CHRISTMAS IN EGYPT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13599, 29 January 1915, Page 3

CHRISTMAS IN EGYPT.

UNRULY AUSTRALIANS

(FromC. E. *W. Bean, "Official Reporter Avith the First Australian .Expeditionary Force m Egypt.) MENA GAMP, Dec. 29. It would be a deceit upon the people of Australia if it were reported to them that Christmas and the approaching New Year have found the Australian Imperial Force without a cloud m the sky. The weather was perfect — Christmas morning itself broke as dear and crisp as a mid-winter day on the wrong side of the Darling river, and one cannot imagine any better praise than that. All the camp looked ideal, with lines as straight as an architect's drawing, and streets and kitchens, which tne medical officers, by dint of a good deal of insistence, nave managed to maintain as clean as a model dairy. The big new white wooden mess huts, which are now ready for most of the corps, and which are being provided for all. were decorated With palm and eucalyptus ; and some of the men who take a pride m their regiments had marked the mess tents of the regimental boundary with designs m white and colored stones and pebbles as neat as a Roman mosaic. A Christmas dinner has been provided m many cases by funds subscribed by the officers, and m many others by the men themselves— often plum puddings with.,other extra courses, and sometimes extra beer. The' columns that swung down the hills from their various church parades, with their big shoulders and long Australian limbs, all swinging together, look half as powerful again as ordinary regiments. General Birdwood watched them all till the last man was digging his heels into the sand at the rear of the last company, and one could not help wondering what he thought of them. He has seen many sorts of soldiers under many different conditions' during his short and brilliant career, but one could not help wondering whether he has ever commanded a more magnificent force than this. He may turn them into that, perhaps, but, although to the casual observer everything was right with the force, the last week has been one of some anxiety to those who have the good name of Australia at heart.

REGRETTABLE SCENES. Cairo is one of the great pleasure resorts of the world, and a place where the soldiers m any neighboring camp can always have a reasonably enjoyable time during their hours of leave, provided they exercise, the same, amount of restraint as the ordinary tourist, but certain scenes have occurred, and have become more common during the past few days, which go a good way beyond that, and which are already affecting the reputation of Australia m the outside world. I was speaking the other day to one of the -most dis tinguished men m the British Army. "They are as fine a body of men physically as I have ever seen," he said, Vbut do all Australians drink bo much T" The truth is that there are a certain number of men m those who were accepted for service abroad who are not fit to be sent abroad to represent Australia.