PITFALLS OF EGYPT.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 348, 14 December 1915, Page 7

PITFALLS OF EGYPT.

SOLDIERS’ DANGERS LESSENED.

EARLIER TROOPS GUIDU NEWCOMERS.

From a lecture delivered by Captain D. Munro at the New Zealand Club in 'Wellington last week, it appears that the dangers of young sc’ diers falling victims to the pitfalls of Egypt have been considerably minimised (states the Dominion;. Captain Munro was adjutant at the New Zealand Military Base, and i: home on sick leave. In the, course c» his lecture, Captain Munro observer that some of our men had returned with certain illnesses, but the conditions obtaining at tire time the firs'; batches of troops arrived there should be taken into account when the co., jclu'ct of these men was considered Egypt, he said, had practically no morality, and was the home of thousands of well-educated, apparently well-behaved women of all nationalities (except British), who ran an elaborate system, of agents. One c* these agents, a well-dressed, polished man, would moot a colonial soldier, and s.'.v that he was anxious to converse with him in order to get tinEnglish accent. If the soldier would

favour him with a talk he would Pdelightod to show him round the city. After seeing the city they would have a cup of coffee, and then a glass of wine at a very fine cafe. The man would introduce the soldier to some beautifully dressed, jewelled women friends of his, who would also having a cup of eoffe. An invitation, to the private residences of one or the new acquaintances might follow, and after leaving the guest’s lions* the soldier onld be led astray. Soldiers had fallen upon these evils quite innocently, and without the faintest intention of doing wrong or disgracing their uniform. There is not so much risk now, however. Men of the earlier contingents act as guides to the new arrivals, and show them the places and people to avoid. People had asked why the British Government had not stepped in before, but the fact was that the political situation was delicate and complex. Hundreds .of infamous houses wep owned by the Greek Church, who derived a big revenue from the traffic. That was a form of Christianity which the Mohammedans wondered at. He had spent three weeks on a Commission, and could say as a result that it would be impossible for one to believe the conditions which existed unkess one saw them. People- of a low order ran hotels, over which there was very little control. Almost everyone could keep an hotel, the lisense Cost 3/6, and the place was open all day and night. If a soldier was being shown round by a man who was in reality a guide, naturally not the best of liquor would bo served to the, customer in uniform. Probably it would be doped. Some of our soldiers had been picked up in the cru tters, dosed, robbed, and diseased for life. The troops had resented this kind of thing, and it had led to trouble.

However, the prospects of men meeting trouble now were small compared with, the clays of the earlier arrivals. It was necessary to provide wholesome attractions for the men in Egj pt, and the array chaplains and the Y.M.C.A. were doing good work in that respect —they had done all that was humanly possible. In the Y.M.C.A. ' building, besides reading and writing accommodation, boxing, music, and so on were obtainable. The chaplains organised parties to visit the historic sites.