§ 103. Mr. PARTINGTONasked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he is aware that attacks are being made upon 1719 the officers of the Officers' Training Corps; whether there are any grounds for these attacks; and whether he can state what is now the position of officers of such corps?
§ Mr. TENNANTYes, Sir, I have seen the attacks upon these officers in some irresponsible journals. Officers of the Officers' Training Corps have been allowed to leave their contingents only in cases where, in the opinion of the Army Council, the efficiency of the corps would not suffer by their absence. Those of these officers who are unmarried and of military age are liable to service under the Military Service Act if they have not already signed the Imperial Service obligation. I may state that a large number of officers of the Officers' Training Corps have already seen active service, and a considerable proportion of them have been killed or wounded. The officer who has remained with his contingent is doing as good work for the country in training the future junior officers for the Army as he would be doing if serving with a unit of the Service or Reserve unit in the field, and all right-minded persons and responsible journals will, I am sure, utterly disapprove of the attacks being made on these officers by uninformed and irresponsible people.