New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-18

Cairo has never been so interesting. The
streets are crowded with Australian and New
Zealand soldiers, the finest looking men l
have ever seem Many of the ordinary sol
ders have incomes of from $4,000 to $50 600
d year. and have enlisted as privates. 1t is
strange to see these men in their KHAKI uni
forms lunching at Shepherds Grill Room,
the most expensive restaurant in CAIRO, dln-
ing at the fashionable hotels and dancing at
the Saturday night ball given at the CONT
mental. This hotel, which has always been
considered second class, has, on account OF
the closing Of the Savoy, Semiramis etc,
stepped into the first rank, and to the surprise
of everybody has far outstripped Shepherds.
With very few exceptions, all the best people
are coming here. This is largely due to the
actions of the German manager at Shep-
heard's, at the beginning of the war.
Returning to the Australian soldiers, those
from Queensland have sand colored SOM
breros caught up on one side with large
cockade of emu feathers; other sombreros are
trimmed with fur, etc. It is rather funny to
hear one of these good natured, unspoled
men say Thank you very much" TO an Arab
gamin who has given him back change for
something he has bought. One rich nan, a
sergeant at Abbassia. was told to appear b.
fore the lieutenant of his regiment, and when
he did so found that his superior officer was
the chauffeur whom he had employed in Aus
trala at $3.50 week. The democracy of
the Australian contingent amazes the English,
as the officers do not hold sloof from the
men in the way they do in other countries.
The most marvellous sight of all is the new
city that has sprung up at the base of the
Pyramids, behind the Mens House. ! could
hardly believe my eyes. Here is tent city
of over twenty thousand Macadam roads
have been laid in the sand along which are
thousands of tents and small shops of every
description, containing things for the sol
diers to buy. and a number of moving picture
buildings, two of which nearly finished, are
very large. There is a little branch railroad
that connects with the Cairo tram, so that
provisions and so forth can be brought to
different parts of this new city from Cairo.
The Australians are the most frank, open
hearted people | have ever met; are delighted
to have people talk to them, and pleased as
school children with everything they see.
They are like tigers, however, and are anxious
to get at the Germans.
| received most remarkable letter to-day
from a dear friend, an English officer at the
front | think every one who is in sympathy
with the Allies should know one of the things
he says in il. | quote him verbatim:
"An amusing incident occurred the other
day. The place where it happened | am not
permitted TO mention. The Bavarians, whom
every one knows hate the Prussans, put up a
Elacard opposite our trenches as follows:
The Prussian Guard will relieve US at IL
p. m. We will fire three rounds. Wait half
an hour, and then give them hell And they
did
"The English Tommy is not an expert
French scholar, and pronounces Ypres Wye
pecs.' One of them concocted the following:
We wiped out the vipers at Wyepers
Ypres).'"
The Mena House has been converted into a
military hospital. While lunching there,
through the kindness of an official, yesterday.
heard the solemn tramp of steps and saw a
band of soldiers march by carrying coffin
covered by the Union Jack, with the poor
boy felt hat resting on it. Tears came into
my eyes as l thought of his dying of pneu-
monia before he reached the front, a disease
OF which many have died at the Pyramids