§ Lord CLAUD HAMILTONasked the Under-Secretary for War whether, although the War Office official book, called War Establishment, lays down that the war establishment of a divisional train of the Army Service Corps consists of one colonel, two majors, and at least seven captains, etc., he is aware that for many months prior to 18th May the 4th divisional train at the front had no major and only two captains; and whether, therefore, seven lieutenants have been performing duties of a higher rank than their own and will receive the pay and temporary rank of captain, in accordance with the official announcement; and whether appointments to such temporary rank will be antedated, with a view to the avoidance of the injustice of officers of six months' service being passed over by their juniors from home without practical experience in the field, as the new divisional trains come out nearly up to war establishment, with the result that many of the new arrivals hold rank higher than that of officers who were at the front before some of the new officers had received their first commissions?
§ Mr. TENNANTIt is impossible to apply identically the same system to Army Service Corps units as is applicable to a regiment of Cavalry or a battalion of Infantry. Promotion must necessarily run throughout the whole of that corps, or else considerable injustice will occur owing to various causes which cannot be foreseen. Promotions amongst the officers who have been temporarily commissioned in the Army Service Corps are made by selection, and the Noble Lord will see from the "London Gazette" of the 20th May that 350 such promotions have recently been made. These promotions are carried out in accordance with the recommendations received from the Commanders-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Forces Overseas.