§ CAPTAIN NORTON (Newington, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he will consider the advisability of granting special facilities for promotion to commissions of those who, when serving as Militia Officers at the time that the granting of commissions without examination ceased resigned their commissions and enlisted in order to go on active service in South Africa, seeing that many of their brother officers who remained at home in the Militia obtained commissions before the close of the war without examination.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. BRODRICK, Surrey, Guildford)I am afraid that in view of the large number of supernumerary officers in the Army it will not be possible to grant any more direct commissions to any class of individuals.
§ CAPTAIN NORTONIs the right hon. Gentleman willing to grant some special facilities for these young men, who are very hardly treated?
§ MR. BRODRICKWhat does the hon. Gentleman mean by special facilities?
§ CAPTAIN NORTONA modified examination.
§ MR. BRODRICKWe cannot modify the examination. We can only give service marks.