The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-11-30
HOW THE BRITISH TOMMY
MAY GET A FAIR DEAL
by JOHN $. STEELE

London, November 19.-(Speciai Cores
pondence.)--whe Eipling wrote the ABB
sent Minded Beggar'' he typified not only
the British soldier but the British ma
tion-at the time he wrote. Today there
are evidences that neither the Individual
soldier nor the nation are as absent
minded as they once were.
When Kipling wrote soldering In Brit
the failures and the dregs of the popula-
ton. The professional army was the last
resort of the men who for one reason or
another had failed to make good in
civil life. and men of this type were apt
to forget their obligations to wives and
children when they went away from home
or on active service. The country, not
coming into intimate touch with the SOL
der was equally liable to forget the
claims of the soldier and the soldiers
dependents, when he was killed or in
jured. Hence the pitiful sight of SOL
diers broke in our wars" which in the
past was so common In London and all
the other big English cities
After the South African war kipling did
something to bring the country to reali-
zation of its duty, but 1t was still possi-
BILE for Piper Findlater, who played the
Gordon Highanders into action at Dargai
after he had been wounded in both legs,
to be reduced to exhibiting himself and
his Victoria Cross at the music halls to
keep from starvation. England then be-
gan to talk about her duty to her SOL
diers, but she did not go the length of
doing anything.
Today significant change has come
over the altitude of the public toward
the army. 1t has been coming on for
some years. for service conditions have
been so improved that a better class OF
men has been attracted to the army
Now II has come with a rush. The great
European war has for the time being at
! least put an end to the fiction that Eng
lands is purely professional army.
Young men are floclxing to the eolors
| from every class In the community and
the soldiers in consequence is a much
| more vocal person than he was. So
are his dependents. The result is that
they are slowly compelling the govern
ment to better provide for Tommy Atkins
and as soon as the requisite legislation
can be put through will be still better
looked after. 1t looks now as If England
In spite of her past record of parsimony
40 6oihS W OutuO even tue united states
In generosity. for the proposal is to pay
every man who is totally incapacitated
and the widow or dependent of every soj-
der who Is killed a pension of s. a week.
The United States astonshed the world
by Its generosity when 1t fixed the pen
sion scale at IS a month.
1t Is only fair to England to say that
the present ridiculously small scale of
pay and pensions is a survival and that
the io oe.ix,
responsible for their meagreness. The
pay warrant, as the document fixing
these details Is called, has hardly been
changed since Waterloo Since then money
has become cheaper and living dearer
pension that spelled some degree of
comfort according to the standards ex-
listing 100 years ago means slow starva-
ton today. Let us see what II is. I'm
der the pay warrant private soldier who
is partially disabled is entitled to a
pension of u cents day. Non-commis-
stoned officers may get as high as rs
cents day. In each case. too, man
may-not must-receive an additional PEN
sion of II cents day for specially gal
liant service. II totally disabled the PEN
sion for a private is SO cents day, and
rises for non-commissioned officers, ac-
cording to rank, to 81 cents day for
a sergeant-major
The pay warrant also provides for pen
sfons for the widows and children of
men who are killed In action or who
die from their wounds or from sickness
contracted on service. Thus a private
widow receives rs a week and SO cents a
week in addition for each child This
rises for non-commissioned officers as
high as $3.50 a week and 80 cents addition
al for each child for the widow and
family of sergeant-major. 1t Is EVIL
dent, therefore, that the proposal to pay
disabled men and widows s. a week Is a
tremendous step In advance. 1t Is entire
ly likely, too, that the proposal will go
through, for 1t is what Is called In this
country a non-contentious measure. 1t
is supported by practically the entire
unionist party from whom In the ordi-
nary way opposition to such a scheme
might be expected and 1t Is not likely to
meet with any trouble from the govern
ment. who have already shown a dis
position to deal more than generously
with the soldier and his dependents Fur
thermore, recruiting has dropped danger
ously and the higher rate Is now look ed
upon as an absolute necessity II the
100000 volunteers are to be raised In
time. 1t has the unanimous backing of
the labor party. The two principal adj
vocates of the measure are Admiral Lord
Charles Beresford, who, although Tory
has always fought hard for the rights
anu privileges OF the lOWer-0eck men OF
the fleet and Claud Lowther. NJ p, a
brother Of the speaker OF the House OF
Commons. who is raising his own regi-
ment to fight the Germans, and who IL
the originator of the proposed new rate
After all. the cost of even such generous
treatment IL not much to a rich country
like Great Britain. 1t Is estimated that
the British army In the field will amount
to about 100000 before the war Is over
Taking the present casualty rate 1t is
extremely improbable that more than one
| In ten of these will be killed or totally
disabled and all the killed win not have
dependent relatives. Taken II the highest
figure. however, let us say that The COM
try will have to Lay tie 3 week en-
sion to 10000 persons. That only means
| 100000 a week or ,25.000,00o a year. II
would mean at first an additional income
tax OF about cents In each IS Of income
| for persons with incomes over $500 a
year, and OF course the amount required
would be constantly decreasing. England
| has about made up its mind that this
/ is a small price to pay for the sacrifices
| which her men are making now to beal
| the Germans. 1t Ii interesting to compare
| what England's pension bill would b.
| compared with that Of tbs United tfat-s
Britain now pays nearly $l0O00.00O yeai
Z fo> army uana1Ons AZ, TINT the t0t1I would