§ 57. Sir BERTRAM FALLEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty why under the new scheme of promotion to commissioned rank for lower-deck ratings sub lieutenants so promoted on being con firmed and sent to big ships will be messed in the ward-room mess and not the gun-room mess in the same way as Dartmouth College entries?
§ The FIRST LORD of the ADMIRALTY (Mr. A. V. Alexander)The Board decided, after carefully considering the merits of these alternatives, that it would be in the best interest of sub-lieutenants promoted from the lower deck that they should enter the ward-room at once rather than the gun-room.
§ Sir B. FALLEWill the right hon. Gentleman give any reason? He has only given an excuse.
§ Mr. ALEXANDERThe reason is, as I have said, that it is in the best interests of these sub-lieutenants. In the future the men promoted from the lower deck will take the rank of sub-lieutenant and will already have spent two terms at Greenwich on the same basis as Dartmouth entry sub-lieutenants; and it-seems unreasonable to send them back to the gun-room with midshipmen, who are much younger.