The Palatka news and advertiser., 1917-10-05
PAY OF FIGHTING MEN.
GMacon News)
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eff, as has been reported recently,
the German Kaiser has offered a prize
of $75 to the first man of his forces
in France who captures an American
soldier, the bonus will prove temp
ting one to the Teutons, for this sum
represents more than three years pay
for a private in the German army"
says war bulletin.
The American soldier boy abroad
will draw princely wage compared
with Tommy Atkins, the French poilu,
the Italian Alpini, the German boche
and all the other fighting men of Eu-
ropean nations.
Disregarding the extras and the
special allowances of various kinds,
provided for in all the armies of the
world, but taking the lowest wage
Of the humblest private as the stand
ard, the comfortable rate of pay al
lowed Uncle Sans fighting men af-
fords a remarkable contrast to the
lean pay envelopes of the men with
whom our soldiers will join forces
in France, as we'll as to the slim COM
pensation of the enemy armies.
With his quarters, clothing and rat
ions furnished him, as they are fur
nished in all the armies of the world,
the American second class private, re-
ceiving his foreign service pay of
S33 month, will be plutocrat, COM
pared with the French soldier who
draws the bare pittance Of $3.50 ev-
cry thirty days, scarcely enough to
keep the American man in cigarettes.
But the French soldiers wage is,
in its turn, princely compared with
the thirty-two cents month which
the Russian government allows its
privates, and the seventy-three cents
which Austria Hungary pays its
Itroops-one and two-and-a half cents
a day respectively.
Great Britain is the most generous
of the European governments in its
pay of privates, who receives $3.50 a
month at home and an additional al
lowance while fighting in France, Mes
opotamia and other foreign fields. It.
ally ranks second in generosity with a
monthly minimum allowance of $3.50.
Spain compensates her soldiers with
a SAP monthly wage and Germany
has built up her military engine of
frightfulness with a wage scale be-
ginning at S1.65 a month-less than
six cents a day-to do the ruthless
bidding of ruthless rulers. Japan
soldiers at home with So year fare
a little worse than the Austrians.
, Turkey is an independent employee by
comparison, granting 81 a year
90 cents month.
A first class American private, draw
ing S36.60 a month in France. gets
Sal year more than a Russian colo
mel, and S64 a year more than Ger
man lieutenant for the first three
years; S31 year more than a first
lieutenant of the Austrian army, and
$40 a year more than a junior leu
tenant in the service of Italy.
+ The pay of an American second
lieutenant (disregarding all allow
ances) is 500 year more than that
Of a lieutenant colonel in the British
army, $73 more than that of a full
colonel in the French army, $62
more than than that of German lieu
tenant colonel, $3.50 more than a col
onel of Austrian troops, and only $100
less than that of a major general of
the Italian army, while to full gen
eral of the Russian army the Ameri-
cans $1,000 would seem a fortune,
as the Muscovite Of the highest rank
only gets $1,272.
The pay of an American captain
compares favorably with that of a
British colonel, a French brigadier
general, a German brigadior general,
an Austrian brigadier general, jap
anese lieutenant general.
A brigadier general of the Ameri-
can army, drawing a minimum salary
of $4,000, receives nearly $240 more
than a marshal of France, $1,000 more
than full general and field marshal
in the German army, $2,250 more than
full general of Japan and nearly
five times as much as a Russian gen
eral of the highest rank. Italy's
highest army officer at the beginning
of this war was lieutenant general
whose annual compensation was $3.50
less than that of an American major.
Since the outbreak of the war the
French government has revised its
scale of nay for the army. The man
in the first line trenches now re-
ceivcs a franc a day $500 a month";,
but he is not permitted to draw all
of this amount He is paid partly
in cash and for the balance receives
a certificate of depOSit in a reserve
fund which is to be disbursed at the
end of the war. All those not in the
first line trenches still receive their
25 centimes five cents) q day.