9

A.—4

It was considered that, if the above method was adopted, the necessity of Canadian military authorities setting alternative questions would be avoided. Canada agreed to those proposals coming into operation after the December, 1909, examination. Another point arose in December, 1909, with reference to the Army Service Corps papers in subject (g), owing to the War Office Examiner not being familiar with local conditions in Canada ; but this was subsequently arranged by sending out the papers confidentially some time beforehand, and allowing the military authorities of Canada to substitute questions for any not considered suitable for officers of the Permanent Force, employing their own examiner to set and correct the questions so substituted, and forwarding the marks allotted to the War Office. This arrangement is working satisfactorily. 1910. For the December, 1910, examination the Canadian military authorities adopted the examination paper in subhead (d) (iii) and subjects (h) and (i). No candidates took up the two latter papers. Australia. 3. On the Bth July, 1909, a despatch was received from the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, asking if the Army Council would be prepared to make the same arrangements for examining the officers of the Permanent Forces of the Commonwealth as were made in the case of the Canadian Permanent Forces. The Army Council replied, on the 26th July, 1909, that they would be very pleased to make similar arrangements, but stated that the then existing arrangement by which the President of the Canadian Examining Board was empowered to substitute questions for any not considered suitable in the papers of questions sent out from the War Office was not altogether satisfactory, and a new arrangement was under consideration. On the 6th October, 1909, a letter was forwarded through the Colonial Office, stating that the Army Council fully recognized the principles underlying the proposals of the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, that the military education of officers of the Permanent Military Forces throughout the Empire should be as far as possible assimilated. They were prepared to examine officers of the Permanent Forces of Australia in all the written examinations with certain exceptions (the conditions mentioned in letter re Canada dated the 14th October, 1909, were set forth). These conditions were accepted, and the system is working satisfactorily. New Zealand. 4. On the 20th October, 1910, a despatch was received from the High Commissioner for New Zealand asking the Army Council to forward papers for the examination of officers of the Permanent Forces of New Zealand. The Army Council replied on the 28th October, 1910, that they would be pleased to forward papers under the same conditions as appertained to Australia. No officers have yet been examined, but it is anticipated that some will attend the examination in May, 1911. On the 14th December, 1910, Colonel Heard, who had taken up his appointment as D.M.T. in New Zealand, wrote that, as the organization of the Military Forces of that Dominion will be" modelled on that in England, there was no reason why the officers of the New Zealand Permanent Forces should not take the same paper in (d) (iii) as officers at Home, and asked for reconsideration of decision of the Army Council not to set the paper in (d) (iii). As regards (h) and (i), there were no officers of the E.A.M.C. or A.V.C. The Army Council replied that they would be pleased to reconsider their decision. Examination for Tactical Fitness for Command in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. 5. In 1910 the examinations for tactical fitness for command were revised, for officers serving in the United Kingdom, whereby the paper for examination

■2—A. 4.