Evening star., 1954-02-21
Mrs. Nixon Describes Recent 7 rio

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our schedule was supposed to be
q secret. But word got out by
the grapevine. and when we
went to Chinatown for dinner.
thousands were gathered there
waiting to see us. They waited
two and a half hours while we
ate. and when we came out they
hadn't moved. News had come
ahead from Singapore about how
Dick had pulled away from the
officials and talked to the people.
So these people wanted to see
him.
"There were great crowds In
Afghanistan. too. Thousands
came into town from the noun
tains and plains. asked how
they knew we were coming, and
some one said town criers had
spread the news.
II thought Afghanistan was
very beautiful. It Was like q scene
out of biblical times, with its
camel and donkey caravans. All
the women are In purdah. you
know. It's against the law for
them to appear on the street
with their face uncovered.
But met some Of them in
side, where no men were present,
and they took of their wells.
Many of them were very beauti-
full, and they wore lovely clothes.
One of the teachers I met was
one of the most beautiful women
I have ever seen. The Queen
was fashionable. and very
modern. She had q beautiful
20-year old daughter. But even
they had to wear the veil when
they went out. of course. And
at parties. all the men eat in one
room, the women in another.
II was at a mixed party one
night. but none Of the women
were from Afghanistan. They
were ambassadors wives. Another
night Dick had dinner with the
King and a few men. I had tea
with the Queen.
Everywhere I went it helped
women" she added. 'It got
them invited to places they had
been barred from before. In
Auckland, New Zealand, the
largest place for dinner was a
very exclusive club, that had
never let women in during its
76-year history. But 1t did that
night"
In addition to the many official
functions she attended with her
husband. Mrs. Nixon carried on
a vigorous program of her own,
visiting schools, orphanges, old
peoples homes. and every kind
of welfare institution. Dick
thought it would be a good way
Of getting across the message
that we were interested in peo-
pie in all walks Of life"
She went we'll stocked with
candy. And you know. the old
people liked it as we'll as the
children" she says. "They were
quite pathetic. There are so very
many old people in some of
those countries. Some of them
had not had a visitor in years.
They all knew who I was and
were thrilled that I would take
the time. I thought 1t was the
most wonderful thing. really
got to know the people"
1t was heartbreaking and ex-
hausting. however. Mrs. Nixon
added. ''They are doing the best
they can. but they have so little.
There were hospitals and in
stitutions where they had water
for only a half hour q day.
They took it from hydrants in
buckets, all they needed for
every purpose. You just feel
so depressed afterward you
could hardly get yourself to go
on the rest of the day"
A letter she received from a
Washington woman. passing
along coments from her busi-
nessman husband now in RAN
COON, makes her feel it was all
worth while. Mrs. Nixon said.
The man wrote:
incidentally, everywhere I
run into Pat Nixon's trail. She
really rang a bell in this part
OF the world at a time when
Americans are not very popular.
Believe me we can't buy friend
ship with dollars. Pat Nixon
bought friendship the right way,
by liking people"
The trip had its amusing mo-
ments. too. like the day house.
boy. after bringing bed tea"
began fussing around getting
the Vice Presidents clothes
ready. He laid out the socks,
with the feet inside the shoes,