The Chronicle PUBLISHED DAILY. LEV UNTUESDAY. JANUARY 5, 1915. WIDOWS 0F THE WAR.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 5 January 1915, Page 2

The Chronicle PUBLISHED DAILY. LEV UNTUESDAY. JANUARY 5, 1915. WIDOWS 0F THE WAR.

Attiniion Jias hvvn drawn to tile new ' i-c-aie of al!<iuauces to the wives of Britiih .sukiiers uii active service. Whilo the new arrangement wa.s Hindi more geno-roiis than tlie one that it superseded, notiiiiig lias been done to prove the lot of the widows of the war. A woman with throe children living in London would receive 23s (3d weekly, while .her husband wa.s- on service, but il' ln> were killed her allowance would at once becoino a pension of 9s fid! Tho fear of leaving their families so ill-provided for, no doubt prevented the •enlistment of many men. Happily the Government has recognised the necessity for rating more generously and justly under the new scale of pensions. A widow with lour children w iU receive a minimum of 20« po-rweek .:n----slead of__lls_;__with_,.*iiree children 17$ "TnTTiistead of 9s 6'd; witli two children instead of 8s; with one child 2s 6d, instead of (is (id, and a widow without children 7e 6d, instead of ss. Additional allowances will be given in cases of necessity by the Admiralty or War Office, after considering the recoiunieiidations of the loca.l Old Age Pension Committee acting under regulations to be made for the purpose. The scale of pensions for partial or total disablement have also bean raised. An actuarial report shows that if the war lasts a year the State's total iability under the revised schemes .vill be 99 millions; if it last two years 202 millions. THE GERMAN FLEET. .IThe Czar's fleet is playing a part' in the naval campaign even at this stage because its existence placas a severe restraint upon the German forces. Whci the new ships now Hearing oomplotL , :! in tho Russian yards are ready, it will do more. "It is in the presence of the Russian fleet," says a navil writer, "that we find the explanation of flu reluctance of Germany to risk her batti© fleet in a great sea. fight 'n tho North Sea, for if that fight went against her the Russo-British fleet would domrin'c the Baltic, and with the lialtic thellot;u t ; northern seaboard of the German Empire. As long as the German battle fleet is unscathed we dare not risk sondieg a naval force into the Baltic strong enough k> meet the fleet which Germany could pour through the Kiel Canal; conversely. Germany can scarcely risk a fleet action in the North Sea with this considerable and growing Rufcisian force in her rear."