128
CAIRO TO DAMASCUS
a federation of labor unions was not. A minimum-wage rule
granted some five piastres a day—fifteen cents, a sum usually
paid to child labor. Skilled, organized workers received up to
about one dollar a day, or less than seven dollars for a 48-hour
week, to support usually large families. Unorganized labor,
which was in the great majority, got less—thirty to forty-five
cents a day, usually, while a policeman earned about $4.50
weekly, plus whatever graft he could pick up.
Leaving Kamel, I attempted to contact an avowed Communist, Fadhi el Ramli of the Socialist Front. No one knew
where he could be found. After four days of guarded inquiry,
I ventured to ask someone in the Press Department of the
Arab League. To my amazement he looked into his address
book and said: "Ramli's telephone number is 57381."
I telephoned at once, and spoke with Mrs. Ramli. I finally
induced her to let me visit her home because of something
"very important" I had to tell. I found the Ramlis living in
a poverty-stricken area. Their home was on the second floor
of an indescribably run-down tenement. The place was almost
barren of furniture. A frightfully dark hole which I thought
was a closet turned out to be an Egyptian poor-man's kitchenette—a blackish sink, a dripping faucet, surrounded by rat
holes. Mrs. Ramli pointed to her son, a chubby little fellow
having his feet washed in a dishpan.
"Him name Stalin," she said proudly.
I had candy with me and gave it to Baby Stalin. To Mrs.
Ramli I offered Life Savers. If she had not been emancipated,
I could never have met her face to face in her home. After
tales of my association with "Henri Vallas, goot demokrat,"2
and considerable persuasion, I convinced Mrs. Ramli to
2
Unwittingly, but due mainly to his former association with the Progressive Party, Henrry Wallace had become acceptable to Communists and
leftist democrats alike throughout the Middle East. Although I had met Mr.
Wallace briefly—only once, while he was vice president—I confess, with
apologies to the well-intentioned Democrat who kept such bad political company, that I professed to know him much better than I actually did.