asked the Secretary of State for War how many liaison officers and members of the missions attached to the French Army and French general headquarters have not passed the interpretership examination in French; and how many have passed this examination?

Seven have qualified as interpreters and 15 have not. Of the latter, six were tested. In the case of the remainder, no test was considered necessary in the light of their previous experience and employment, and of knowledge of their qualifications in the French language.

If a knowledge of French is a necessity for liaison officers, how can it be known that they are proficient in the language if they have not passed an examination?

Some of these officers were employed upon this work in the last war.

Why should any officers go to the trouble of passing an examination if the highest positions for which these qualifications are necessary are occupied by people who have never taken the trouble to pass them?

Does the fact that somebody held a position as liaison officer in the last war necessarily prove that he can speak the French language?

I said that no test was considered necessary in their case, in the light of their previous experience. If they were good liaison officers in the last war, presumably they will make good liaison officers now.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether tests by French national examiners are now in all cases substituted for the interpretership examination in French; who these examiners are and what tests they apply; and whether any certificate is given to officers passing these tests?

Interpretership examinations ceased at the beginning of the war. The examiner who tested the liaison officers was Monsieur André Turquet. The test was viva voce, and those who obtained 80 per cent. were considered by the examiner to have reached a standard equivalent to a First-Class Interpretership in the army. No certificates were given.