THE LORD ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURYMy Lords, in venturing to ask His Majesty's Government what is at present the proportion of chaplains to men actually serving with the Expenditionary Force, I am anxious to make clear that I do not do so as a mere matter of statistical curiosity nor with a desire to make any complaint against the War Office, who have from the first shown a full consideration of the importance of, from their view, an adequate supply of chaplains; still less do I want to complain of the action in this matter of the Chaplain General, who had extended throughout the utmost considerateness and courtesy to all the inquiries we have made.
The reason I put the Question is this. I and many other Bishops continue to receive private letters from officers and men at the Front who complain in general terms, 75 not officially of course, that there is a strange absence of an adequate supply of chaplains at a time when chaplains are most wanted. They say that in some places there are practically no chaplains at all, and they contrast the position of members of other Churches with their own as members of the Church of England. An enormous percentage—something like 70 per cent. or more—of the men in all ordinary regiments belong to the Church of England, and the supply of chaplains in proportion to the men is supposed by many of those who write to us to be very much more ample in the case of those who are not members of the Church of England than it is in the case of those who are. I find it difficult to form any opinion on matters of that kind in the absence of a full statistical statement of what is, as a matter of fact, the number of chaplains at present assigned to the troops in proportion to the number of men serving, and it is in order to have those facts quite clearly before us that I ask this Question. When we have the figures and are able to see what the Government consider the proper number, we shall be able to judge whether the complaints which have been made are justified; and I should probably desire, if necessary, to raise the question again on the basis of the information which will then be furnished to us.
I should like to say that the testimony has been universal as to the appreciation of the services of our chaplains, and I think many of your Lordships must be aware that a good many of those who are now serving are anxious that there should be a larger number in the field of men who, at a time such as the present, are called for day and night—it is a constant requirement—and whose services in such conditions have been appreciated to the full. I should be glad if we might at least have the statistical facts which will enable us to judge whether or not the complaints which reach us seem to be well-founded.
§ LORD NEWTONMy Lords, it is not considered desirable by the War Office to state the exact proportion of chaplains to the men actually serving with the Expeditionary Force, as this would disclose the actual number of troops in France. But as regards the number of chaplains I am able to supply the most rev. Primate with the following particulars. The number of chaplains of the different denominations who had been posted up to the 12th of June (including Canadian chaplains and chaplains of the Indian Establishment) was as follows:—Church of England, 213; Roman Catholic, 96; Presbyterians, 55; Wesleyans, 34; United Board (including Congregationalists, Primitive Methodists, and others), 27; making a total of 425. The establishment is four chaplains to each Infantry Brigade, comprising one Church of England, one Roman Catholic, and one Presbyterian or Nonconformist, and in addition one of the predominating denomination. One chaplain is also allowed for the Divisional Troops of each Division. There are three chaplains also with each General and Stationary Hospital and Casualty Clearing Station. The present establishment of chaplains was arrived at as a result of a conference held at General Headquarters between the military authorities and the representatives of the various religious denominations. Perhaps I ought to add that the particulars which I have given apply only to the Expeditionary Force in France.