large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_02_aaronsohn_64kb_16
large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_02_aaronsohn_64kb
English
6798
The whip of soft, flexible, stinging leather, which seldom leaves the Turkish officer's hand, was never idle. This was not surprising, for the Arab is a cunning fellow, whose only respect is for brute force. He exercises it himself on every possible victim, and expects the same treatment from his superiors. So far as my comrades and I were concerned, I must admit that we were generally treated kindly. THE WHIP OF SOPPED FLEXIBLE STINGING LEATHER WHICH SELDOM LEAVES THE TURKISH OFFICER'S HAND WAS NEVER IDLE THIS WAS NOT SURPRISING FOR THE ARAB IS A CUNNING FELLOW WHOSE ONLY RESPECT IS FOR BRUTE FORCE HE EXERCISES IT HIMSELF ON EVERY POSSIBLE VICTIM AND EXPECTS THE SAME TREATMENT FROM HIS SUPERIORS SO FAR AS MY COMRADES AND I WERE CONCERNED I MUST ADMIT THAT WE WERE GENERALLY TREATED KINDLY
ivided into groups of fifty, each of which was put in charge of a young non-commissioned officer from the Military School of Constantinople or Damascus, or of some Arab who had seen several years' service. These instructors had a hard time of it; the German military system, which had only recently been introduced, was too much for them. They kept mixing up the old and the new methods of training, with the result that it was often hopeless to try and make out their orders. Whole weeks were spent in grinding into the Arabs the names of the different parts of the rifle; weeks more went to teaching them to clean it--although it must be said that, once they had mastered these technicalities, they were excellent shots. Their efficiency would have been considerably greater if there had been more target-shooting. From the very first, however, we felt that there was a scarcity of ammunition. This shortage the drill-masters, in a spirit of compensation, attempted to make up by abundant severity. IN DRILL WE WERE DIVIDED INTO GROUPS OF FIFTY EACH OF WHICH WAS PUT IN CHARGE OF A YOUNG NON COMMISSIONED OFFICER FROM THE MILITARY SCHOOL OF CONSTANTINOPLE OR DAMASCUS OR OF SOME ARAB WHO HAD SEEN SEVERAL YEARS SERVICE THESE INSTRUCTORS HAD A HARD TIME OF IT THE GERMAN MILITARY SYSTEM WHICH HAD ONLY RECENTLY BEEN INTRODUCED WAS TOO MUCH FOR THEM THEY KEPT MIXING UP THE OLD AND THE NEW METHODS OF TRAINING WITH THE RESULT THAT IT WAS OFTEN HOPELESS TO TRY AND MAKE OUT THEIR ORDERS WHOLE WEEKS WERE SPENT IN GRINDING INTO THE ARAB THE NAMES OF THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE RIFLE WEEKS MORE WENT TO TEACHING THEM TO CLEAN IT ALTHOUGH IT MUST BE SAID THAT ONCE THEY HAD MASTERED THESE TECHNICALITIES THEY WERE EXCELLENT SHOTS THEIR EFFICIENCY WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERABLY GREATER IF THEY HAD BEEN GIVEN MORE TARGET SHOOTING FROM THE VERY FIRST HOWEVER WE FELT THAT THERE WAS A SCARCITY OF AMMUNITION THIS SHORTAGE THE DRILL MASTERS IN A SPIRIT OF COMPENSATION ATTEMPTED TO MAKE UP BY ABUNDANT SEVERITY
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