SOLDIERS DUPED.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 17 July 1916, Page 2

SOLDIERS DUPED.

WOMEN WHO DRAW PAY. FIVE PROMISED HUSBANDS. DELILAHS TO BE AVOIDED. The war has been productive of many new phases of life, says the Sydney “Sun.” There are people who work to assist soldiers in the accomplishment of the task they have before tiuun; there are others who prey upon them like the camp followers of old. The Australian fighter is the best paid soldier in the world. In Egypt our army got the reputation of being made up oi it illionanes with money to burn ( er-aiii.j Ca ro bazaars are the richer for t!u-U M'it. for Australians are known to be big -hearted and generous This ha • no! escaped the notice of pen pit hero v\bo jive by their v>its Many a soldier has been duped into ieavi \% uehiud him an amount of m mey v.-hioh are going into misdirected channels. There are many Delilahs in Sydney, who lob men not of their strength, bat of tHeir wealth,- which they are povkehr.g and waxing rich upon. Soldier., from the country should !:t----warned against the wiles of a number of women who, under the guise of swearing love and devotion, are drawing portions %f their pay assigned to them. In some instances this duplicity is not practised on one soldier only. There are women who are drawing the pay of four and five soldiers, all of whom they have promised to marry if they return. HOW THEY WORK. Their metiod of ingratiating themselves in the favours cf the soldier is from the country as well as the convery simple. They know the mun ..ueiae man knows him. He is approached, not boldly, but warily. As .l rule ne man makes the approaches after the nets have been properly set. jnee an appearance of friendship is established, it is the easiest thing in 'the world to work the oracle on the youth with the money to assign. It is soon ascertained whether he has already set aside a portion of his money for his mother or sister, or .cher relatives. If he -has not the woman soon works cn his susceptibilities .and charms an agreement out of him, which entitles her to call regularly and lift a portion cf his pay In many -cases the man from the country has .10 desire to grow rich by allowing his pay to accumulate. His wants are few while he is in camp or at the j front; and the woman intimates that , she will be able ro prepare a beautiful home for him and have it ready when he returns. When one soldier has sailed, she starts out in search of another, and the same plausible .methods are followed. Sometimes the trick dees not work. But that does not disconcert the man-trapper in the least, ft is her business co make bargains. Sydney has quite an army of wdrnen, young and old, who are working the soldiers’ pay scheme for all it is worth. They vary it occasionally by getting a will made in their favour, or money assigned to them on trust, and a dozen other ways, which are more or less within the law; but with no intention of remaining there long. The parks, particularly in the approaches to the city, are the chief rendezvous and introuucaon pmces, where tne women spieau tneir webs ro. tne unsuspecting hies. They are not iildressed, nor are they unattractive. Seme of them have dulcet voices and ‘bright eyes. They have reduced loving wiles to a fine art, and many a man has been charmed by the modest manner of some of them. “SO GEN IDE AND-PRACTICAL.. ■ One man, who nearly walked into the trap, said that the manner of the girl reminded him of his sister —she was so gentle and so pratical. nut fortunately for himself he viewed the world in a very practical way, and I found that the Commonwealth Bank was a safer place for his money than the pocket of a woman. He learned afterwards that the siren who was advising him upon the necessity for leaving his money in the hands of someone dear to him and capable of taking care of it for him, had already plucked four other pigeons, and sent them oft to the battle front, with a tear in one eye, whilst the other was watching the street corner fer another possible wage-distributing soldier.

Of course the soldier is at liberty to distribute his favours as he chooses, but it seems a pity that men should not be warned against becoming the dupes ot such Delilahs.