Evening star., 1963-05-23

pelleVe was ChaC some OF the
people whose lives ! helped to
save during Hurricane Hazel
were the very ones who shouted
unprintable things at me on
the streets of Marfranc and
Jeremie," Mrs. Rocourt said.
Some Of the things they said
were so foul I didn't even tell
my husband"
She said something evil
seemed to come over the Hal
tian men and women she had
considered her friends, once
they donned the blue-denim
uniform Of DR.. Duvalier's civil
militia.
MANY of them were Just
children or had not been born
when I first came to Haiti"
said Mrs. Rocourt. During the
hurricane, we had the only
sturdy building and the only
sure source Of food. We took
practically the whole village
into our church and fed them
until the hurricane passed.
Il am not q doctor nor a
nurse, but I have been both to
these people all these years."
Staff Harassed
She said she had no radio and
was not aware Of the deterio-
rating relations between the
United States and Haiti. How
ever, she knew very well that
the attitude Of the Haitians,
particularly the militia, had
changed toward her.
Il didn't get really frightened
until the militia harassed the
Medico staff to the point that
they felt they had to leave"
Mrs. Rocourt said. "And the
leader Of the militia band which
finally arrested the Medico
people was the man who worked
for them as a technician."
She said the men and women
OF the late DR.. Tom Dooley's
organization came to Jeremie.
a larger town near Marfranc.
three years ago.
They took over old st. An
tones Hospital. equipped and
stated 1t at a cost Of more
than 100000 and had been
giving the Haitians medical
care for a bewildering variety
Of diseases.
Having Beach Party
zone night they were having
o beach party recently" she
said. FOne Of the men locked
his car. 1t was getting dark so
they were using flashlights on
the beach,"
Apparently the Haitian mill
tia saw the lights and thought
the doctors and nurses were
signaling to American or Do
minican naval vessels.
When the militia found the
locked car they became more
suspicious. In Haiti no one locks
cars because it saves broken
windows. No one leaves any,
thing in cars here, either.
The militia arrested the
Medico staff of Americans and
Canadians and held them for
several hours. In the face of
this and other harassment
spawned by President Duvali.
er's anti-white campaign, Prof.
ect Director DR.. John Monroe
decided to take his staff out
Of Haiti.
Scared
when I heard this" said
Mrs. Rocourt, II really got
scared. I've been here so long
that this country has become
my life. ! even think in Creole
and my husband is Haitian.
But I decided I had better try
to get out of the country"
Then, she said, DR.. Bob VAN
deveer, a cool North Carolinian
who intends to ride out the cur
rent trouble, drove UP to Mar
franc to tell her the United
States wanted everyone with
no essential business in Haiti
to leave.
Il was never so glad to see
anybody in my life," she said.
Il packed up for Adelaide and
ne and we left right away to
come to Port au Prince and
fly home"
Adelaide's packing was SIM
pie. She carried only q large
doll wearing a wedding dress,
her greatest treasure.
Mrs. Rocourt's greatest treas
ure is the thought that this
time Of hatred. fear and blood
shed cannot last forever. She
lives now for the day she can
return to her husband and her
work in a primitive village few
people know exists.