large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_02_aaronsohn_64kb_5
large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_02_aaronsohn_64kb
English
6798
Thus it often happens that some of the new recruits die after their first day of garrison life. THUS IT OFTEN HAPPENS THAT SOME OF THE NEW RECRUITS DIE AFTER THEIR FIRST DAY OF GARRISON LIFE
 service. I was young and strong and healthy--and even if I had not been, the physical examination of Turkish recruits is a farce. The enlisting officers have a theory of their own that no man is really unfit for the army--a theory which has been fostered by the ingenious devices of the Arabs to avoid conscription. To these wild people the protracted discipline of military training is simply a purgatory, and for weeks before the recruiting officers are due, they dose themselves with powerful herbs and physics and fast, and nurse sores into being, until they are in a really deplorable condition. Some of them go so far as to cut off a finger or two. The officers, however, have learned to see beyond these little tricks, and few Arabs succeed in wriggling through their drag-net. I have watched dozens of Arabs being brought in to the recruiting office on camels or horses, so weak were they, and welcomed into the service with a severe beating--the sick and the shammers sharing the same fate. AS TO MY ELIGIBILITY FOR SERVICE I WAS YOUNG AND STRONG AND HEALTHY AND EVEN IF I HAD NOT BEEN THE PHYSICAL EXAMINATION OF TURKISH RECRUITS IS A FARCE THE ENLISTING OFFICERS HAVE A THEORY OF THEIR OWN THAT NO MAN IS REALLY UNFIT FOR THE ARMY A THEORY WHICH HAS BEEN FOSTERED BY INGENIOUS DEVICES OF THE ARABS TO AVOID CONSCRIPTION TO THESE WILD PEOPLE THE PROTRACTED DISCIPLINE OF MILITARY TRAINING IS SIMPLY A PURGATORY AND FOR WEEKS BEFORE THE RECRUITING OFFICERS ARE DUE THEY DOSE THEMSELVES WITH POWERFUL HERBS AND PHYSICS AND FAST AND NURSE SORES INTO BEING UNTIL THEY ARE IN A REALLY DEPLORABLE CONDITION SOME OF THEM GO SO FAR AS TO CUT OFF A FINGER OR TWO THE OFFICERS HOWEVER HAVE LEARNED TO SEE BEYOND THESE LITTLE TRICKS AND FEW ARABS SUCCEED IN WRIGGLING THROUGH THEIR DRAG NET I HAVE WATCHED DOZENS OF ARABS BEING BROUGHT IN TO THE RECRUITING OFFICE ON CAMELS OR HORSES SO WEAK WERE THEY AND WELCOMED INTO THE SERVICE WITH A SEVERE BEATING THE SICK AND THE SHAMMERS SHARING THE SAME FATE
large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_02_aaronsohn_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_02_aaronsohn_64kb.flac