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338 one class to another before the regulation period in each class has elapsed. I recall a case in which a chaplain's services had been so meritorious that he was promoted in a short time from the third class to the first, thus skipping one class entirely.”

“Of course, you are aware, Dr Edghill, that difficulty is experienced in different parts of the country in obtaining the requisite number of clergy. The dearth of curates has become quite a serious matter. Will you tell me whether that difficulty is shared with regard to chaplains in the Army?”

“No; there is no difficulty in getting chaplains. There are hundreds of applicants for vacancies, principally from Oxford and Cambridge men, and they undergo careful examination before being selected. Our chaplains have been insufficient in number. Mr Brodrick, the Secretary of State for War, has generously given us twelve additional ones; and it is an instalment for which the Church owes him a debt of gratitude, The power of appointment rests with the Chaplain-General, who is responsible to Church and State. It need hardly be said we endeavour to get the best men for such responsible work, and certainly no political or other influence has had any weight in the appointments.”

“In reply to an earlier question, you mentioned the relative strength of the Church and the various Nonconformist bodies in the Army. How many