APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15486, 13 January 1916, Page 7

APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS.

—4 ■ STATEMENT BY HON. JAMES ALLEN. ■ (.S£ECIAZi TO "THE• MESS.".)/' . V\ ELLINGTON, January 12.Some remarks on the appointment j. of officers to the Reinforcements from Sv the Territorial forces were ■ mado by Sjr; uio IX>feuco Minister to-d'ay. Mr w- Alien rei erred especially to uio rule » which makes it' possible for young men to got commissions in the Reinforcemoits by serving as commissioned offiv.... cers in tho Cadets or Territorials lor ... six months. "A\o are not drawing very largely fiom tho Territorials now for our t, junior officers," said Sir Allen, '-'and - 1 think that the present restrictions - on the appointment of- commissioned 5,-Hiofficers will have to be extended. : The 'jz six months' probation as a Territorial officer is, in my opinion, rather too short a time. I approved of tho 1 original scheme by wtiich we brought in real Territorial officers who had |, served as such, but I have pretty conV - siderablo doubt about officers coming - to?-tw now through the Senior Cadeo and Territorial ranks with only . sir T JEWths' service. I must say that I like,-: our - own scheme of promoting Wen through tho non-commissionea Wo aro trying now also to Wako to secure some commissions for returned soldiers who govbqck to tho front with, the Remare asking the U.O.Criri Egypt to alter the rules in this respect."

.;CoMsnssioxs and returned ,"V'4*'. SOLDIERS.

.' editor ok "the press.' • notice a letter in toUaue of your paper referring to -"i"'v™}® fact that non-commissioned officers Jiave returned from the fighting, St.'. ■ tl ?o- are not given equal opportunity ; non-commissioned officers who ■, Z®. nowiy joined"tho force. &K sais seem s to be oither. a wrong in* iU "ternretation of somo "regulation, or a \_? a deliberate attempt to induce tho new LA to join tho force at tho expense - - of the men who have been iu the thick . ,of the fight, and learned, to be a solv, 'J» e r by experience, and not by instruc- \ ' tion book. • . , &>' ». '^'? lon § returned soldiers can i-, tie found many whose sole disappointanent is-that they are not allowed to • obtain, commissions on an equal footing • ' ? l u W mell - and .the fact tliat they saTe5 aTe . through -practical warfare aas not innaenced tne authorities to give them preference. . Cases have arisen in which many " T5 commissions left with the ' °T y , ae , Plates, because the? Htn j 1 bo lieutenants. Imagine xl 6 ?J cli mon when the? ' IfnSL k tho V vl l 1 ret,lr n to tho front a ma -n". M never seen active it not render our ■ ♦Sltl fr T'i * grcator service to give y- thnv + - rl fl G 4 Promotion where due, P-"" »+ a J°i a^e em with ginger-beer S- at a welcome socical?—Yours, etc., b ,w T COUNTRYMAN. || lenmka, January 12th, 1016.