Evening star., 1914-10-26
PAY Of TOMMY ATKINS
NOTHING TO BRAG OF
No Pension System for British
Army-Married Men Get Al.
lowance for Families. ..

Correspondence of the Associated Press.
LONDON, October l6.-"Five shillings
a week to the soldiers wife who has
lost her husband in fighting his coun-
try's battles.'
With this exclamation, one of the
leading London papers attacks edito-
rally the governments pension sys-
tenn. which, it says. is due to the old
tradition summed up in Wellington's 8
assertion that his troops In the Span
ish campaign were only "the scum Of
the earth" The war Office, according
to the writer. fails to realize that
times are different now, and the vast
majority of volunteers are men who in
civil life earned good wages in fac
tory, field, office and shop.
Indignation has also been expressed
in parliament. 1t is not unlikely some
reform in pensions may follow.
Regimental Standards.
In the British army the pay of officers
and men is dependent on the regiment.
There is no standard scale of pay, as
in America. Commissioned officers, as
a rule, receive a sum impossible to live
on-about $35 a month. They must
have independent means.
In the crack regiments. such as the
Scots Grays or the Grenadier Guards.
they must oe wealthy, with polo ponies.
Wallets and expensive uniforms. But in
certain of the colonial troops. doing
police duty in lands bordered by saw
ages, they get as geed pay as Ameri-
can officers and do not have to keep up
expensive establishments.
! The ordinary infantrymen in the new
volunteer army of million men,
pledged to foregn service. are started
off at $1.65 week, clear OF expenses.
Married men are allowed. in addition,
separation pay for their families at the
rate of $3.50 week for the wife and
| two pence a day-or 2S eehts-for each
child Ia the county OF London they
are given further sum Of 80 cents a
ing.
All married soldiers serving abroad
are obliged to allot at least IS cents
week to their families out OF their own
lowest sum a soldiers wife without
children can receive is % shillings a
week. in the case of a warrant officer
% for a regimental quartermaster ser
geant; 16 shillings 6 pence for corporal
| or private. If the wife has four chill
dren to support, she will receive. on the
same scale. sum ranging from "a to
- shillings.
Pay for Widows.
| Widows of those who die on active
service receive from to 10 shillings q
| week. according to the rank and pay
Of the husband. But the mass Of them
will not get over s shillings. An ex-
ira allowance, varying from 40 to 80
cents q week for each child. is given,
however.
While there are no government homes
for old soldiers in Great Britain. as In
the United States. there are certain
homes maintained by private charity.
OF these. the largest and most famous
is in Chelsea, London. The garden party
given at the Chelsea home for it's ben
eft is one of the big social events of
London's spring season.
Much suffering was caused by the
government deferring the payment Of
separation allowance to soldiers wives
during the fret two months II the wsr.
Not until October was tAia money pvt
into the hands Of the dsattt,kae Asonsn-
War oflce red tep4 A1eo bold up Ray al
lotMlAtA