The Imperial Defence College
| Date | 01 March 1947 |
| Published date | 01 March 1947 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9299.1947.tb01966.x |
| Author | T. S. Chegwidden |
PUBLIC
4DMINISTRATION
’
L’ichv “law
”
of
30th
March, 1941.
Vichy
“
law
”
of
7th August, 1942.
The articles on local government in the constitution rejected by
the
referendum
of
The
Times,
7Sth December, 1945.
5th h!ay, 1946, arc Articles 111-116; in the second constitution, Articles 75
to
78.
.
Arrlrle
78
.
.
.
.
.
-.
.
Decree Law
of
?Pth September, 1922.
’“Charles Brun Le RPi$onalismt: !Paris. 1911) and
“
Qu’est-ce aue c’est
le
Regionalisme
”
(Paris, 1936).
-
I1
For
works
on
Regionalism2‘ see R.
K.
$mch “Regionalism in France” (1934) an3
an article by R.
H.
Soltau in Econornica
(1922,
pp.
162-177).
In
addition
to
the
bibliography there quoted, the following more recent publications are
of
importance, and
bring the information on the subject
up
to
date:-
Ma.urice
Brun
“
Decartements
:;t
Regions
’’
(1939).
Joseph Barthjlemy Provinces (1942).
Jean Bancal
Les
CirconscriptiGms Administratives
de
la France
”
(1945).
i4
See Foncin
“
Les Pays de France”
(1895).
.
See
L.
Junillon
“
La Reforme .4dminis~ative
”
(Paris, lW5J
It
Vichy “law
”
of
19th April, 1941.
Decrees
of
30th
Junc,
1941; 26th
.4ugu9t,
1941; 9th Septeniber, 1942.
Ii
Decree
of
18th July, 1941;
for
th
s
system, see Bancal,
op.
cit.,
pp. 198,
seqq.
I:
’‘
Law
’‘
of
11th August, 1941.
’>l’he
latter two services had
to
be coordinated with the
intendants
of
polfie
at the
law”
of
l9
See letter
of
Petain
to
Commission on Provinces, dated 18th
Aii.gust
1941.
“‘Published
in
the Official Gazette
at
Algiers on 6th July, 1944.
regional prefm’s headquarters; the principal changes %err made
ucde:
3
Vichy
?5rh August 1941.
Sre
“
Le
hlonde,” 30th h4arch> 15.46.
The Imperial Defence College
By
T.
S.
CHEG‘WIDDEN,
C.B.,
C.V.O.
T
HE
year
1946
saw tlie re-opening
of
the
Imperial Defence College (which,
for obvious reasons, was closed
clown
on the outbreak
of
war) and its transfer
to
new and more commodious premises at Seaford House, Belgrave Square,
London. The occasion may, therefore,
be
considered apt for
a
short account of
the
origin and purpose of
the
College.
Mention
of
the Geddes Committee on National Expenditure, appointed by
the Government in 1921, is likely
to
arouse a variety
of
emotions in these days
of enlightened financial theory, but surprisingly enough it is to one
of
the recom-
mendations of
that
Committee that the College in fact owes its establishment.
The Committee came
to
the conclusion that by setting up a Ministry
of
Defence
to
co-ordinate the activities
of
the three Fighting Services, valuable
economies would be secured. There were many both within and outside the
Services who, for more progressive reasons, shared the view that such a Ministry
was needed, as
a
consritutional and administrative expression
of
the inter-
dependence
of
the three Services, which in ‘their opinion was one
of
the major
lessons
to
be
derived from
the
war
of
1914-1918.
Neither the bait of economy nor reformist zeal was able to carry the day
against more orthodox opinion on the major issue, but out
of
the ensuing con-
troversy there emerged a proposal to form a joint Staff College to train officers
who
would rhus
be
suitably equipped to provide the staff for any future co-ordinat-
38
To continue reading
Request your trial