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CONFIDENTIAL. MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO ENQUIRE INTO THE COURSE OF INSTRUCTION AT THE SCHOOL OF MILITARY ENGINEERING, CHATHAM, AT THE WAR OFFICE. FRIDAY, 23RD JANUARY, 1885. PRESENT: The Earl of MORLEY, in the Chair. Lieutenant-General Sir ARCHIBALD ALISON, Bart. Major-General Sir ANDREW CLARKE, K.C.M.G., R.E. Colonel Sir JOHN STOKES, K.C.B., R.E. Captain L. DARWIN, R.E., Secretary. Colonel E. C. GORDON, R.E., examined. 1. Chairman. The Committee are instructed to enquire into the course of instruction given now at the School of Military Engineering, with a view to ascertain if any modifications are required in it. The main point that we have to consider is that, when an abnormally large number of officers are required for duty, the course must be shortened so as to increase the supply of officers required for the time. You have prepared a scheme, have you not, for modifying the course?—I have. In view of the existence of the pressure that I saw was coming on, I took steps in the summer of last year to sub-divide the course into two portions, which, in order to give them a name, I called the one the preliminary course, and the other the advanced course, and I condensed, as far as I could into the preliminary course all the most essential parts of each branch that is taught at the School, leaving, for what I called the advanced course, the higher portions. And then I arranged that all the officers should go through the whole of what I had allotted for the preliminary course before they began any of the advanced course. My object was that as soon as any pressure existed we should be able to turn out officers in a much shorter time, with a very fair modicum of instruction that they would have received at the School. 2. What measures have you actually taken to turn out a larger number of officers?—I am now acting on what I have endeavoured to describe to the Committee. I am now putting different batches through shorter courses in each branch. 3. Have you as yet known cases of any officers who have left the School having passed through the shortened course of construction?—Some of them have had shorter courses; that is to say, we have curtailed some of the ends of their courses, because the pressure did not come on in sufficient time to spread the curtailment over each branch. 4. The course now extends over two years, does it not?—It does. (2099) B 5. I have before me a synopsis of the S. M. E. courses of instruction, and, therefore, I do not think it will be necessary for me to ask you to give us in detail all the courses, as they are in print before us; but taking a general view of what is required now of an engineer officer, do you think that, putting aside the question of pressure for officers, this is a good course, or does it require modification?—I think that is a very good course, and that it would be very hard to improve it. My own personal view is that if any alteration is made it should be in the direction of extending some of the branches, and certainly not in diminishing the full and complete course of instruction. 6. To a non-professional mind it seems to me that the subjects are so numerous and so difficult that in a course of two years it would be almost impossible for any officer to attain real proficiency in any of them; and then again there are a number of subjects with regard to which an officer would not probably in his after career have to be thoroughly efficient in them all?—Precisely so. 7. For instance, one officer will require a much greater knowledge of electricity than another, and I believe that now it is usual for an officer, supposing he is in one of the submarine mining companies, to continue in such company?—Yes. Certainly, that officer would require much greater proficiency in electricity than another. 8. And another might require a greater proficiency in construction and so on?—Yes, certainly. 9. Could you not have a course which should bifurcate at a certain stage, and allow some officers to take up certain subjects in more detail in the higher branches; or, do you consider that the present course is necessary for every engineer officer?—My answer to that question will have to be somewhat long. We do not aim at turning out officers proficient in every branch that we teach; we aim at giving them a sound base to work upon hereafter, to Colonel E. C. Gordon, R.E. 23rd Jan., 1885.