PRIVATES AND COMMISSIONS.
" SPECTATOR.")
SIR,—Your correspondent on the subject of commissions for
men serving in the ranks does not seem to be aware of the Memo. issued by the Army Council on July 24th last, front " A large proportion of those whom the Army Council consider
if not to stave off, the coming peril. Happily it can never be to be the most suitable candidates for commissions are now serving written of Britain that she failed to answer the call " when in the ranks of the now armies—reserve units and units of the the hour came." She did not fail. T.F. It is not in the public interest that such candidates should Let it—now—never have to be written of Britain that, having continue to serve in the ranks when they can be placed under once put her hand to the task, she fainted on the way. For if we training as officers, provided that the efficiency of a Unit is not
impaired by the withdrawal from its ranks of any large number of
Imperial death ; we shall fail for ever. For, to sum the whole "In the case of a Unit which has attracted into its ranks an matter up, we either win this war "out-and-out," or we go under extensive number of potential officers it is all the more necessary and become (in Sir Edward Grey's historic phrase) "the con- that steps should be taken to release suitable candidates for script appanage"—mark the word "conscript"—of Germany for commissions as soon as practicable."
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