The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1914-12-11
BRITAIN To increase
SOLDIERS PENSIONS
War Brings a SUDDEN Change in
Siggardly Treatment Of
Tommy Askins.

ysa.don-A significant change has
~-~us over the attitude of the public
tgwn=d the army. 1t has been coming
Cn icy some years, for service condi'
-lScss have been so improved that a
Nrtf.~ class of men has been attract.
ed =. she army. Now il has come
WIN y rush. The European war has
for -sse time being at least put an
2az6 20 ,he fiction that England's is
pnsssy a professional army. Young
reS ere docking to the colors from
-yyvs-y class. and the soldiers in con-
sur .,an he was. So are his depend
ep.s The result is that they are
.sloss1y compelling the government to
E,rifrr provide for Tommy Atkin.
~ socks as if England in spite of
he Dast record of parsimony, is
.gcfnr 10 Guido even the United States
IN generosity. for the proposal is to
g.<.y -srery man who is totally in
Appreciated and the widow or de-
Del dsni of every soldier who is kill
ed c. uensipn of IS a week. 1t is sup
1or-I.G by practically the entire I'm
srsaiz5 party. 1t has the unanimous
hayElrg OF the labor party. The two
pynciple advocates of the measure
are Admiral Lord Charles Beresford
and ''aud Lowther, NJ. p, brother
oil tic Speaker of the House of Com
mos
u Is estimated that the British
army in the field will amount to
2,Des, coo before the war is over.
ii = extremely improbable that
move than one in ten of these will
nc h.'led or totally disabled and all
rhs killed will not have dependent
rxta;JBes. Taken at the highest fig
ss., however, let us say that the
>s;orS,zy will have to pay the IS
ws.s pension to 100000 persons.
Ift.s.s only means $1,OOO,000 a week
os :52,OOO,OOO a year.
sR the meantime a good deal has
bssx done by the liberal Govern
rncs1 40 make the lot of the wives
aES children to the soldiers now
sGfYiag easier than it has been and
than II might have been if the strict
lssfe- Of the law had been adhered
as. We first step was to sweep away
req -aT,e. Under the old regulations
shs only soldiers wives who were
emitted to separation allowance
lsGdu those who were married ION
Yrs strength" To be married on the
sISrLegJh a soldier must have GER
taiC .umber of years of service an
character and the consent
~ His colonel. If he is married with
,us. These requisites in the eyes of
1ko authorities.
ys,Dost the first step of the Gev
s.EGsasat otter the war broke out
waste abolish the distinction between
Tjseg VIM were on the strength and
wives gho were not. 1t was found
Jsxt q Nlumber of soldiers had formed
AaiaDcas and were rearing families
wssfS.1 having gone through the
of marriage. These rela-
1issrtips are more or less permanent. |
7xe government decided to recognize |
g4kas IS called the unmarried moth
~" 2Hhough the recognition extend
I'd alss to the unmarried wife with
,yai essldren.
-. next step was to increase the
allowances as much as
ro1sibie within the limits of the
-evT}Etiops and the money at the
available. On the minimum scale
vic COW is entitled to $3.12 week
anS So cents extra if she lives in
'ScIJDc, 10 cover the extra cost of
iyihR in the metropolis. She is also
sntrtlcl TO 60 cents week extra
or each child. and if the soldier in
.yssses his voluntary allotment to
u her. a wife alone may receive IS {
! Scek. The government has also ex-
this system to the navy, where
ryarG,ion allowances have never |
,gcJ psId before