§ MR. CROMBIE (Kincardineshire)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he will explain on what grounds Mr. G. D. Baillie-Hamilton, late of the Royal Garrison Regiment, has been promoted captain to the Royal Scots over the heads of nineteen officers who have had longer service in the Army than he has, and eleven of whom have had two or three years active service in South Africa, whilst he was in Africa only for the last four months of the war.
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTEROn the reduction of the Garrison Regiment, the Army Council decided to offer to certain captains and all lieutenants and second lieutenants transfer to the Line as juniors of their rank in the corps to which transferred. Every effort was made to ensure that captains so transferred should be either senior in total service or older than the senior lieutenants of the corps to which transferred. This officer was promoted captain before transfer, and is considerably older than the senior lieutenant in the Royal Scots.
§ MR. CROMBIEHad not the senior lieutenant nearly double this officer's service?
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER; I think it would be better if questions with regard to the promotion of individual officers were referred to the commanding officer or to the War Office.