Modern Army Officers

Promotion from the Ranks in Time of War.

On active service soldiers are promoted to commissioned rank direct from private, n.c.o. rank or warrant officer rank "for service in the field." In such cases they are not required to pass any examina tion. In addition to this type of war-time promotion from the ranks, there are cadet schools to which promising n.c.o.'s are sent for a course of instruction at home, usually lasting six months. Successful students are granted commissions into regiments where their services are required. Any soldier who shows ability has, therefore, an opportunity of rising to commissioned rank, and though he may not have a field-marshal's baton in his knapsack, he has a splendid opportunity of commanding a company and even a battalion. Quartermasters and equivalent grades are invariably promoted from the ranks, and such promotion only comes at the end of many years of faithful service.

Physical training is compulsory in all primary schools and forms part of the curriculum of the great majority of secondary schools. The military preparation of the youth of France may, therefore, be said to commence at the age of seven to ten, accord ing to whether a boy goes to a primary or secondary school, and is continued up to the time of incorporation in the army. Up to the age of 15 the training is chiefly of a physical nature, but from 16 onwards his education in definitely military subjects is under taken in addition. Military preparation is arranged in two degrees, for each of which certificates are granted to those successful in the respective tests and examinations. The certificat de prepara tion militaire is the lower of the two, and the tests entailed are such as will enable those successful therein rapidly to become efficient soldiers on joining the colours. The brevet de preparation militaire superieure (B.P.M.S.) is the higher, and successful corn petitors are qualified to join one of the special units for the train ing of prospective reserve officers. In addition to these two certifi cates there are certain brevets de specialite or special diplomas, which may be obtained by individuals who care to specialize in various branches of training, and are designed especially to at tract young men of intelligence to become officers of the reserve.

Cadet Colleges.

(a) The Ecole Speciale Militaire at St. Cyr, founded by Napoleon in i8o8, situated close to Versailles. It trains candidates for appointment to commissions in the infantry, colonial infantry, cavalry, tanks and aviation of the active army and prospective reserve officers for the infantry and colonial in fantry. Entrance to the college is by competitive examination,

which may be taken by candidates of not less than 18 years of age, and not more than 2 2 on Dec. 31 preceding the examination. Candidates for examination must be in possession of the certificate of the baccalaureat secondaire, obtained by passing an examination comparable with the Oxford and Cambridge local examinations.

Choice of Arms by Candidates.

An annual decree enumer ates the units in which vacancies will exist for those successfully passing out of St. Cyr. This is communicated to the candidates on the occasion of the oral part of the examination for entrance to the college who submit to the president of the board their wishes as to the arm in which they prefer to serve. The duration of the course is, normally, two years. The subjects taught are similar to those of the Royal Military college, Sandhurst.

(b) The Ecole Polytechnique, Paris, established in and, although under the War Ministry, is not designed exclusively for the training of candidates for the army. The conditions of entry are similar to those of St. Cyr. The course lasts two years. A greater number of non-military subjects are taught than at St. Cyr. Successful students are given their choice of appointments existing in the various public services for which the course qualifies them. Those who do not succeed in obtaining an appointment in the army or navy, and those who select an appointment in the services other than the army or navy, are compelled to perform one year of service as second lieutenants of the reserve.

(c) The St. Cyr Marocain.—At the end of 1918 Marshal Lyautey created a Corps of Moroccan officers, recruited from amongst the elite belonging to the best class in Morocco, so that the Goums, tirailleurs and spahis should have officers in com mand of them endowed with that prestige which belongs to those bearing a name which the traditions of the country asso ciate with the sans of leading Arab chiefs. In June 1919 was formed the first "promotion" of 11 students. These officers are confirmed in their native rank in the same way as other Tunisian or Algerian officers. North African officers, however, are always promoted in separate lists to French officers, and cannot rise above the rank of captain.