Modern Army Officers

the Army Reorganization Act 1920 a "general of the army" is allowed for.

the Confederate service the grades were General for army com manders, lieutenant-general for corps commanders, major-general for divisional commanders and brigadier-general for brigade commanders.

some of the characteristics of the ancient sergeant-major as a second-in-command with certain administrative duties. The junior majors command companies. In the cavalry the majors, other than the second-in-command, command squadrons; in the artillery they command batteries. In armies which have the regiment as the executive unit, majors command battalions ("wings" of cavalry, "groups" of artillery).

Lastly, the company officers (called in France and Germany, subaltern officers) are as follows:— (a) Captain (Germany and Austria all arms except cavalry, Hauptmann; cavalry, Rittmeister; in Belgium, le commandant de compagnie). In the infantry of most countries he is the com pany commander, and in the British Service a captain is also second in command of a company. Under the captain, with such commands and powers as are delegated to them, are the subal terns usually graded as : (b) Lieutenant (first lieutenant in the United States, Ober leutnant, in Germany and Austria, in Belgium le chef de peloton).

(c) Sub-lieutenant (sous-lieutenant in France, second-lieuten ant in Great Britain and the United States, Leutnant in Germany and Austria).

(d) Aspirants, or probationary young officers, not of full com missioned status.

Methods of Entry into the Regular Army.

There are two methods of obtaining admission to the cadet colleges, i.e., Royal Military academy, Woolwich, and Royal Military college, Sandhurst : By successful competition at Army entrance exam ination. (Provided they fulfil other conditions, the following enter without competition :—King's cadets, honorary King's cadets, King's India cadets, honorary King's India cadets, and pages of honour, the three latter to Royal Military college only.) (2) On the nomination of the Army Council. As to general qualifications, a candidate must be unmarried; he must also be a British subject and the son of British subjects, and of pure Euro pean descent. No candidate is accepted unless the Army Council

consider he is suitable in all respects to hold a commission in the army; must have attained the age of 18 but not 19. The Army entrance examination is conducted by the civil service commis sioners, and a fairly high standard of education is essential. All candidates for nomination sit for the competitive army entrance examination and are required to fulfil various conditions. From the 18th century warrant officers, n.c.o.'s and men have been pro moted to commissioned rank during war, but since the World War a limited number of specially selected n.c.o.'s under the age of 23 can, in peace, obtain cadetships under certain conditions.

Candidates for cadet colleges come under three headings: (i.) Those from approved schools, i.e., public or secondary schools approved by the Army Council; (ii.) Candidates recommended to the Army Council by the secretary of State for the colonies, the governors-general of the dominions and certain governors. (iii.) Certain naval officers, midshipmen and cadets recommended by the lords commissioners of the Admiralty; in such cases the upper age limit is raised to 21 years.

Cadet Colleges.

The course of instruction is designed (a) to lay the foundation of military and academic knowledge upon which the future military studies of an officer can be built, (b) to ensure that a gentleman cadet joins his unit so thoroughly ground ed in drill, weapon training, equitation and physical training as a private soldier that no further instruction of this kind is required.

Appointment to Commissions and Choice of Regiments. —Cadets on passing out receive seniority according to their places on the passing-out list. Appointment to particular regiments is governed by the existing vacancies and the requirements of the service. Subject to these conditions, cadets passing out highest receive first choice of regiments, but territorial and special family claims are also considered irrespective of position on the list.