TREACHEROUS ARABS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2707, 29 February 1916, Page 8

TREACHEROUS ARABS

♦ ' N.Z AVIATOR'S STORY. An interesting letter has been received in Sydney from Mr. J. W. H. Scotland,' tlie New Zealand aviator, who ivas with the fighting forces in Mesopotamia. Mr. Scotland states that he found the climate very trying, and got a severe heat stroke. In consequence he had gone to Poona to recuperate. As soon as he had recovered sufficiently he would return to Mesopotamia, where there was ample work to do. He mentions that in the fight at Ctesiphori, which had lasted three days, the British had taken 1300 Turks and Arab prisoners. Generally speaking the Arabs were most treacherous. If the Turks were getting the worst of an engagement, tho Arabs would turn oil theni. They were absolutely devoid of nil sense of honour. They -were fearful: fellows for looting. Tho country abounded with Arab tribes, who were people of exceedingly dirty habits. They lived mostly in reed huts. Water buffaloes, which lay in the rivers all day to keep cool, and incidentally got covered with mud, often shared theso hovols with the men, women, and children, and dogs, cats, goats, and fowls were all kept within these dwolliugs at night. If there were any natives ill the worJd dirtier than these, he did not want ever to get near them. Their freedom from epidemics and disease was remarkable.