THE TURKISH TOMMY.

Grey River Argus, 10 May 1912, Page 7

THE TURKISH TOMMY.

.— ♦— — — Tbe special war correspondent in Tripoli of the "Daily Express," contributes an interesting- character sketch of the Turkish soldier. The soldier of every nation has his distinguishing- or predominating- ;niiv, wkh which wo arjj^wont to .docket and classify hini. 'me label for instance, of the British private is alertness ,and pluck, thtut of ihe French soldier a tearless gaiiaty. the Germair's ij strict obedience tv vlio lei;-, ter, of discipline, the Russian's a sullen sublime indifference 10 death, and so forth. The Turkish soldier is not, it appears, so easily summed up. Lie possesses the bravery^of the Englishman without 'the aleri'oiess, the fear lessness of the Frenchman without his gaiety, the pertinacity of the Ku';-5-iun without his sullenness- and the indifference of the Japanese wthou. his fervour. And in obedience he out-does the best drilled German. An almost superhuman endurance, combined wiih a colossal stupidity are, according to this correspondent's experience, his • most saileut characteristics. He will right all day on 'a handfu/I of flour and a cupful of dir.;y waiter, sleep ouij unsheltered from rain j dew, or sandstorm, trudge miles when wounded ahnosit to death, faithfully execute thx: -vmosfi haji'sh, tedious and. oxitrag'cous commands. lie w>ll ,deA'ote infinite pain and trouble so the mosir trivial tasks, carrying, say an overcoai; which has been left, behind at a camp, eleven miles througii the sand, and trudging' back again, all without, demanding- or receiving- a reward. -\ As to his stupidity it is immeasurable. The "Express" correspondent gives an instance from his own experience. One of his orderlies, Ahmed, was engaged one morning in sweeping out the room., raising clouds of dust the while. The correspondent sug-gested that . he should go to work a little more gen:.ly. . Ahmed stopped sweeping-, and awaited further orders. It being explained to him that he was '-..o sweep .but wi-h discretion, he set >to work •with trie same vigour as; -before. Jus: then the other orderly, Emm, arrived and inside of 20. minimes he has grasp ed the inner meaning- of the order. "Ahmed,"- ha explained, "is quite like a beast in h'Ls mmd — very stupid. Are you na:,. Ahmed?" Ahmed cheerfully admitted the.-. truth of the inpeach ment, for the Turkish soldier does not in the leasit anind attention beingdrawn to his failings. For several days after this occunT&nce, Emm did not tiire'-of reminding" his .master of the acute-ness of his intellect, and of the beast-like stupidity of the less giff ted Ahmed. .