§ SIR J. FERGUSSONI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether, seeing that direct commissions are only being given to candidates from the universities of the colonies over twenty years of age, commissions are being also offered to boys at the public schools, and if such boys will be older than the cadets at the Royal Military College and Royal Military Academy; whether it is intended that such boys shall also take precedence, of the cadets who have passed into the college and academy by competition, and have received military instruction; if the Secretary of State will consider the propriety of shortening the college course of the cadets so as to save their ultimate seniority; and whether commissions have lately been given to men who had neither passed educationally by the "literary" examination nor professionally by competition, while there are many who have passed a high qualifying test but were outstripped in the competition and who have not been offered commissions, such candidates having necessarily undergone a special and expensive preparation.
MR. J. POWELL-WILLIAMS (for Mr. WYNDHAM)A few commissions are being offered to the public schools. The recipients of them will probably be a little younger than the Sandhurst and Woolwich cadets. It is impossible to further shorten the Sandhurst course, which has already been shortened by six months. A few commissions have been given to candidates specially qualified who have not passed the tests referred to. It has already been explained that in the pressing need for more officers exceptional measures have had to be adopted.
§ SIR J. FERGUSSONMay I ask whether, during the Crimean War, cadets were not allowed to pass an examination in one half the usual time in order to fill the ranks of the Army, and, also, whether it is not the case that men who failed in the competitive examination of the Royal Military Colleges are actually receiving commissions in preference to cadets now serving there?
MR. J. POWELL WILLIAMSI should be glad, as this is an historical question, if my right hon. friend would kindly put it on the Paper.
§ SIR J. FERGUSSONThe second question is not an historical question.
§ *MR. SPEAKERI think the right hon. Gentleman had better give notice.
§ SIR J. FERGUSSONI beg to give notice that I shall call attention to this matter on the Estimates.
§ SIR john COLOMB (Great Yarmouth)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether the military authorities will consider the claims of cadets at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, to receive commissions in the Royal Field Artillery before appointing direct to that arm of the service those who have not had the advantage of any instruction at that establishment.
MR. J. POWELL-WILLIAMS (for Mr. WYNDHAM)Half the commissions given to the outgoing batch of cadets from the Academy will be for Field Artillery. It is desirable that the Garrison Artillery should have the remainder, and not be deprived of officers who have had the benefit of the education at the Academy.