In reply to some hostile criticisms by Lord Glasgow, and
some friendly questions by Lord Spencer, Lord Selborne made a long and important statement in reference to the Admiralty Memorandum in the Lords on Friday week. In defending the system of comprehensive training, Lord Selborne contended that as the most important thing on board a modern battle- ship is the machinery, the most important officers should be trained in engineering. " So far from it being derogatory to an executive officer to learn engine-room work, he is only com- pleting the education necessary for a combatant officer." As regarded the immediate effect of the new scheme, the number of applications proved that liability to serve in one branch or the other had not in the least degree acted as a deterrent. Touching on the interchangeability of the engineering and executive branches, Lord Selborne said that no decision had yet been come to, but he fully believed and hoped that they would be made interchangeable, that engineers as a special branch would disappear altogether, and that specialised engineers would only be known by the letter " E " after their name. Once the amalgamation was consummated, the question whether an officer who had passed on to the flag-list after specialising as an engineer would be entrusted with the command of a squad. ron at sea would simply depend on whether or not he was qualified for such command.
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