Page:Blackwood's Magazine volume 137.djvu/44

38 We have already explained that the old plan of a fluctuating establishment of generals was replaced in 1854 by a fixed establishment. In 1877, in pursuance of the recommendations of Lord Penzance's Commission, all general officers were retired on attaining the age of seventy – the fixed establishment of generals, which was then considerably reduced, thus becoming much more of an effective list. The establishment was still further reduced by the Royal Warrant of June 1881, which brought it down to reasonable dimensions and some sort of relation to the actual wants of the army, while at the same time the age for retirement was fixed at sixty-two for major-generals, and sixty-seven for the two senior grades. The reduction of strength might with advantage be carried still further. There appears no reason why the establishment of generals should be in excess of the number of commands to be filled by them, any more than that there should be an excess of captains or any other rank beyond the requirements of the service. It may be objected that the establishment is not actually in excess, because many of those on the active list are not really fit for active command, either from infirmity or want of previous training. This, however, is simply to say that the system is not properly worked. Even if the characters of all officers were not perfectly well known to the army, as they might be to the authorities who have to deal with the selection of colonels for promotion, the confidential reports upon officers would afford, if they are properly made, a perfect means of regulating promotion to important rank in the army. These reports are now prepared with a degree of detail which the public generally have little notion of. It is true that in many cases they are filled up in a perfunctory way, but this is just because so little use is made of them. If inspecting officers knew that their confidential reports would be decisive in regulating the promotions of the officers reported on, they would take more care in the preparation of them; but as a matter of fact these reports at present go for very little. Officers who are notoriously incompetent for the command of a battalion, from infirmities of temper or physical or mental unfitness, are nevertheless, when their turn comes, promoted just like everybody else; and although a show of selection has lately been introduced as to filling up vacancies in these appointments, as well as in the list of major-generals, the thing is not carried nearly far enough: whenever an exception is made, it creates so much excitement as to show how seldom the rule of seniority is departed from. There should be no difficulty in securing that none but competent officers shall be promoted to the establishment of generals; and more frequent resort to selection would undoubtedly commend itself to the army, as it would to the public. An officer should not rise to general as a matter of course: unless thoroughly competent, he should not get beyond the rank of colonel. And if in this way the list were made a really effective one, then promotion to major-general should be made, not to a fixed establishment which bears no particular relation to the number of commands to be filled, but to a vacant brigade or equivalent appointment, just as the promotion of any junior officer is made. The establishment of major-generals would then consist of just so many as there are holding commands or who have completed their term of office; these latter, if re-