Meg Saunders in Malta

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 64, 18 March 1944, Page 2

Meg Saunders in Malta

Writing: to the New Zealand Associatell. Miss Meg Saunders, former general secretary of the Palmerston North t'.W.C.A., for the past few years staioned in the Middle East, writes as ollows of her latest post:— Getting Organised I have now been in Malta o\fer a. fortliglit, and what a picnic—trying to find l place to park the future Y.W.C.A. If i house has a from, a bomb has been hrough the back and vice versa, and if >y any chance one finds four walls, well, hat’s all it is, with a bit of twisted iron work and a lot of rubbish in the centre. At last I thought my lucky star was ruiding me to the right spot—two apartnent houses adjoining—no windows, of •ourse, and the balconies all matchwood. Due was already a signal mess, and the Aher a store house, so off I trotted to the G.H.Q., to be let down gently and old that the mess was available but the store set aside for a brigadier. After four hours' arguing I persuaded G.H.Q that women were more important. Ar rangements were made to see through the places for renovations—stairs not safe, water piping all broken, plaster and walls all cracked. By the time we had finished, just the sum of £3OO wanted for repairs. Beauty Despite Havoc! Valetta is a lovely city despite the awful havoc—blocked streets and shattered buildings. It is so heartbreaking to see half of three storeys open to the daylight, complete with colour wash, tiled fireplaces, bathroom fittings and sometimes even pictures still stuck on the walls. I’m living in the one and only hotel in Valetta—l6s a day and six heights of stairs, grades and tunnels bring me to ny bedroom where I look out on to the beads and miles of blue sea and ships of ill sizes, shapes and destinies. It looks iver the harbour mouth to the extent of my being rocked in bed and the wardrobe iloing a jig every time a depth charge is dropped—intervals of about 20 minutes all through the night. We’re Rationed! We live on soup, tinned white salmon bully beef in a plaster cover, cauliflower stems, bread, cheese and oranges. The ration available is really quite generous, but eggs are Is 6cl each—l traded my breakfast one for a couple of oranges. I flew here via Tripoli—quite interesting—tho transport planes are built for utility, not for comfort: however, one earns women passengers are always rare. Malta looked like a toy farm from the xir—green, brown and white fields of cabbages and cauliflowers, stone walls, stone ■astles, church spires and wee whiteivalled villages. I'm dying to get out and jxplore. By special privilege I’m off to Italy till ifter tho Now Year, where there is Y buildings and where there are fellow :ountrymen.