Communication
Tientsin, China,
January 7, 1946.
Dear Jim:
A few things have happened to
me in the last several weeks, so
I’ll tell you of them in the order
in which they occurred.
The forty pointers were “stand
ing by” to go home, when we left
Guam, Dec. 27, 1945.
All men under 40 points were
slated to go to China, at that time,
and most of them are here by
now.
Those of us who came to China
packed our seabags in the “uni
form of the day,” which was socks
and shoes, and now and then a
towel draped around us in maiden
like modesty. So, you will see the
difference in temperature change
when I tell you of the many layers
of clothing and the big furs we
are now wearing.
Close to 2000 of us left Guam
on an APO, which is a much bet
ter ship than the one we came
over on. After six days out we
came to anchor some 20 miles
from land.
Fortunately, I suffered less from
the waves, a slight dizziness which
changed to an insatiable hunger.
From the ship, we went over the
side with all our gear, down rope
ladders to an L. C. I. That was
the beginning of 18 miserable
hours. One end of this craft was
left down and the cold breeze off
the sea came piercing through us.
so we were huddled together like
a load of boxes.
It took eight hours to load to go
18 miles, and to unload. As I came
off the ship onto the dock, loaded
down with a pack, rifle and bed
ding roll, a Chinese Coolie pulled
the bedding roll off my back be
fore I was aware of him, and then
1 smelled him, and ever since yes
terday morning, when it happened,
I can smell ’em a’coming from
afar.
We stood in the extreme early
morning cold waiting to board the
nearby freight train, which was
to take us to Tientsin. We stood
in the open for several freezing
hours.
The train car we were crowded
on had straight wooden benches,
! and no place to rest arms or heads
on. We had 15 miles to traverse.
1 It took close to 4 hours. Anyone
walking would have had no diffi
culty keeping up with the train,
and certainly would have reached
Tientsin ahead of us.
At the station we unloaded our
seabags, bedding rolls and all
other gear for the third time. When
we carried it to the trucks about
a block away we were compelled
to walk through the station lobby
crowded with early train waiters
<4:30 a.m.». The stench created by
these packed bodies was so stifling
that I nearly dropped the box I
1 was carrying to rush for air. Un
doubtedly, (I hope*, these people
were of the lowest class and the
others I will come in contact with
will have access to soap and wa
ter. A few around the barracks
here do.
We unloaded at hdqs. 1st Div.
and had breakfast served by will
! ing Chinese, on linen, and fresh
j food. Quite pleasing to all of us,
■ and since yesterday morning I've
been in store for many pleasing ar
1 rangements a Chinese Marine has.
After breakfast we were “broke
up” into smaller units and I took
three others by truck and drove to
the 1st Recon. Camp, 1st Div.,
where I’ll be for some time, no
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doubt.
Of course, we had to load and
I
unload all our gear again.
The four of us arrived here lor
early morning breakfast, <7:00
a.m. Sunday). We ate again since;
we had no sleep and little to eat,.
we needed some coffee to be able
to “square” our gear up.
After chicken for noon chow, 11
went on liberty to downtown i
Tientsin <about 2 miles* by way
of bicycle richshaw. I paid the
Coolie the customary $500 in Chi
nese money. The exchange was
$6500 to our $1., so see if you can
figure the cost of some of the serv
ices I paid for. Had my hair cut
and curled, a shave and facial for
$1100.
Rode around the city, which is
modern beyond my hopes, when I
was hoping back in Guam. There
are buses, street cars and quite a
few autos.
Cars are run on gas or Vodka, [
< whichever is cheapest at the time).
I understand this Vodka will,
really give one a kick in a hurry, i
Of course, I’ll stick to beer.
I don’t know whether it was
cold yesterday, or if it was be
cause I hadn’t been to bed for a
day or so that made me shiver.
Anyway, I decided to return to the
race track, which is also an air
field and Jap-Chinese and Amer
| ican storage for cars.
We live in a brick building
which looks out on the race track
<1 mile by V£). It is modern
enough to stay warm by little gas
heaters.
On the way back I stopped off
at a private restaurant, which is
a very large stone house made use
of by a Greek who caters to Ma
| rines.
I ordered a steak, two softly
fried eggs, two cups of tea. All
very nicely served. The cost was
$1200. Figure it out, not bad, eh?
The outfit’s work is to guard
| the planes and trucks, to keep the
Chinese from stealing tires from
these trucks, which belong to the
Chinese Government. Quite tricky
, isn’t it?
We live well here. Fills my
fondest wishes, in comparison to
Guam <1 hope not to mention that
tropical paradise again*. Table
cloths, Chinese waiters, Chinese
boys to do our slightest bidding
around the barracks, friendly
Chow dogs running about, and a
rather modern city to have liberty
in every other day.
Ill write again when I’ve had
an opportunity to know a little
more of the ways of this part of
the world.
Love,
Howard Frye.
Col. Clark To Head
Alaska Expansion
Program
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1— (/P) —
Col. Henry W. Clark, man of ad
venture, is setting out on an in
triguing new adventure; that of
heading Alaska's postwar devel
opment, the War Department dis-1
closed. Clark is being discharged
to accept an apointment by the
Alaska Legislature as general
manager of the Territory’s vast
expansion program.
During the war Clark directed
the Army’s world-wide athletic
and recreat:onal setup under spe
cial service forces. Clark was born
in Wrangell. He plans to report to
Governor Gruening in about thir
ty days.
U. S. Secret Deal
With French To
Be Published
NEW YORK. Feb. l—</P)_Win
ston Churchill was disclosed to
have told the House of Commons
in a secret speceh in 1942, the
American dealings with Admiral
Jean Darlan of France, at the time
of the North African campaign
were justified as a wartime expe
dient.
The text of the speech will be
published Friday in Life Maga
zine.
Darlan, early in the war, was
accused by many of turning to
German collaboration. Later Dar
lan shifted to Allied support, the
Churchill speech disclosed. He in
formed Commons that the British
government was not consulted in
the negotiations, and led to Gen.
Eisenhower’s recognition of Dar
lan as the “supreme French au
thority in North Africa.”
“I must say however, personally
I considered in the circumstances
prevailing that General Eisen
hower was right, but even if not
quite right I would have been re
luctant to hamper or impede the
action, when so many lives and
such vitally important issues hung
in the balance.”
A sign in a restaurant:
“We know it’s hard to get meal
and butter and other things—bu1
just think how much harder i1
would be to learn Japanese.”
Mascara Beard
Not Virile Enough,
Woman Learns
—
FAIRBANKS—It’s still a man’s
world in the Far North.
At Fairbanks Airport, 42 beard
ed he-men, flying to Point Bar
I row to hunt polar bears, promptly
saw through a mascara beard and
! heavy parka disguise with which
, attractive Mrs. Phola Hetfield,
: Washington, D. C., socialite, at
! tempted to “crash” their stag
1 party.
They washed off the beard and
Mrs. Hetfield was all washed up.
She is the wife of a member of the
Explorers Club of New York, now
a naval officer stationed in Tokyo.
PENTECOSTAL CHURCH
TO OPEN SUNDAY
i Next Sunday, February 3, the
Pentecostal Assembly of God
Church will be officially opened
to the public. Rev. A. E. Capener
has been working for several
months on the construction of the
building, while giving assistance
to the Federated Church, which
has been without a pastor. This
new church, which is located be
tween B and C street on Third
; i Avenue, will hold services at
hours stated in another part of
this issue.
Daughter—Daddy, dear, what is
your birthstone?
Father (forcefully*—I think it,
must be the grindstone.
W ALLACE HOTEL & TAXI
NOME, ALASKA Phone MAIN 55
CALL ON US
FOR YOUR
Cigarettes, Cigars and Tobacco
ALSO
Soft Drinks, Candy and Ice Cream
J
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ARCTIC AIR SERVICE
CANDLE, ALASKA
Nome Headquarters — Wallace Hotel
— Contact —
JOE WALLACE, or GENE JACK
Frequent trips with passengers and freight between
Nome and Fairbanks via Deering, Candle, Kotsebue,
Kiana, Shungnak, Kobuk and Hughes.
CONTACT US FOR CHARTER SERVICE
SMALL AND LARGE SHIPS TO SUIT YOUR NEEDS
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