Item 01: Eric Susman war diary, 1 January 1915-4 April 1916 - Page 70
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[Page 70]
Monday 15 February 1915
Same old parades to-day and nothing about which I can particularly comment. The dust is still the same, very disagreeable to the lungs and very tiring. All to a man, are resolved that Egypt is no good, bum – very bum. But various men express their opinions in different ways.
"This is rotten wheat country" says the man from the country. "Hopeless for putting greens for golf links, or for lawn tennis courts" is the man-about-town's comment, grass couldn't grow here in half a century. This is what we think of the place where we do all our work. But will it always be an unpopulated wilderness? Perhaps, perhaps not. In spite of such checks on the growth of the population, such as this war, in years to come this very spot, sandy, barren, dry as it is, may be the scene of a flourishing, wealth-producing farm, a highly complicated scheme of irrigation, and the Lord knows what. Man and his ever fertile resourceful brain, aided by a pampered artificial Nature, produces economic Wealth. I suppose all this will someday happen. And to look at it now, to live here and enjoy the sand --- Hell with the lid on!