THE AUSTRALIANS IN EGYPT

North Otago Times, Volume C, Issue 13206, 30 January 1915, Page 5

THE AUSTRALIANS IN EGYPT

A CANDID STATEMENT.

From C. E, W. BEAN, Official Reporter with the ' Fir.il Aui.traliau Expeditionary Force in Egypt. i

MENA CAMP, near Cairo, December L' 9. Cairo is oue of the ureal pleasure rcsurb of the world, ami a place where the iiuhlien in any neighbouring camp can ahva.va have a reasonably enjoyable time during their hours of leave,' provided Ihey exercise (he same amount of restraint as the ordinary tourist, but certain scenes have occurred, and have .become more common during the past few'dayi', which go. a' good way beyond that, and which are already affecting the reputation of Australia in the outside world. It it idle lo toulcul Hint the Australians are al present making quite Hie impression which Aihlrnlians hope they will make, cither ou civilians or upon the great soldier;, under whoac eye:, they come, I v.a:; i-pcaking the other day to one of the moil distinguished men s in the Briliidi army. "They are as tine a body of men physically as J have ever ;.ccn," he said, '''l'lll. do all Auclraliauii think so umejiv" The truth jp'lliat, there arc a certain number of men in lliosc wlui were accepted for '.elvice abroad who arc not lit lo be sent abroad to represent Australia. . . ,'. There is only a small percentage—possibly I or 'i per ceht;—in the force, which is really responsible for the. occurrences about which Cairo ia beginning lo talk; the great majority of the men are keen, intelligent, well-restrained young Australians, who you wilhmoil enjoying their hours of leave in frail of Hie cafes, or in the museum, or Hie zoological gardens, or Hie postcard shops, dressed as neatly as any of Die other soldiers in • the town, and behaving themselves in tins way in which any 111111011111 Aiislriilinu on a holiday would behave. They have the material in them not merely for as good a force as Hie Xew Zcalamlors, or Hie Territorials, but to one's own thinking, of a better force, because Hie Australians here, besides being tin? best physique, are man for men more highly strung, ami if anything quicker ivitt'ed. Hut there is in the 'Australia!! ranks a proportion of men who are uin-outrolled, slovenly, mid in- some cases, what few Australians can be accused of being—dirty.

... "It's the likes of them tliut a'ro goiiig to spoil the game for tho rest of us, nml lose us our leave," J hoard one younger say a few days since. "The fellows arc getting a bit* fo<J up with then) down amongst our lot." But they are really doing a very much more serious thing than losing our soldiers their leuve. They are losing Australia her good name in tlio outside world, and those Australians who happen to-be living in Cairo, or are in touch with the'world outside the camps, have Hie mortification of'looking on whilst, day by day the reputation of Australia slowly vanishes before the actions of a handful of rowdies, who do not really represent the country. 'The Territorials have not our physique, mid some of tlio Lancashire regiments, seem to be composed largely of mere child'reu but by dint of hard work they have beconio thoroughly smart soldiers, ami, although both amongst them 'and the New Ze'alandeis tlieio lias been .1 certain ; amount of. the hard living which 'will always be found where great numbers of meu nro collected, none who is iiiotudcaf can hide from himself; the faot.that the talk at present .currentpi' Cairo attaches to the Australian ■ force rather thau to the Territorials/ 6\,;ns far as [ eau judge',: to the Now' iZcataii'iiors,'- ■■'• ;;-^' ; /';' >-, :-M*.*i