51

A.—4a

APPENDIX C.

PROPOSALS REGARDING THE FURTHER TRAINING OF OFFICERS OF THE FORCES OF THE OVER-SEA DOMINIONS AFTER LEAVING THE STAFF COLLEGE. 1. On page 10* of the Imperial General Staff paper the following propositions are put forward, viz. :— "After graduating at a staff college, an officer should return to regimental duty with troops for a time, in order to refresh his knowledge of their wants and feelings in the light of his wider experience. This period should, if possible, be for at least 1 year's duration. " After this, officers selected as likely to be suitable for General Staff work should undergo, under the eye of the Chief of the local section of the General Staff, a probationary course of practical staff training with troops and at headquarters, during which they would be fully reported on, with regard to their fitness for the Imperial General Staff. Under present conditions this course of staff training should be carried on under the supervision of the Chief of the Imperial General Staff in London, or in India under that of the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in that country." 2. It is a question for consideration whether, in the case of officers belonging to the forces of the Over-sea Dominions, the probationary period alluded to above should not precede the return of the officer to regimental duty in his own Dominion. It has been acknowledged that, for some time to come, the higher training necessary to fit an officer for work on the General Staff must, in the case of officers from the Over-sea Dominions, be carried out at the Camberley or Quetta Staff Colleges, i.e., until the Dominions establish Staff Colleges of their own. 3. It is suggested, therefore, that after the 2-years course at the Staff College opportunity might well be taken for the attachment of these officers for 1 year to the different Directorates of the General Staff at Army Headquarters in England or India as the case may be, and also for a period to the staff in commands, where they could be initiated into the practical working of General Staff methods with troops. This probationary period might be arranged as follows : — At Headquarters under the Supervision op the Chief or the Imperial General Staff. In the Military Operations Directorate — Two months. In the Staff Duties Directorate — Two months. In the Military Training Directorate — Four months (to include attachment to the staff in a command, and attendance at manoeuvres and training, under arrangements to be made by the Director of Military Training and under the supervision of the Brigadier-General of the General Staff of the command). 4. As, moreover, it is very necessary that a prospective General Staff Officer should be given the opportunity of studying the administrative work of the Army, the officers, allowing 1 month for leave, should be attached for the remaining 3 months to the Adjutant-General's and Quarter-master-General's branches of the Staff at Army Headquarters. 5. After this probationary period, which it is submitted will greatly enhance the value of the Staff College training, the officers should return to their respective Dominions and revert to regimental duty with troops, as indicated m the extract from the Imperial General Staff paper quoted in paragraph 1 of these proposals.

APPENDIX D.

PROPOSALS REGARDING THE PROCEDURE TO BE FOLLOWED IN ARRANGING THE INTERCHANGE OF STAFF OFFICERS BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THE IMPERIAL GENERAL STAFF. On page 11* of the Imperial General Staff paper a question of the temporary interchange between officers for duty in different parts of the Empire is discussed. In the " Proposals for so organizing the Military' Forces of the Empire as to insure their effective Co-operation in the event of Var," Part 111 (page 44), the subject is further considered.

* Page 11 of [Cd. 4475.]

B—A. 4a.