Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-07-24

wv wife of soldier-not a regular soldier.
but a member of the national guard Sol
diering, in fact. just side line his real Voca-
ton was the selling of cotton goods in de-
partment store. They lived in a small house IN
the suburbs, with tiny porch and an even timer
garden There two children, and welcome
was being prepared for third.
The government ordered the national guard to
the Mexican border. Lena's soldier-salesman nus
band had to go. There was announcement made
stating that his employer who a real patriot,
going to pay the salaries of all his employees
who thus served their country, but somehow that
all there ever was to it-just the announce
ment After the first two months. Lena, in spite
of constant needlewCrk and embroidering, could
not meet the payments on the house. They had to
move to a much cheaper locality. Then the baby
came. And when it three weeks old, the
mother got job as charwoman.
This is an urcolored sketch of the main points
in Lena's story, it uncovered by an American
woman social worker who has recently seen the
family restored to its former status with the ex-
ception of Lena's health, which is not very good
1t greatly resembles the story of many other women
whose breadwinners went to the border.
Now we are in a real war. It will be the policy
of the government to exempt from military services
all men who supporting dependents but it is
the pessmisLic view of most people that such
policy cannot be maintained forever. The question
is: What will be done for the mothers, wives and
children of the men called to war?
u. ..
this question "e"entlv BY making intensive study
of the provisions for soldiers families that have
been made bv other countries. For weeks 1t has
had researchers at work interpreting the various
laws enacted by the belgerents until it has
complete report which will be Of inestimabe value
to this government if the time should come for
drafting married the of dependent
mothers and fathers
There is the example of Great Britain, for in
stance. Before the war. the Childrens bureau
nfrV nnfo he 1fef-
ment of married men at all. Officers and certain
percentage of non-commissioned officers al
lowed to marry, with certain provisions for their
FAMILIES in case OF death or disability, but In the
of privates the office let it be known that
nothing would be done for their families If they
were to marry. Shortly before the it appears,
the government became trifle more lenient, &C
count of the low recruiting quotas.
Now. Great Britain has a very thorough system
for looking after the families of its soldiers In the
first place there is the so-called separation al
lovance This comes out of the soldiers pay
when the person to be cared for is his wife; the
government takes of his children out of its
own pocket. The sum paid to the wives of nom
commissioned officers and automatically deducted
from their pay, is $1.45 week. The wives of pri-
Yates receive $1.25 week. Allowances made by
the government for children $1.25 for the first
child; 81 cents for the second, and so cents for
each child thereafter.
When a man enlists in the British army he Is
handed a paper on which he is told to set forth
full particulars concerning his wife, children or
any other dependents he may have. This paper
is then sent to the paymaster of his regiment who,
without waiting to hunt for birth and marriage
certificates otherwise to ascertain If the facts
are correct, puts the wife dependent his pay
roll The allowances paid through the post
offices. The paymaster sends drafts to the post
masters and identity cards to the dependent per-
sons. On pay day there always lines OF
women gathered about the postoffices waiting for
the doors to open. AS each woman steps before
the window and shows her identity card she is
paid in money. The postmaster keeps the drafts
to show the postal accountant of his district