rs.] This is not an extravagant proposal, or anything in the nature
of a bribe. A shilling a day is their pay. [An Honorable Member--1s.
3d.] I am speaking in round figures; we will call it a shilling. Then if
we take the value of what we may roughly call the board and lodging of a
soldier receiving 1s. a day when accommodated in barracks and price that
at 2s., I do not think you are putting it extravagantly high. We think
that these men who have come forward to join the colors and have been
actually enrolled, and are, in fact, members of the regular army, for
whom we cannot make immediate provision by way of accommodation, should
be no worse off than they would be if they were actually in barracks. I
believe the provision of that 3s. a day for these men will put them in
a position in which they are entitled to say that they have not been
prejudiced or penalized by their patriotic desires.

_Mr. Lawson_ (Mile End, Opp.)--And their return railway fares?

_An Honorable Member--_And their separation allowances?

_Mr. Asquith_--The separation allowance does not begin, but as the
honorable member has interjected that phrase I will add--because
honorable members generally have been very good in not pressing us in
regard to the separation allowances to soldiers who are actually
serving--that that matter is receiving our daily and constant
consideration, and I hope before the session comes to an end to be able
to make a further announcement. But it does not arise with regard to
this vote. Having made that defense, if defense were needed--I do not
think it was--having made that statement of what has actually been done
by the War Office in these very anxious days, and also having indicated
that in those two important respects we are endeavoring to facilitate
the process of recruitment and to remove any possibility of hardship,
either to the individual recruit or to recruits collectively, I hope the
committee will agree to pass a vote for another 500,000 men. I am
perfectly certain if they do so the response will be no less keen--keen
in spirit--and no less ample in scale than it has been in the days which
have just gone by.

An Army of 1,200,000.

We shall then be in a position, as is apparent from the figures I have
already read, to put something like--I am not giving exact
figures--something like 1,200,000 men in the field.

_Mr. Long_ (Strand)--Does that include the Indians?

_Mr. Asquith_--No, it is entirely