
and the natives are pleading
with our men TO bring them
TO the states.
We introduced them 10 combs,
mirrors, shaving creams, soaps,
towels and decent clothing,
which they will have no more.
Burma conditions are GUS
tomarily described among CT s
as Obi confusion beyond i'm
agination. The medics are
screaming to get home be-
cause they have nothing TO do,
as the l.O0O-bed hospital IN
one locality has only 2S5 pa
ticntS. But the army still car
ries it as 1,000-bed hospital
and therefore must needlessly
keep a staff there equal to its
full assumption.
1--WE troop ships came into
Il Calcutta 10 take troops back
10 the states, six weeks or so
back. but no troops were per-
mittcd TO 90 on them So much
Of a fuss was raised, one Of
fiCpr lost his job. We are get
ting the men out now, 24.0O0
being scheduled 10 leave during
October, but 5000 had 10 wait
another month until they ac-
qulrcd moro points.
The basic British impositions
certainly laugh at the four free
domS
hear one American officer
did permit disposition Slyly Of
some of our Worn-out army
clothing 10 4 few naked natives,
but | hesitate 10 report this sem
Sible kindness for fear he might
be punished
/ was sitting in restaurant
eating dinner the night ! heard
tho radio flash about the war
declaration by revolutionarieS in
the Burma-India area, the first
Of new wars before the breath
of the old one died
My companions suggested the
Communists might be financing
opposition 10 the British there,
| decided 10 investigate what
was behind the matter. I found
the British themselves appar-
emily responsible rather than