The Recruiting Failure The shortage of recruits for the Army
continues, despite Mr. Duff Cooper's appeals. Many ingenious explanations have been given for it, in which modern youth's decadence, and lack of patriotism and adventurousness figure largely. There are, however, more practical reasons why young and able-bodied men, even though patriotic and adven- turous, do not regard army life as attractive. The ordinary recruit receives 2s. a day, rising to 2s. 6d.; with luck he may pocket 12s. or 13s. a week aft various stoppages and deductions- have been made. He can be of no assistance to his family. He may be sent abroad without leave for six years or more. He has no very bright prospects of employment in civilian life after his period of service is over. Compared with such conditions, those of life even on the dole may well seem more attrac- tive. It would be interesting to see what effect would be produced on recruiting if some of the suggestions made by Mr. Beddington Behrens in a letter to The Times on Wednesday 'were adopted. He suggests raising the rate of-pay to 3s. per day, a grant of 5s. a week to depen- dants, increase in pay for foreign service, a free journey home once a year, a free return passage during service abroad, a guarantee of employment on diseharge after good conduct. It seems reasonable to pay men as much for fighting as you pay them for cleaning windows.
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