Evening star., 1949-02-27
By Stonley Boitz
Stor Stoff Correspondent

VIEQUES ISLAND, West Indies,
Feb. 25.-Jorge is So and the father
of three. He makes his living by
tending cattle and occasionally
cutting sugar cane on this tiny
island island Just ns. off the eastern end OF
Puerto Rico.
The year round his life is one of
unbroken tranquility with nothing
more noisome to intrude on his
reflections than the lowing of cat
tie or the hack of machetes at
cane stalks. The sun shines
warmly $50 days of the year. there
are palm trees to give shade and
the blue of the Caribbean is good
to look upon.
He is aware of but not overly
troubled by the parlous state of
the world. He probably has never
heard of geopolitics and if he is
concerned with the jockeying be-
tween powerful nations for mill
tary and economic advantage he
doesn't mention it or give any
evidence of being concerned.
Interests Are Limited.
The politics of Puerto Rico are
big and complex enough to suit
him.
Jorge is simple and kindly
man. There Is nothing Warlike
in his nature. The most martial
aspect of his life has been to
parade the COWS to and from their
feeding ground in the matted
brush at the base of the island S
barren coral hills.
It1NeSt week the great god Mars
Wilt invade his peaceful domain.
JorgeS serenity will be shattered
with the abruptneSS and impact
of an earthquake. At 6 am.
Wednesday, Jorge will find his
peaceful little island under at
tack from the combined forces
of the United States Navy, Ma
rines, Marine Aviation. Army and
even units of the Canadian Army.
1t won't be genuine, of course,
although the attackers will use
real bullets, shells, bombs and
rockets. They'll be aiming at an
isolated area clear of humans on
the other side of the island from
the main village of Isabella, a
place designated as the impact
area"
$4,000 Men Involved.
This mock attempt to capture
the island will be the climactic
event in the Atlantic Command
exercises being held in the Car
lbbean area. These biggest peace
time war maneuvers in history in
volve $4,000 men, 120 ships OF
all descriptions and hundreds Of
combat and transport planes.
Jorge is we'll aware of what is
coming. He had some inkling OF
it when a Marine engineering
battalion commanded by 1t. Col.
William w. Lewis OF Culpeper,
Va. landed on the island on jan
uary 13 and began clearing the
brush with bulldozers.
In five weeks and three days
they had fashioned a serviceable
landing strip for airplanes out OF
hard-packed coral and erected a
but adequate control
tower by welding together two
Navy pontoons and setting them
upright.
Among those from the Wash
ington area who assisted on the
propect were, besides Co. Lewis,
Corpl. Frank Howard, whose sis
ter, Mrs. Eleanor Fallin. lives at
234 Sixth street Sc; Sergt. Max
ime Ducharme, 108 Brandywine
place S.W.; Pfc. James Lawrence,
jr., formerly of Washington and
now of Colonial Beach. Va, and
Corpl. Elmer Hodges of Dorsey, |
Md.
Streams Caused Trouble.
There was trouble at first from
underground streams which bub-
bled up and undermined the strip
surface, but they put in drains
and finally got the surface laid
and packed. A day later a four
engine transport carrying Maj.
Gen. Field Harris. commanding
officer of the I'd Marine Aircraft