The Lords of the Admiralty announce that they have had under consideration the conditions governing the length of time for which officers and men remain in the same ships and the method of effecting the necessary periodical changes of crews, and have approved of new arrangements. The object aimed at is that the trained portion of the crew should remain together for the longest practicable period permissible under the present conditions of personnel, while allowing an even flow of men through the depots and schools for purposes of drafting and training. As a general rule the crews of all chips will be changed every thres years, but in certain cases this time may be shortened or lengthened, 0 as to avoid sending men through the Red Bea at the hottest season of the year, or interfering with the annual mancuyres in home waters, or in exceptional circumstances. Summarized, the arrangements for commissions of His Majesty's ships, in future, will be:—First Fleet (ships on foreign stations).—Three years is to be the usual length of a commission, subject, in exceptional circumstances, to extension to @ peried not exceeding four years, at the discretion of their lordships. Be cond Fleet (ships in active oom sion).—The system of turning over ive crews to vessels in commis-with full crews has been discontinued, The length of commissions will be the same as in the First Fleet ships. Third Fleet) (ships in Reserve Commission).—These vessels will remain as at present, the crews being relieved in sections, not more than one-third of the crew being changed at one time. The period of service in submarines also will be as at present.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.