Evening star., 1951-11-30
Girl REPORTER in Korea
By Betty Betx

reGn bGttlefelds. Miss Beta
talked to the GIs at the front
lines and shared their troubles.
In her series she is discussing
Darious topics, from entertain
ment to iUGr orphans to pris-
oners OF tUar. Her SiTth article
,DiH appear tomorroiD.J
Hey Skoshi! Chop -chop!
-. Have-a-yes?" shouts the smil-
ing CT as he tosses candy rations
to a Korean child playing among
the ruins. "Skoshi" in japanese
means Shorty" and in CT talk,
"chop-chop" is the word for food
or candy. "Have-a-yes" and "have-
a-no" are the favorite pidgin Ko-
rean phrases.
The American CT out for q stroll
resembles the Pied Piper followed
by youngsters through the crowded
Thieves Market or the empty
streets of Seoul. The old capital
seems to be a city Of children since
so many adults have died or been
evacuated. An estimated 100000
orphans are roaming about the
country.
We're not exactly mad about
the Koreans, but we do love the
kids :" was the way one SER
geant put it to me. This particular
sergeant unofficially adopted a
homeless 10-year-old boy called
"Joe" :. whom he hoped to take
back home to Youngstown, Ohio.
When I met Joe" he wore cut
down Army clothes. In a leather
billfold he showed me small snap
shots of his parents and his Sis
ter who were lost"
MY books!" smiled "Joe" as he
proudly brought out some tattered
comic books. They were his text
books. The sergeant's loyal major
domo shines boots, does his laun-
dry in the local streams. lugs wa
ter. scrounges ice, and "sweats it
out" when his boss is up on the
front lines. Around every camp
you'll find a dozen or so little
"skoshis" or house boys" proudly
wearing the regimental insignia.
At an age when American small
fry are playing with rocket guns,
many Korean kids are able to
handle carbines and hand gre
nades.
Even though they're surrounded
by soldiers, war leaves them un-
excited" said a CT who told me
Mat the unfortunate Korean tots
find temporary escape at the camp
movies. Just like our kids, they
prefer the Westerns, and many
wear cowboy boots presented to
them by Texas boosters. Shoe
shine boys work for the Com
munist underground picking up
valuable information around base
camps; consequently all "Sko-
shis" are carefully screened.
Helpers in Comps
"The only Korean boys per-
mitted to help out around Army
camps" I was told. ARE those
with janitor certificates. This
means they've passed their loyalty
tests" For their services the little
janitors receive bed and chow as
well as SIS per month, which Is
more than most Korean adults
earn.
If a Korean youngster is not
lucky enough to be adopted by
GIs he wanders aimlessly from
one village to the next. Some
times farmer puts him to work
in the rice fields. for labor is
scarce today. Their life Is not
easy. but in general the kids seem
happier now that bombs no longer
drop around them.
"GI number. one!" shout the
youngsters at truckloads Of SOL
diers, hoping for a shower of
candy rations. Even though the
tots cherish sweets, they need
substantial foods, and often sell
their goodies on the black market.
A candy bar brings 1000 won, or
33 cents, enough for a good meal.
Several 'Fagins" in Seoul and
Pusan use innocent Korean
youngsters as go-betweens for
their shady deals and pilfering.
Even though they live amidst
squalor and wreckage, the kids
manage to enjoy themselves.
School sayonara!" (goodby,
schoolD shouted some children
met swimming in the dirty Han
River. Most Of the time they
just sat on curbstones waving at
passing vehicles or playing Jacks
with pebbles. Sometimes toys
were made from used beer cans.
A treasure hunt among piles of
debris often provides the fun of
finding wheels to make q wagon
or a rusty pan to make a drum
If there's no one to order bed
time, the kids drop wherever they
are when they're tired. I've seen
them huddled up like puppies on
straw pallets in bombed -out
buildings.
Children are usually taken
care Of, but it's not easy for young
girls d. :" 16-year-old waitress
told me. Her parents were dead
but their moral influence still re-
manned. The girl wore no make
up and preferred the long old
fashioned Korean costume to the
Stateside styles recently worn by
the prettier girls.
Even though our young mer
are gone, some day I hope tc
marry" she explained. "Six of us
girls share room and we veal
native costumes so the soldiers
aren't apt to notice u.s." The
eligible Korean men serve in the
ROK Army, dig bitches or help
level out the bombed-out roads
Except those few who attend pri-
vate classes, the young Koreans
haven't looked at textbooks since
the war began. Most of their
schools Law in ruins.