THE RECONSTITUTION OF THE BRITISH ARMY

Dunstan Times, Issue 510, 26 January 1872, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE RECONSTITUTION OF THE BRITISH ARMY

The Queen’s warrant for the re-or-ganisation of the Army, lias been recently published, and henceforth the only qualifications for promotion will be merit and military enterprise. Competitive examination ii the main avenue through which an officer will have to enter upon his career ; bnt provision is likewise made for the admission of a certain number of the students from the Universities who have undergone a superior intellectual training, as well as of officers from the Militia, while the sous of military men of eminence wi-1 have their admission facilitated as Queen’s or Indian cadets, and the private soldier may also obtain the rank of commanding officer if he evinces the requisite capacity Ea/'h of these classes will have to undergo a preparatory examination, parsing which the candidate will take the rank of sub-lieu-tenant on probation. He will have to serve with a regiment for one year, and for another year occupy himself in study at a military college. Shou d he at the end of three years fail to qualify himself for his commission as full lieutenant he will be removed from the service ; moral, physical, or intellectual unfitness will likewise disqualify him These provisions can hardly fail to popularise the army, and secure for it an efficient statf of officers, seeing that patronage, jobbing and favouritism are at an end.