11

A.—4

As a result of this Committee's recommendations, it is proposed that all applications for the attachment of officers for instructions, &c, should be addressed by High Commissioners to the Secretary, War Office, in the first instance. The branch of the War Office concerned will then advise upon such attachments and draw up the necessary programmes. Arrangements with schools of instruction and commands will be made by the War Office, and High Commissioners will be notified accordingly. On the completion of a course of instruction a report of each officer will be rendered by the War Office to the Government concerned, through the prescribed channel of correspondence. 2. As the Government of India have concurred generally in the proposals made in the memorandum on loans, attachments, interchanges, &c, it is presumed that similar arrangements will be made in the case of officers of the Dominion Forces sent to India to undergo courses of instruction in that country. 3. With reference to paragraph 9 of the memorandum on the subject of loans, attachments, and interchanges, in order that a suitable programme of work may be drawn up for the instruction of attached or interchanged officers of the self-governing Dominions, it is desirable that the War Office should be informed as to what duties such officers will be required to perform on return to their own countries. To enable suitable programmes to be drawn up for each individual, such information should be furnished when the application is submitted for the attachment or interchange, in addition to the information specified in the above-mentioned paragraph. 4. It should be borne in mind that in the United Kingdom the year is divided into two periods for training purposes. The first period, " individual training," consists of the four winter months, November, December, January, and February, and is primarily employed in the individual training of all ranks to enable them to take their places in their units. The second period, " collective training," lasts from the Ist March to the 31st October. The latter period is devoted to perfecting the training of units to enable them to take their places in the higher formations of the Army, and to training these formations themselves. It commences with squadron, battery, or company training, which is followed by training in the next highest formation, and so on until it culminates in combined training of all arms in manoeuvres or tactical exercises. It is therefore recommended that all attachments and interchanges should be so arranged as to enable officers to obtain the advantage to be derived from a progressive course of training. 5. In the case of officers of the self-governing Dominions sent Home on the interchange system, it should be observed that these officers temporarily fill definite positions in the Home Army, for which they receive certain rates of pay. The duties and responsibilities appertaining to these positions, whatever they may be, are definitely fixed. It is therefore difficult to arrange a suitable programme of instruction for them without disorganizing to some extent the training of the unit to which they are posted on interchange. In the case of attached officers this is not the case, as they are supernumerary to the establishment, and they can therefore be spared to attend such courses, &c, as may be deemed fit, without interfering with the unit to which they may be attached. (Conclusion.) The Committee consider that the arrangements made are satisfactory. ,(E.) —The Terms upon which Inspector-General of the Oversea Forces could be invited if the Dominion Governments so desire. The following memorandum by the General Staff was laid before the Committee : — In considering arrangements for the inspection of the forces of the selfgoverning Dominions it is understood that such inspections can only take place on the invitation of the Governments concerned.

3—A. 4,