Mr. DENNISSasked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the fact that Salvation Army officers are working as chaplains with the Australian, New Zealand, Canadian, and South African troops, and of the services they have rendered in that capacity, he will appoint Salvation Army chaplains to some of the British battalions?
§ Mr. FORSTERI assume that the hon. Gentleman refers to the British troops in France. The matter is one of practical difficulty. Chaplains are appointed as required to meet the needs of the troops. These are ascertained on a rough-and-ready basis by the declarations of the men as to the denominations to which they belong, and the difficulty in meeting the needs of the Salvationists lies in the fact that they are spread in small numbers over the whole of the Armies. Steps have been taken to allow a prominent member of the Salvation Army, who was employed with the Australian and New Zealand troops in Egypt and Gallipoli, to visit France shortly. The visit will take place as soon as he is in a position to suggest a date.