The Billings Gazette from Billings, Montana • 63

I WAS THERE-BEET PLANTING TIME. 1945 illj (Sazrtt? May 2, 1965 1 Sunday Magozin 1 Laborers Under the Guns fin 1 1 Tom Mullownev of Worden. Great Western sugar factorv fieldman, says as far as he Knew "there weren any members of the German nobility in PW camps." JSW 'aSr tL I a I i i T-T By Kathryn Wright Gazette Sunday Editor Beet growers may think they're "under the gun" with a labor shortage this season. Twenty years ago the laborers were under the gun. Several guns.

All real. Remember those men? They were quite an attraction to some. "Loiterers and curiosity seekers are hampering operations," Army officers said. "These men are dangerous." "These men" were German prisoners of war brought in to alleviate sugar beet labor shortage. PW was stamped on the backs of their shirts; on the legs of their overalls.

Any Counts Around? Rumors persisted that among them were barons and counts. Dinner invitations issued by some, going overboard with the Western hospitality act, were firmly turned down. PW camps were west of Billings sugar factory, at Ballan-tine and other places throughout the sugar factory districts. Prisoners ate and slept in army tents set up at the camp sites. The areas were barricaded, patroled by armed guards and floodlighted at night.

If the guards needed help, the Army announced it would bring in the K-9 corps the war dogs. No Fangs Seen When I went down to the camp at Billings to get a story and take a picture, there weren't any K-9 corps members with fangs bared. But there were plenty of guards pointing gun barrels. Such was spring 20 years ago a time of stepped-up effort not only in the beet fields. Everywhere.

President Truman told civilians to reduce their traveling and make way for troop movements to the Pacific Okinawa was attacked The U.S. outlined its stand on German war criminals War bond sales zoomed Churchhill denied any "secret pacts" at Yalta Airport manager Dick Logan ordered pilots coming in to Billings to swoop low over the field, gun their motors to a roar, then circle back and come in on a runway. "It's the only way to scare the deer off the runways," he said. And sugar shared the newspaper headlines. New York's Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia called out mounted police when a plane from Billings landed.

It was Northwest's first trans-contentinental flight. Two pounds of beet sugar were aboard sweet greeting from Billings to New York. Remember how we used to stand in line, stamps in hand, to get our sugar ration? "I will keep a guard around my house," LaGuardia wrote H. E. Biddinger, then mayor of Billings, "until the last of this precious sugar is used." "Oh, there might have been," he said, "in that first group brought to help harvest beets in the fall of '44." "I do know they were well educated and highly intelligent men.

They were members of the crack troops who'd fought under Rommel the old desert fox." "They were the only ones we had trouble with." "They didn't want to do beet labor work." "But, that fall of '44," Mul-Iowney said, "we floodlighted some of the beet fields and worked those men nights until they got their day's quota out." "There were some good workers," he added. "But they weren't Germans. They were Russians who'd gone over to the German side and been taken prisoner." 7 .1 A Kathryn Wright photo PWs Prepare Meal in Cook Tent for Prisoners in Beet Fields n. una i mnmi "it-' i OF THE FLYING TOO TSwana Siafii Is Mr. Army Ant comes accustomed to political instability." In the orient, Dr.

Kistner will be breaking new ground in his studies of myrmecophiles. One specimen has been found in Ja pan, but he believes he can lind more. The same is true ofl CHICO, Cahf. "Bwana Siafu," who's vacationed at the Flying Ranch at Beehive, and judged biology exhibits at Midland Empire State Fair, is going back to Africa. "Bwana Siafu" is Swahili for "Mr.

Army Ant." "Mr. Army Ant" is Dr. David Kistner, associate professor of biology at Chico, State College and son-in-law of Dr. and Mrs. W.

T. Carlisle of Chicago and the Flying C. Dr. Kistner has just received confirmation of a grant in money from the National Science Malaya and New Guinea. He also hopes to find in Ma 1 laya specimens of termitophiles insects which live in the nestsl of termites.

In Japan he will make his headquarters in Tokyo, in Ma laya at Kuala Lumpur and in New Guinea at Port Moresby Then he will return to Perth Australia, and fly to Johannes Foundation, and another from the Guggenheim Foundation to allow him new and more extensive research in his long time specialty. burg. After studying the back country of South Africa, Dr DR. DAVID KISTNER Kistner and his family will work through Tanzania, Mo This is the study of myrme-cophiles, insects, such as that are attracted to army zambique and Madagascar. ants and reside in tneir Hills "Our trip to this big island is speculative," he said.

"I've never heard of specimens being found there, but it logical to suppose there may be some. The Kistners will not travel "safari style" with bearers, tents and other paraphernalia Mginkthm-Koppe JEWELERS 106 N. Broadway 252-4163 Suggest a GORHAM STERLING GIFT FOR MOTHER usually associated with such expeditions. "We'll rent auto transporta tion, of course," he said, "but usually we can arrange ahead of time to stay at research or field stations, missions and even country hotels. The British built many of those here and there in Africa.

We've been rather lucky in finding suitable accommodations." All along the route of his f'l, I it" Vh as a way of life. Chico State has granted him sabbatical leave until September, 1966. The title "Bwana Siafu" was bestowed upon him by natives in Kenya in 1960 during his first research trip to Africa, a continent rich in specimens he seeks. Dr. Kistner plans a 'round the world trip this time into southeast Asia and New Guinea on the Guggenheim funds, Africa and Europe on those from the National Science Foundation.

He has arranged his itinerary so that he can compare what he finds on his field trips with what has been accumulated in European museums of natural history: He and Mrs. Kistner will leave with their daughter, Alzada, 6, the latter part of this summer. They will be joined in Cape Town, South Africa, by their other daughter, Kymry, 3, who will travel there with Dr. and Mrs. Carlisle.

Dr. Kistner was in Kenya and the Congo during the 1960 revolution. He was in the Ivory Coast, Liberia, Camerun and Keyna again in 1962. No Fidgets "Don't you get the fidgets seeing machineguns around in some of those restless countries?" he was asked. "We've never had any trou- year-long trip he will take pic tures, with the help of Mrs.

Kistner, an expert photographer. Their small daughters will 1 assist with the collections. He expects to gather some 50,000 specimens, storing them in 2- dram and 5-dram vials of alcohol. He'll send batches back to Chico State. "What difficulties do you have with the customs people?" he was asked.

"None until we re-enter the United States," he said. "Then only because there'll be an en tomologist on the customs staff 1 who will want to examine the specimens to satisfy his own curiosity. There's no problem I' ti.ir ii I GORHAM STERLING CANDELABRA ble," he said calmly. "One be with dead insects. $80.00 Value per pair! Yours FREE when you buy a Service for Eight i plus a sugar spoon, butter serving knife, tablespoon and tablefork In GORHAM STERLIN6 Yes, this beautiful pair of famous Gorham Sterling candelabra is yours at no extra cost with this purchase I Included in this offer, is Alencon, Gorham's newest achievement in sterling lace crocheted of silver, with French finesse.

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