[TO THE EDITOR OF 21111 " Brzarxrclun Silt, — May I ask
a few questions with regard to your interest- ing " Suggestion for a Recruiting Advertisement" P (1) " For how long shall I have to serve ? " " Till the end of the war and no longer." Supposing a man at the end of the war wished to remain in the Army, would he be able to do so? He might feel that as a soldier he bad "found his job," and that it would be difficult to get other work. What would happen in this case ? (2) " Your wife will get ls. Id. a day . . . 2d. for each child. . . . She can look with perfect con- fidence," &c. Is it not a fact that the woman does not get the money for four weeks? I am told on exceedingly good
authority that a large number of Reservists' wives have already had to be rescued from the workhouse. This is not a good advertisement for recruits. An ex-soldier who served in the Boer War is telling those of his own class that his wife at that time got no money for six months. However this may be, 7s. 7d. a week hardly seems adequate for a woman whose husband may have been earning 30s. or £2. Respectable men do not care to leave their families to charity. (3) " You will get ls. 3d. a day and all found and well found." Are there no deductions from this ? In any case, could it be arranged, where the man so wished, that the money, or part of it should be paid direct to the wife, whose need would be so much greater? Besides this, would it not be good policy somewhat to increase the allowance for women and children, and to pay the whole through the Post Office to the wife weekly as soon as the husband has enlisted ?—I am, Sir, &c., K. M.
[(1) Legally, neither the man nor the Government is bound beyond the period of the war, but we may feel absolutely sure that no man would be turned out of the Army against his will. (2) No. The soldier is not always good about giving addresses, &c., and the offices are much overworked, but a month's delay must very seldom occur if the soldier looks after his affairs properly. The ex-soldier in the Boer War probably omitted to give his wife's address to the proper authority. (3) There are deductions, but the soldier never touches less than a shilling a day and all found. The married man not only can, but must, assign every week 3s. 6d. of this pocket-money to his wife and family. The Soldiers' and Sailors' Families Association supplement the allowances till they reach 12s. 6d. as a minimum and £1 as a maximum except in London, where the rates are 3s. 6d. above those elsewhere. They have ample funds for this purpose, both central and local.—ED. Spectator.]
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