On the same night, Mr. Stapleton made a speech which
was virtually a proposal for promotion by seniority instead of selec- tion, arguing that in Prussia only one officer in forty was pro- moted out of his turn, in order to enter a Staff protected by severe examinations. Mr. Cardwell's reply was that he dreaded pure seniority, because a Royal Commission had reported against it, and that he believed that the able men who were drawing up the scheme of selection would satisfy the Army, or at least those officers who hoped for promotion through their merits. We sup- pose that is the only answer which could be made, but it is very like the old treatment of children, " Open your mouth and shut your eyes, and see what my unnamed men of ability will send you." If we do not take care, we shall have selection by Army etiquette, which will be rather worse than selection by the will of the Commander-in-Chief.
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