The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-07-12
WOMEN and THE WAR
THE TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORMATION BUREAU
BY Frederic }. Haskin. Director
Washington. ID. @.


NI.-The Dependent Woman.
Washington, July 10.-Lena is the
wife of a soldier-not a regular SOL
der. but a member of the national
guard. Soldering, in fact, was just a
sideline his real vocation being the
ment store They lived in a small
house in the suburbs, with "a tiny
porch and an even timer garden
There were two children, and well
come was being prepared for a third.
The government ordered the nation
al guard to the Mexican border. Lena's
soldier-salesman husband had to go.
There was an announcement made
stating that his employer, who was a
real patriot, was going to pay the
salaries of all his employees who thus
served their country. After the first
two months, Lena, in spite of constant
needlework and embroidering, could
not meet the payments on the house.
They had to move to 1huch cheaper
locality. Then the baby came. And
when it was three weeks old, the
mother got a job as charwoman.
This is an uncolOred sketch of the
main points in Lena's story as it was
uncovered by an American woman So
cial worker who has recently seen the
family restored to its former status,
with the exception of Lenas 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 1t will
be the policy of the government to
exempt from military services all men
who are supporting dependents, but it
is the pessimistic view of most peo-
pie that such policy cannot be main
tanned forever. The question is:
What will be done for the mothers,
wives and children of the men called
to war?
The United states children's bureau
has anticipated this question recently
by making an intensive study of the
provisions for soldiers families that
have been made by other countries.
For weeks it has had researchers at
work interpreting the various laws en-
acted by the belligerents until now it
has a complete report which will be of
inestinable value to this government
if the time should come for drafting
married men, or the sons of dependent
mothers and fathers.
There is the Example of Great Brit
ain, for instancv Before the war. the
childrens> bureau found, this country
! did not encourage the enlistment of
| married men at all. Officers and a
| certain percentage of non-commis-
| stoned officers were allowed to marry,
| with certain provisions for their fam
| ilities in case of death or disability,
| but in the case of priVateS the war Of
| lice let IL Do known IIdL DOLnlHB
! would be done for their families if
they were to marry. Shortly before
the war, it appears, the government
! became triile more lenient, on ac-
count of the low recruiting quotas.
Now Great Britain has very thoro
system for looking after the families
of its soldiers. In the first place,
there is the so-called separation al
lowance. This comes out of the SOL
J dier's pay when the person to be cared
| for is his wife; the government takes
care of his children out of its own
pocket. The sum paid to the wives
| of non-commissioned officers and au-
Dramatically deducted from their pay
is $1.45 a week. The wives of privates
| receive $1.25 a week. Allowances
made by the government for children
are $1.25 for the first child; 81 cents
for the second, and SO cents for each
| child thereafter.
When 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 certifi-
| Gates or otherwise to ascertain if the
| facts are correct, puts the vile or de-
pendent on his payroll. The allow
ances are paid thru the postoffices.
| The paymaster sends drafts to the
postmasters and identity cards to the
! dependent persons. On pay day.
there are always lines of women gath
| cred 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 dis
trict.
In addition to separation allow
ances, the British government also
pays pensions, in the case of a SOL
diers death: disability pensions when
| a man is hurt, and certain special al
lowances for special cases. The gov
eminent is not in favor of equal pen
sions for everybody. 1t believes that
the man who was earning a thousand
pounds year before he was con-
! scripted should receive a greater al
lowance than the man who was earn
| ing only a hundred pounds a year.
His standard of living would have
been much higher, and it is the policy
of the government to maintain pre-
war standards of living as far as pos
sible. so the wife of the $1,000 man
is paid more than the $500 man by
special dispensation of the govern
ment.
Then, there is the case of the man
who had contracted financial obliga-
lions before he enlisted. The British
government in such a case would keep
up the interest On the investment.
Also, where a man is deprived of his
former occupation owing to physical
disability incurred in the war, the gov
eminent pays for his training in new
profession: it also pays for the voea-
tional training of widows of soldiers.
Pensions in case of disability or
DEATH says the children's bureau,
"have been increased many times
civ ho of and
} the kinds of disability have been more
accurately defined in the interests of
greater justice to the men and their
dependents"
Disability pensions, OF course, are
l1aaid In, mammalian to the mans dis