Evening star., 1946-12-01
Red Cross Worker Returns
Miss Kathryn Magdeburger
Explains India Conditions
By Gretchen Smith
wo,nen's Club Editor.

An American girls impressions OF
old Mother India obtained during
% months service with the Red
Cross In Calcutta, have been re-
vealed in a recent interview with
Miss Kathryn Magdeburger OF 1872
Concord place NV.
Tall. blue-eyed, blond Kay" as
her friends call her, is the type girl
Americans are proud to send over
seas as representative OF nation
whose women enjoy the reputation
of combining good looks and femi-
nine charm with intelligence and
efficiency.
Kay has all OF this in addition to
q keen sense OF humor ard a re-
freshing eagerness to learn every
thing about the subject which at
the particular moment is of interest
to her.
This interest is responsible for her
bringing home. following her over
seas service in India, wealth of
information acquired through travel,
study and personal contacts with the
''little people of Calcutta.
Il was one of group OF go
women sent to India the latter part
of 1914" she explained. I'VE ar
rived in Bombay the day after
Christmas and my first impression
of India will never be forgotten
The docks were filled with beggars
awaiting arrival of the Americans
and loud cries of 'baksheesh," or
aims, greeted us as we first saw the
gateway to India"
Kay shook her curly blond head
when asked her views on independ-
ence for the Indians.
How will they be able to have
self-government when they really
haven't yet learned to govern them
selves?"
Caste System Prevails.
The American girl explained the
strong caste system which prevails
throughout India and which domi-
mates the home and industrial life
of the nation.
dkc, lUl lifStd1iCC, OO1 Ohi l@OiiAC
where a friend and I kept house, !"
she said. I'VE had to keep cook
and bearer the latter correspond
ing somewhat to butler in his
duties. Our bearer was a Mohama-
dan as also was the cook. The
bearer would make the beds, serve
at table but would not think of
5scrubbing or sweeping the floor. If
I broke a glass, for instance, he
would call the Hindoo sweeper and
direct him to sweep up the glass.
The bearer will do no laundry, either,
but will see that it is sent out to
the laundry man"
Men do practically all the do
mestic work in India, Kay explained.
the women remaining in their homes
to take care of unusually large fani-
lies.
The American girl agrees with
statements made recently by visi-
tors from India that the great need
In their country is education.
They certainly need education,
particularly in regard to sanitation, :,
Miss Magdeburger commented. 1T
is not surprising there are so many
cholera epidemics after one visits
the markets and sees the lack OF
cleanliness everywhere
Kay was the innocent victim OF
either impure food or water which
she partook unknowingly the Sec
ond year she was in the Orient and
was in the hospital for over two
months with serious case OF
amoebic dysentery.
1--WE never ate uncooked vegetables
or even thin-skinned fruits" she
explained and We thought all of
our water had been boiled. But
somehow, I must have gotten food
or water that was contaminated"
Moving pictures are doing much
to help educate the Indians, Kay
continued
Many of the pictures are silent,
but the story is told in pantomime.
There was an excellent picture
which showed how waters are con-
taminated at their source and the
germs carried down stream to where
the waters, bubbling fresh and clean,
deceive the thirsty passerby. He
drinks of the water and dies soon
after of cholera This picture was
shown for a week in Calcutta and
I think impressed the people with
Its message
Human Life Is Cheap.
Human life is so cheap in India,
Kay continued, that it is quite a