Evening star., 1948-11-25

hour or so.
"BONAPARTE'S RETREAT?"
i! From E. C. H., Brentwood.)
I am very anxious to find some
fiddler who can play the tune known
as "Bonaparte's Retreat" The mar
who composed it produced the bes;
example of onomatopoeia I have
ever met.
INFORMATION ON OVERSEAS.
From B. McC., Alerandria.)
Mrs. C. A. c., Arlington, recently
asked for information on life in
England, another reader asked about
Army life in Bremerhaven, another
reader asked about shipping relief
parcels to Europe. I hope the fol-
lowing will be helpful.
I've just returned from two years
in Munich and, although I only
visited England for few weeks, l
have several relatives there. Mrs.
C. A. c. will find that, if she takes
her dog to England, she will have
to submit it to six-month quaran-
tine before it can enter the country.
I took most of my furniture to Ger
many with me and had exceptionally
good luck regarding shipment; very
little was damaged, but other wives
experienced fair amount OF loss
inasmuch as refrigerators and Mix
masters arrived badly shaken, and
certain amount of theft resulted
Tin the shipping. She should first
ascertain what current they use.
England has both ITO and 220 and is
both a. C. and d. c., I believe. I'd
advise her to take enough shoes,
especially if she has growing chill
dren; long-wearing raincoats and
umbrellas, all her sheets and bed
ding, definitely her pressure cooker,
her American cookbooks and meas
uring utensils spoons, cups, etc.,,
as English cooks go by the pound
and ounce method. It's next to i'm
possible to buy china in England, all
of it ! is exported. However, they
may have some sort of arrangement
whereby she can pick up some lovely
china on the dollar basis.
| I would advise the lady on her
way to Bremerhaven to take enough
clothing for herself and her chill
dren for the length of time she ex-
poets to stay there. Enjoyed myself
Immensely, we had a wonderful time,
although in the beginning (June,
l946) life was fairly difficult regard
| ing the PIX and commissary. How
ever, by the time I had left 1.-TWO
years later, the commissary was as
well stocked as any StateSide grocery
store, and running a house seemed
breeze. She might do well by ar
ranging charge account at her
| favorite department store, as 1t
would be a great convenience. We
all missed the five and dime dread
fully, and writing home for every
spool of thread, or Upper, or buttons,
or all the other little items was a
chore, especially as parcels took any
where from one to seven weeks to
arrive. I had several magazine sub
scriptions, including Vogue, and
found a number of excellent dress
makers who could copy the pictures
very well. If she would care for any
other information she might write
me, in care of RICH.
The November 13 issue of the New
Yorker has the best au-around in
/ formation regarding parcels to Eu-
rope In case some readers cannot
get a copy, the following might
assist them; Food parcels to Great
Britain are governed by United
States postal regulations (these
rules also apply for France. Maxi
mum measurements for overseas
gift packages are 70 inches in COM
bined length and girth and AZ
inches in length. Maximum weight
is % pounds. Each must be marked
Unsolicited Gift" and a customs
declaration (Which you get at the
post Office must be filled out listing
every item in the package and Civ
ing its retail price. Postage rate is
IA cents a pound, insurance is extra,
and you should insure, since an
amount of pilfering in the mails
does go on.
The value of all edible fats Gn-
cluding butter and oils in one box
is limited to S. and you cannot
send more than one package to the
same person in the same week
However, you can send more than
S. worth of any one meat item
abroad There is no United King
dom duty on the other side, or
parcels containing food only. If
however, you should pack something
other than food (such as pressure
/ cooker, the cooker would be sub.
, ject to duty and the whole parce
is held up longer than the ordinary
food gift. The British post Office
advises that you should take every
possible precaution in packing
; using enough stufhng to insure can.
not breaking through cardboard
boxes etc.
I have found that sending CARR
packages more satisfactory thar
making up my own, simply becaus'
they are guaranteed in delivery. 81
many of my gift parcels have gon'
astray (pilfering) and CARE alway
gets to the recipient. {.
Hope all this helps, and thanl
you for your wonderful column, it.
my favorite reading matter.
X X
SAND IN DISHPAN.
from Mrs. G. r. D.. Arlington)
Have any Of you ladies notices
sand in the bottom of the diShpan