FEAR OF INVASION

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 18, 21 July 1939, Page 14

FEAR OF INVASION

TUNISIA FULLY PREPARED

AUCKLAND WOMAN'S RETURN

Life in Tunisia was described by Mrs. J.. Chadraba, who arrived at Auckland this week by the "Wanganella, with her husband and small daughter, states the "New Zealand Herald." Mrs. Chadraba; who was formerly Miss Virginia Dobbie, of Auckland, has returned for good, after spending nine years at Hammam-Lif, about 12 miles out of Tunis, where her husband was in charge of an electric sub-station. Mrs. Chadraba said the Tunisians, who feared an Italian invasion, were fully prepared for war. Between 300.000 and 400,000 armed men were stationed between Tunis and Tripoli. Trenches, dug-outs, and barbed wire entanglements had been constructed, and anti-aircraft guns were ready for use. She considered that it would be impossible for the Italians to invade Tunisia successfully, so complete were the defence preparations. Daily life in Tunis was not, however, affected by these warlike preparations, she continued. She spent much of her time giving English lessons. There were only about thirty English people in Tunis, the population consisting of French, Italians, Maltese, many Russian refugees, and the native Arabs and Jews. SEVERAL DRAWBACKS. In spite of the fact that the English colony was so small, it had its own English church, which had been built on land given by the Bey of Tunis. .The English consulate was a magnificent building, a former palace presented by the ruling Bey almost 200 years ago. Mrs. Chadraba said the Arab women were never seen at social functions, and, when outside, were always heavily veiled. The well-born women were extremely beautiful, with exquisite small feet. They lived in I mansions with marble floors. When she i had visited them in their homes, she | had found that their main beverage was strong tea. The leaves were boiled, and the tea flavoured with mint, making a bitter beverage rather unpalatable to English taste.

Life in Tunisia h?d ' several drawbacks, added Mrs. Chadraba. Thieving was rife, and all the houses had barred windows because of this, while it was unsafe to leave a door open for even a few minutes. Another problem was the behaviour of the darkskinnod Arab and Ttal^n chi^ren towards her small daughter, Beatrix, whom they disT'fd because of her ash blonde hair. They made the child unhappy by treating her as a curiosity and making faces at her, and had even been known to throw stones.

To clean galvanised buckets, rub grease into them, melt it slowly in the sun or near the stove, then scour with fine ashes or sand. .