§ Commander WEDGWOODasked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will make inquiries of the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Mesopotamia, as to allegations of ill-feeling between the civilian Inland Water Transport people and the Royal Indian Marine, on the ground that the latter get the good posts ashore and all the promotion instead of doing their natural work on the sea?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONThere are no civilians in Mesopotamia employed with the Inland Water Transport, which is a section of the Royal Engineers. When the War Office assumed full local control of the river transport in September, 1916, officers of the Royal Indian Marine were given the option of being seconded for service with the Inland Water Transport, Royal Engineers, or of returning to their duties with the Royal Indian Marine in India; and with one or two exceptions all the Royal Indian Marine joined the Inland Water Transport. One or two civilians were at one time engaged locally on barge re-erection, but there is no evidence of any ill-feeling having existed.