All the Sea Lords will have occasion, in the discharge
of their duties, to recur to the War Staff for general information, but the War Staff must work at all times directly under the First Sea Lord. It will be organized in three divisions : the Intelligence Department, dealing with war information; the Operations Division, dealing with war plans ; and the Mobil- ization Division, dealing with war arrangements. The divi- sions will he equal in status, each under a Director and combined together under a Chief of the Staff, who will be a Flag officer primarily responsible to the First Sea Lord, and working under him as his principal assistant and agent. He will, when desired, accompany the First Lord and the First Sea Lord to the Committee of Imperial Defence. The fume tions of the War Staff, it is expressly stated. will be advisory. The Chief of the Staff, when decision has been taken upon any proposal, will be jointly responsible with the Secretary for the precise form in which the necessary orders to the Fleet are issued, but the Staff will possess no executive authority and discharge no administrative duties.
Previous page
