One hundred years ago there were many reports of Australian soldiers in Egypt behaving badly, sometimes contracting venereal diseases. One writer suggested a harsh but pragmatic response. The Queanbeyan Age was one of many papers to appear to endorse it by publishing the piece.
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"THE BAD AT THE FRONT.
"Something is said about the weeding-out of 'undesirables' - drunks and gamblers and soldiers who howl at night and fellows who haunt the back streets of Cairo during the dark hours and wink at Egyptian girls - from the Australian forces in Egypt.
"These dubious characters are to be sent back to Australia in disgrace, so that they may marry undesirably and rear undesirable families, while the good men go to the front, and do battle with the Turk.
"This idea, that the worst citizen should be carefully preserved from destruction, and get a free passage home to become one of the fathers of the community and help to make our laws and even go into Parliament, while the best citizen is killed, looks like an absurdity.
"Every undesirable who is already in the ranks should be carefully preserved. Every criminal, hunchback, forger, or other bad character who seeks to enlist should be enlisted with enthusiasm. The drunkard should be taken on the evidence of his breath and his nose. The worst scoundrels, should have extra pay, if necessary, and extra special uniforms, and on the day of battle they should go first, being the folk who can best be spared. They would certainly kill somebody before they died."
