DEMOCRATIC BASIS FOR BRITISH ARMY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 177, 29 July 1938, Page 7

DEMOCRATIC BASIS FOR BRITISH ARMY.

SWEEPING REFORMS. Chance for Rankers Gaining Commissions. AUTOMATIC PROMOTIONS. British Official Wireless. (Received 2 p.m.) RUGBY, July 28. Far-reaching changes in conditions ot combatant Army officers, including a new time scale of promotion as the immediate result of which 2000 will receive promotion as from Mondav next, were announced by Mr. L. Hore-Belisha, Secretary for War, in the House of Commons. The changes have been made, he indicated, "to make the Army career as secure and attractive as possible.

Giving a general outline of the proposals, Mr. Hore-Belisha said a new system of direct commissioning from the ranks would be introduced in place of the present system of passing candidates from this source through Woolwich and Sandhurst to any suitable candidate whatever his means.

This was a removal of the present limitation of the number of scholarships, and it would thus be possible for any qualified candidate to obtain a completely free education at Sandhurst or Woolwich, and no charge whatever would fall upon his parents either for his keep, scholastic material, uniform or equipment.

Another feature of the proposals concerned a guaranteed continuity of service in the Army, subject to efficiency. *

The method of promotion by vacancy up to the rank of major would be abolished, and in future every subaltern would become a captain in eight years, and every captain would beconie a major in a further nine years, so that every officer entering at the normal age would be sure of approximately ten years' service in the rank of major if not previously promoted. Selection Beyond Rank of Major. Beyond the rank of major, promotion would be by selection to fill particular appointments. The system whereby officers waiting for appointments to go upon half pay would be abolished, and the tenure of command and staff appointments generally would be reduced from four vears to three.

The ages of retirement for. each rank would be lowered—general and lieuten-ant-generals, from 07 to f>o: majorgenerals, 62 to 57; colonels. 57 to 55; lieutenant-colonels, 55 to 50; majors, 50 to 47.

The effect of these proposals was to accelerate promotion aiid thereby give increased pay at lower ages, while in the subaltern ranks in the years before acceleration began to operate, there would be a substantive increase in pay, in the case of the second lieutenant by 1/ per day, and lieutenant 1/2.

A further 100 scholarships of £20 a year, tenable for three years, would be distributed annually, and thus, cumulatively, among subalterns on first commission who need this assistance. It could thus be claimed that an Army Career throughout its stages would be possible for an officer without private means.

Retired pay in future would be based on a combination of age and length of total service up to the rank of colonel inclusive, and thereafter would be at fixed rates for each rank. This was in substitution for the present system of combination of rank and service, which in each individual case made retired pay dependent in a great degree upon hazard.

These measures applied to all com: batant corps of the Army, and would come into effect on August 1. The reforms would be so brought into operation that no officer on full pay would suffer compulsory retirement as a consequence, and the reduction in tenures of command and staff appointments would not occasion displacement of any officer without a year's warning.

In general, the measures, including the new time scale of promotion and incremental stages would apply as from the ruling date to officers of the British Army on Indian establishment, and consequential adjustments of Indian rates of pay issuable to officers on Indian establishment would be decided shortly. Largest "Gazette" in History. One effect of the proposals was strikingly illustrated, Mr. Hore-Belisha said, by "the fact that in one day over one-quarter of the subalterns and captains in combatant corps of the Army would be promoted. This would involve the largest "Gazette" in the history of the Army.

In reply to a supplementary question, Mr. Hore-Belisha said the cost of the measures he had announced was estimated at about £366,000 a year, increasing to about £600,000 a year in about 20 to 25 years.