Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-12
SIDELIGHTS
-ON-
European War

n.-(Correspondence of The
Associated Press )-Ffve shillings
week to the soldiers wife who has
lost her husband in fighting his coun-
try's battlesi
With this exclamation one of the
leading London papers attacks edi-
torially the governments pension sys-
tenn which it says is due to the old
tradition summed up in Wellington's
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
factory, field, office and shop.
Indignation has also been expressed
In parliament, so that 1t is not unlike
ly some reform in pensions may fol-
low.
In the British army the pay Of Of
ficers and men is dependent on the
regiment There is no standard scale
of pay as in America. Commissioned
officers, as a rule. receive sum i'm
possible to live cn-about S35 a
month. They must have Independent
means, and in the crack regiments,
such as the Scots Greys or the Grena-
der guards they must be wealthy,
with polo ponies, Wallets and expensive
uniforms. But in certain Of the col
onial troops doing police duty in lands
bordered by savages, they get as good
pay as American officers and do not
have to keep up expensive establish
ments.
The ordinary infantrymen in the
new volunteer army of million men,
pledged to foreign service, are started
off at S1.65 a week, clear of expenses.
Married men are allowed in addition
separation pay for their families at
the rate of S1.9O a week for the wife
and two pence a day-or % cents a
week-for each child. In the county
of London they are given a further
sum of so cents week, owing to the
higher cost of living.
All married soldiers serving abroad
are obliged to allot at least SIS cents
week to their families out of their
own pay. Worked out on this scale, |
the lowest sum a soldiers wife with !
out children can receive is % shil- |
lings a week in the case of a warrant |
officer, % for a regimental quarter !
master sergeant, 16 shillings six pence |
for corporal or private. If the wife |
has four children to support, she will |
receive, on the same scale, a sum rang |
ing from "a to % shillings.
Widows of those who die in active |
service receive from five to ten shil-
lings a week, according to the rank
and pay of the husband. But the mass |
of them will not get over five shil- |
lings. An extra allowance varying
from 40 to so cents a week for each |
child is given, however.
While there are no government !
homes for old soldiers in Great Brit |
ain. 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 its benefit is one of the big !
social events of London's spring sea-
son.
Much suffering was caused by the |
government deferring the payment of |
allowance to soldiers |
wives during the first two months of |
the war. Not until October was this |
money put into the hands of the des- |
titute women. War office red tape |
also held up pay allotments.