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tendent of Police (page 36). In addition to these four classes of coolies there are also the coolie wiremen and orderlies mentioned on pages 28 and 29, and the whole subject appears to require further consideration locally.
18. Page 38 (C) (ii). Supplies. The D.A.A.G. (B) is directed (page 36) to ensure the "accumulation of the necessary supplies" and the "provision of storage accommodation for those supplies, and their efficient protection," and it is stated (page 38) that "biscuits and other less perishable articles will be stored at the batteries of Kowloon, Belchers, Stonecutters, and Lyemun," but the quantity of supplies to be accumulated or stored, respectively, is not laid down.
A Conference held at the Colonial Office to discuss the question of a supply of food by sea to Colonial Garrisons in the event of war with a Maritime Power reported on the 6th June, 1890, that, in the case of Hong Kong, a two months' reserve of all supplies for the war garrison should be established on mobilization. This scale was adopted in War Office letter No. 53/Gen. No. /8687, dated the 10th October, 1892, forwarding to the General Officer Commanding a form for insertion in the Defence Scheme summarizing the supply arrangements. A copy of this form will be found printed as Appendix (B) to the Colonial Defence Committee's Memorandum, No. 46, dated the 3rd May, 1893: "General Remarks as to Schemes of Defence, and the form in which they should be drawn up.' It was adopted in the Defence Scheme revised to May, 1894, but has since dropped out.
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The Committee recommend that a tabulated statement should be reinserted in Chapter III (C) (ii) of Defence Scheme. This should be drawn up on the general lines of the above form. It need only provide for the troops of the military garrison (including civil auxiliaries attached and rationed), as the food supply of the civil population is dealt with in Chapter VI of the Defence Scheme. The Table should show the description of supplies, the proposed scale of rations for each nationality in the garrison, the reserve maintained (contract or otherwise), the further quantities which would be laid in in case of expected war to complete the two months' reserve, the cost of these supplies, and the general information shown in the last column of the form.
Reserves of preserved meat and magazine candles are maintained at Hong Kong. These are not now mentioned, but would appear in the tabulated statement suggested.
The utilization of volunteers for commissariat duties (page 83) is apparently not explained in the Scheme.
19. Page 38 (D). Action by Officer Commanding Royal Artillery.-The chain of artillery command in tabular form should be inserted in this section. The Tables of armament on page 15 and page 21 appear
to require amendment as regards the arma- ment of the Stonecutters Section, in which, according to the latest Returns of Resources, the 2-9-in. R.M.L. and one of the three 64-pr. R.M.L. guns have been dismounted and 2-4.7 in. Q.F. guns have been added. The detail in column 2 of the Table on page 22 appears to be correct.
The various Tables of personnel, pages 13, 21, 22, show discrepancies as regards Royal Garrison Artillery. On page 13 the establishment of Royal Garrison Artillery is shown as 23 British officers and 613 N.C.Os. and men, with an actual strength of 11 British officers and 382 N.C.Os. and men. On page 21 the allotment of Royal Garrison Artillery to Sections shows totals of 19 British officers and 431 N.C.Os. and men. Page 22 gives a detailed allotment of Royal Garrison Artillery of 418 N.C.Os. and men. Thus the actual allotment agrees neither with the establishment nor with the actual strength.
Similarly for the Asiatic Artillery, page 13 shows an establishment of 14 British officers, 8 Native officers, and 447 N.C.Os. and men; with an actual strength of 8 British officers, 8 Native officers, and 428 N.C.Os. and men. Page 21 shows the allotment of 13 British officers, 8 Native officers, and 447 N.C.Os. and men; while page 22 shows the allotment of 8 British officers, 8 Native officers, and 438 N.C.Os. and men.
Page 22 shows a total of 32 officers, which agrees with the Table on
page 21.
There are discrepancies as regards the allotment of movable armament to Sections between Table B on page 21 and the instructions to Section Commanders on pages 67 and 68. Table B shows 6-7-pr. R.M.L. with Volunteers in Section III; on page 67 these are omitted. Table B shows only 2-6-6-in. Howitzers and 4-7-pr. guns
Chi
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