Social Welfare of the Troops
It is a tradition in the British Army that it is one of the first duties of officers to look after the welfare of their men; and though this may be restricted to the duty of attending to their food, clothing, bedding and accommodation, interest is often extended to their sports, recreation and studies. But the help of civilians must be enlisted if all is to be done that should be done to compensate men for absence from home and friends and for their exacting life in barracks, camps, huts or still less desirable quarters. Much is already being done by the Y.M.C.A., the Church Army, the Salvation Army and other organisations ; but the troops are widely scattered, some in crowded military centres, others in comparative isolation, and there is need for co-ordinating the existing voluntary welfare services, and for creating others. It is interesting to note that it is the War Office itself which is taking the initiative in setting up an organisation for social welfare in the Army. That it should be the War Office, and not some association outside, that should initiate such a movement shows how far the military mind has moved since 1914. Commanders today know well the importance of keeping the troops contented and in good spirits. That sort of better understanding which made the War Office promote Army education after the last war leads it today to attend to the vital question of the social welfare of the troops.
Previous page
