How to Survive

The Army Air Forces and the Navy have both issued books for flyers on how to survive on foot in jungle, desert, sea and frozen North. Having absorbed 174 pages of advice on getting along in such places as the Solomons and the Arctic, servicemen read hardest an owlish chapter, tagged on to the Navy book, on how to get along in the U.S. Excerpts:

"Americans usually open a conversation by asking, 'Well, what's new?' It is not necessary to reply to this except by saying, 'Well, what's new with you?' "

"Listen patiently when veterans of the first World War tell you how much tougher things were in their day. Remember they had to listen to the Spanish-American War veterans, who in turn had to listen to the Civil War veterans.

"In some parts of the U.S. eggs in powdered form are unobtainable and you will have no choice but to eat directly from the shell. . . .

"In churches and auditoriums and other public places you will often see women surreptitiously slipping their feet out of their shoes and wiggling their toes. This is strictly a feminine prerogative and has no religious significance. Do not attempt to imitate them. . . .

"They [Americans] are really a very friendly people despite the apparent ferocity of their handshakes and their violent backslapping. They mean well. Remember their civilization is much younger than that of Europe and Asia. They are just great big overgrown children at heart and should be treated as such."

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