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Lastly, there remains the question of the flag. With regard to this, the Admiralty earnestly desire that the flag to be flown in all the Dominion fleet units should be the White Ensign together with the Dominion flag on the jackstaff, the ships of the Royal Navy flying the White Ensign with the Union Jack on the jackstaff.

(Signed)

R. B. D. ACLAND.

A. E. BETHELL.

W. GRAHAM GREENE. G. II. REID.

P.S.-The question of the flag is reserved for the decision of the respective Governments.

G. H. R.

(Initialled)

January 31, 1911.

Appendix V.

MILITARY (GENERAL STAFF) SUBJECTS TO BE DISCUSSED

AT THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE, 1911.

Memorandum by the War Office.

IMPERIAL GENERAL STAFF.

1. Papers laying down the principles of Imperial and Local Defence, and of organisation, have been considered at the Conferences which have already taken place. In addition, papers on the formation of the Imperial General Staff and on the arrangement of loans, attachments, and interchanges of officers have been submitted to the Governments of the oversea Dominions.

The views put forward in these papers, excepting the last, to which replies have not yet been received, have been accepted in principle, and steps have been taken to give effect to them. Much, however, still remains to be done by the Dominion Governments on those proposals, and in the opinion of the Army Council the efforts of the next Conference, so far as General Staff matters are concerned, should be directed to consolidating the foundations already laid, rather than to the initiation of any further proposals.

The Army Council, therefore, recommend that the representatives of the self- governing Dominions should be invited to come prepared to state how far their Governments find it possible to act on the proposals already submitted to them, and to suggest modifications, if any, which appear to these Governments to require consideration.

A list of the papers referred to above is attached.

STAFF COLLEGES.

2. There is one important matter connected with the education of officers which, in the opinion of the Army Council, should be discussed in detail with the representatives, and that is the question of the entrance of officers belonging to the forces of the oversea Dominions to the Staff Colleges at Camberley and Quetta.

In the first place it is essential that officers selected for a course at one of the Staff Colleges should possess sufficient military knowledge and general education to enable them to profit fully by the instruction given there This is ensured, as regards officers of the Regular Army, by requiring them to prepare, by a course of previous study, for the work they would have to do at the Staff College, and to give proof that they have

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