BACK FROM CAIRO.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11408, 8 June 1915, Page 1

BACK FROM CAIRO.

t .... _ . .. CHAPLAIN TALKS. LOOSE MILITARY CONTROL. (Special to the Star.'') AUCKLAND, June 7. The Hcv Guy Thornton, one of the chaplains with the fortes, who luis returned to Auckland from' Egypt, and proceeds to lYeuthmn to-night, preparatory to liis return to Alexandria or the Dardanelles, gave somo interesting information to a ''Stm'" representative this morning with regard to the nature of a .oltaplaiu's task in Cairo. Alter a reference to the elaborateness of the Cairo Camp, both, in regard to equipment .and t!ie commissariat. Cant ain Thorn ion explained that he had mainly beou engaged on rescue work in connection with the many temptations that befell oar men when they arrived in Cairo. '" There are three main influences tliat make for the existing evil condition of things in Cairo.'' ho continued. "In the first place the war has caused thousands of undesirable characters to flock into Cairo from Port Said, Alexandria Paris and even Algeria. Secondly, the Mohammedan religion has been largely responsible for the immorality existing there. Mohammedanism stands everywhere toy tbe degradation of womanhood. Divorce js easily obtainable For instance, if a mau finds that'his soup lias, too little! or too pinch sail', it is a ground for divorcing his wife. He oidy lias, to pronounce " T divorce you ' three times and the divorce is accomplished. The woman has. no option but to go. and she Iras no redress, and no means of earning her livelihood, sa.vo ono. The third cause is the, liquor trade. Almost every shop, in Cairo sells, liquor in some shape or form. Scotch whisky, mad© in Egypt, is sold at about three-half-pence. of onr money per glass. Unfortunately in a great many instances the \rlusky was drugged. I had an analysis' madn of one bottle, and found it to be an unmentionable product. 11 On tho whole, it was only to bo expected that among the. several thousand New "Zealand troops there would he a certain proportion of undesirables, but to condemn the whole lot for the conduct of a> comparatively small number is absolutely unreasonable. Our men's conduct on the whole was splendid. One cannot deny that a certain proportion of the men succumbed to thti novel temptations to which they were'exposed. Seeing that they came from the cleanest spot morally on earth and entered what, is perhaps the worst city in the world, the wonder is not so much that many fell, but that so many fellows came through, with their reputations untarnished." Speaking of the drugging of the drink that is systematically carried on in the city, Captain Thornton said that it was, of course, done with a. specific object-. One drug used was for the purpose of assisting the traffic in another form of vice. Others quickly made men mad drunk or rendered the victim .partly unconscious, and made him an easjy prey to robbers. Xinetynine.cases out of a hundred of the men who went. wtojig were due to dragged clriuk. Under these circumstances rescue work was attended with the greatest, difficulties. Tho chaplains had to literally fight their way into the dens of the bad charactei-s of ihe city to rescue decent young fellows, declared Captain Thornton, and he grimly pointed to-the evidences of conflicts of this character in the healed scars on Lis; hands.

Asked what steps were taken by the military authorities to warn the troops of the dangers of the city, the chapJain said that every thing that could bo done in the shape of preventing the men becoming victims of the vice of the city was done. The officers, "chaplains, and medical men of the city worked to this end. No boy went into trouble through ignorance, but. either through sheer ' 5 cussedness " or drink, in nearly every case through the latter. Unfortunately the auihoritios were not in a position to adopt root remedies -at the outset, owing to the fact that the capitulations were still in operation, and had the effect of preventing action against the offenders at every turn. Corruption was everywhere rife, so that it was well-nigh impossible to put a stop to the drink and drugging evils. Now, however, the position was changed, and at the time he left Egypt the authorities were taking action to rape with the drink questiou. Captain Thornton added that he mentioned these things so that the nu\n who would be leaving the Dominion for Egypt would he fully warned, and would be wise enough to profit by the' 1 experience of others. As a tribute to

the conduct of most of the men. he mentioned that the troops were, in the best of condHion before leaving tor the Dardanelles. Nevertheless, something should bo done to prevent <>nlistnicim under the proscribed age. I'or mere hoys simply could not stand the strain of continuous tniining.