§ COLONEL ALEXANDERasked the Secretary of State for War, If he can state why Officers who have not passed the final Staff College Examination are appointed to the Staff contrary to the Queen's Regulations and to the detriment of those who have qualified in every respect?
§ MR. CHILDERSThe hon. and gallant Gentleman's Question contains two assumptions—first, that officers have been appointed to the Staff contrary to the Queen's Regulations; and, secondly, that those Regulations require that officers appointed to the Staff should have gone through the Staff College. In this he is mistaken, as, by the Regulations, an officer may be appointed to the general Staff of the Army if he be "of proved ability on the Staff in the field." I know of no officer on the general Staff of the Army below the rank of lieutenant colonel who does not fulfil these conditions. The Regulation does not apply to officers of higher rank.
§ COLONEL ALEXANDERgave Notice that he would take an early opportunity of calling attention to a recent violation of the rules governing the appointment of officers to the Staff of the Army.