The decision as to accepting or rejecting the advice of
the Staff rests with the First Sea Lord. This provision needs to be studied in connexion with the rhetorical passage quoted above as to the comprehensive brain of the War Staff. After insisting on the need of close and whole-hearted co-operation between the Naval War Staff and the General Staff of the Army, Mr. Churchill proceeds to describe the constitution of the Naval War Staff. It must be considerable in numbers, and will consist of naval officers, representing most grades and every specialist branch fresh from the sea and returning to the sea very frequently. A special course of training at the Naval War College will form an essential part of the new arrangements, and candidates will be selected from volunteers among lieutenants of suitable seniority, as well as officers of other branches throughout the service. But in all cases regular periods of sea-going executive duty will alternate with the other duties of Staff officers of all ranks. The personnel of the Staff as at first constituted will necessarily consist of officers with suitable qualifications, who will not have received the new Staff training, and the first batch of appoint- ments will be speedily announced. They and their successors will be known as "Staff officers" and will receive special allowances.
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