§ MR. BURNIE (Swansea Town)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether it is correct that the Duke of Connaught has been appointed to the chief command of the Army at Aldershot; and, if so, on what grounds he has been selected for this important position?
§ *THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN, Stirling, &c.)General the Duke of Connaught has been selected by the Commander-in-Chief for this position on account of his fitness for its duties, and from the fact that he is practically the senior available officer. His Royal Highness is an officer of varied experience both in Regimental and Staff duties, and he has filled with credit several high 1341 positions, including that of Commander-in-Chief in Bombay.
§ MR. ALLAN (Gateshead)May I ask the right hon. Gentleman how many months in the year the Duke of Connaught was absent from his duties when in command at Portsmouth?
§ MR. DALZIEL (Kirkcaldy, &c.)Will the Duke receive the salary of a General or of a Lieutenant-General at Aldershot?
§ MR. A. C. MORTON (Peterborough)May I ask the right hon. Gentleman what he means by saying that the Duke of Connaught is "practically the senior officer" in the Army? Will he also tell us what experience the Duke of Connaught has had in real fighting?
§ *MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANWhen I said that he was practically the senior officer I meant that there were one or two General Officers senior to him, who in one sense might be available, but who at present are discharging duties from which it is not desirable that they should be removed. With regard to the pay, it will be that of a Lieutenant-General, being a Lieutenant-General's command. My hon. Friend asks me how long the Duke of Connaught remained at Portsmouth.
§ *MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANThat is another side of the same question. From domestic circumstances the Duke of Connaught's family lived out of Portsmouth; but I believe that the Duke was very little out of the district which he commanded, although he may have slept away from Portsmouth itself during some of the time he held that command. As to the last question, I forget—
§ MR. A. C. MORTONAbout fighting?
§ *MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANThe Duke of Connaught, as a glance at the Army List will show, commanded a brigade in the Egyptian Expedition, which is, I believe, the only opportunity he has had during his career of taking part in active warfare.
§ MR. A. C. MORTONWith regard to the Egyptian Expedition, will the right hon. Gentleman be good enough to 1342 say how near or how far the Duke was from the actual fighting?
§ MR. ROSS (Londonderry)Will the right hon. Gentleman say whether there is any other officer in Her Majesty's Service who has had as much experience as the Duke of Connaught in all branches of the Service?
§ *MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI would not say that there is no other officer. I have already said that the Duke of Connaught has had a most varied experience in different capacities.
§ MR. ALLANMay I ask whether it is according to the Army Regulations that a Commander-in-Chief may live away from his command?
§ *MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI am not aware what the exact Regulations are in that respect; but, as I have already explained, the Duke of Connaught did not live out of his district. He was not absent from the district in which his duties were discharged, and was constantly within a very short distance of headquarters.
§ MR. A. C. MORTONThis is so unsatisfactory that I beg to give notice that I shall call attention to the matter on the Army Estimates.