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[This Document is the Property of Her Britannic Majesty's Government.]
Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. September 10, 1900.
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SECRET.
No. 229 M.
HONG KONG.
79
C.O. Nos. 23007 and 25570.
Report on Volunteers, April, 1900.
Memorandum by the Colonial Defence Committee.
THE Colonial Office have referred to the Colonial Defence Committee a despatch dated the 15th June, 1900, from the Acting Governor of Hong Kong, forwarding the Report of the Commandant on the Hong Kong Volunteer Corps for the season
1899-1900.
The despatch and its inclosure are printed as Appendix I to this Memorandum.
2. During the year ending 31st March, 1900, a very large increase took place in the strength of the Hong Kong Volunteer Corps, the total number on that date being 311 of all ranks, as against 181, 176, 159, and 125 at the corresponding periods of the four preceding years. This increase was, no doubt, in great part due to the employ- ment of the Corps on field service in connection with the occupation of the new territory in April and May, 1900. Advantage has been taken of this impetus to raise various new units, and the corps now comprises, in addition to staff and band, a field battery, three machine-gun companies, an infantry company, and an engineer company. The field battery, with an establishment of 110, was 93 strong on the 31st March last. The infantry company with an establishment of 57, and the engineer company with an establishment of 30, had strengths of only 31 and 20 respectively. The machine-gun companies had, however, 23 supernumeraries beyond their combined establishment of 123.
3. From the Report now before them, the Colonial Defence Committee gather that the anticipation in their Memorandum, No. 195 M, dated the 28th October, 1899, of a considerable improvement in the efficiency of the corps as a result of its employ- ment on field service has been realized so far as the strain due to the rapid numerical expansion has permitted. The percentage of efficients in drill in the field battery was 901 as against 709 in the previous year, and the attendance throughout the corps was satisfactory. The musketry training was inadequate owing to the un- suitability of the present range, but the Committee are informed that the construction of a new rifle range for the Volunteers and Police, for which a vote of 3,201 dollars has been sanctioned, is being proceeded with during the present year.
4. The Colonial Defence Committee have on several occasions indorsed the opinion of the Commandant as to the value of annual camps of instruction. They attach great importance to the opportunities of practical instruction afforded by such camps. This instruction included in 1899 participation with the regular troops in the tactical exercise of the 26th October, when Stonecutter's Island was attacked by a force representing six armed cruisers and 2,000 infantry. In a Report to the War Office, dated the 24th April, 1900, on military exercises, the General Officer Com- manding refers in favourable terms to the alertness and good preparations of the
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B
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