A.—4a

44

PAET 111.

Proposals for the Development of the Imperial General Staff. 1. His Majesty's Government, in December, 1908, submitted to the Governments of the Over-sea' Dominions proposals in regard to the formation of an Imperial General Staff. These proposals have now been accepted in principle. Local conditions in each Dominion are so dissimilar, and differ so widely from those which obtain at home, that it is felt that, having accepted the principles, it now lies with the Governments over-sea to take the next step, and to put forward the proposals they advocate for giving practical effect to the scheme in their respective countries. 2. Attached as an appendix to this paper (marked A.) will be found summaries of the proposals recommended by the Canadian Government, and of a memorandum written by Major-General Hoad, Inspector-General, Commonwealth Military Forces, with General Sir William Nicholson's comments thereon. Major-General Hoad's memorandum has, however, not yet been considered by the Government of Australia. It is hoped, however, that these summaries may serve as a basis for an examination of the problem, and that by discussing the proposals, and considering the essential details by which practical effect may be given to the principles already enunciated, both the home and the over-sea Governments may be enabled to assist each other towards the common end, which is the formation and growth of an Imperial General Staff, and its establishment on a firm and business-like footing. 3. It will be noticed that education is the keynote of both the proposals— not only that higher education at a Staff College which is essential if the Imperial General Staff is to be composed of a body of officers trained to think alike on all matters of principle, but the preliminary education, by which officers can be so grounded and prepared as to be able to profit by the Staff College training when their time comes to be selected to go through the course at Camberley or Quetta, or, in the future, at the local Staff Colleges. 4. The necessity for both preparatory and higher education is so apparent that its importance need not be further insisted upon, but the manner in which it should be conducted is just one of those essential details which requires the closest attention of the Conference. It is suggested that the home authorities may be able to assist the Over-sea Dominions in this connection by the loan of qualified officers, should their Governments —as in the case of Canada —require help in the staffing of their educational establishments until they possess sufficient qualified instructors of their own. 5. Intimately connected with the subject of the loan of officers from the Home Eegular Forces to the Over-sea Dominions is the question of the temporary interchange between officers for General Staff duties in different parts of the Empire. .^ It is a question which needs consideration from the following points of view : — (1.) The fitness of the officers proposed for exchange in respect of the duties they will be required to perform. (2.) The financial aspect. (3.) The most satisfactory way of commissioning officers in order to give them the necessary status and authority. (4.) The determining of the authority with whom shall rest the proposals for the interchanges. (1.) In regard to the first pomt — This is mainly a matter of education. Some years must necessarily elapse before the forces of the Over-sea Dominions can count on having in their ranks a number of officers whose General Staff training will enable them to interchange on terms of professional equality with those of the Home Regular Army.

Proposals for Imperial General Staff accepted in principle by Over-sea Dominions.

Summaries of Canadian and Australian proposals.

Preliminary and higher education.

Loan of qualified offioers by home authorities for educational establishments in Dominions.

Interchange of General Staff Offioers for duty in different parts of the Empire. Points for consideration