§ 34. Colonel YATEasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether, considering that officers of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force all drew full pay while prisoners of war, and that the scale of pay of officers of the Air Force was in some cases even higher than that of the Indian Army, he will state why officers of the Indian Army should have been alone deprived of half their staff allowance after the first two months of captivity?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the WAR OFFICE (Sir A. Williamson)I am afraid that I can add nothing to the previous replies on this subject.
§ Colonel YATEDoes that mean that the reward of these men for their heroic defence of Kut is that they are to be deprived of half of their staff pay?
§ Sir A. WILLIAMSONNo. It simply means that the Indian officers receive a higher rate of pay than British officers, and I see no reason in justice why they should be given treatment substantially better than that given to British Army officers while they are prisoners of war.