The appointment of a military commandant is still hanging fire. Recently I wrote you that Major-General Hildyard was the likely man; now he seems to be out of the running. The coming State Governor and the Agent-General, Sir Andrew Clarke, have been asked to express their views on the matter. The latter has expressed the opinion that either of the three following officers would be suitable, viz., Major-General Gir Bindon Blood, Major-General Slade, now at Gibraltar, and General Nash, now commanding the gar-risen at Quetta. Either it is that the salary offered, £2,500, is not sufficient, or else there is a hitch as to the staff. Most of the officers hitherto approached desire to bring out at least two members of their staff from home. The Cabinet, on the other hand, in the interests of local military men, wish to keep the matter of staff appointments in their own hands. A decision ought, however, to be soon arrived at, as there is plenty of work on hand for am officer with large experience, in organising the various scattered branches of which the Australian defence force is composed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.