HC Deb 19 May 1909 vol 5 c535W
Mr. REES

asked the Secretary of State for "War how many officers in the Army are qualified as Russian interpreters; and how many are employed in appointments in which a knowledge of the Russian language is essential or advantageous?

Mr. HALDANE

The number of officers including the Indian Army qualified as interpreters in Russian is 132. Of these at the present time 18 are employed in appointments where a knowledge of Russian is essential, and three where such knowledge is advantageous. The peace requirements of the Army in the matter of interpreters is necessarily much smaller than the war requirements.