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This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
Printed for the use of the Colonial Office.
48
SECRET.
No. 340 R
HONG KONG.
132
C.O. No. 28727/03.
Defence Scheme revised to June, 1903.
Remarks by the Colonial Defence Committee.
THE Colonial Office have referred to the Colonial Defence Committee a despatch, dated 3rd July, 1903, forwarding the Hong Kong Defence Scheme, revised to Junc 1903.
The despatch is printed as an Appendix to these Remarks, with an enclosed letter from the President of the Local Defence Committee, in which the reasons for the lateness and incompleteness of the present revision are explained.
2. The chief defect of the preceding revision of the Defence Scheme was that the arrangements for transport and supply were imperfect, and as regards transport, the Colonial Defence Committee in paragraph 28 of their Remarks, No. 282 R, dated 23rd January, 1902, strongly recommended that "the whole subject of coolie labour should receive further consideration locally, with a view to working out a practical scheme which will ensure the orderly distribution of the troops to their war stations on the first day of mobilization, together with the stores necessary to satisfy their first requirements, and will then provide for the organization of an efficient coolie service. for each section."
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Some steps have been taken in this direction, with the result however, that whereas it was presumed in the 1901 Defence Scheme that little difficulty would be experienced in obtaining the transport required, it is now stated instead (Chapter III (F), paragraph 3), that it is anticipated that "the very greatest difficulty will be experienced in obtaining anything approaching the requisite number of coolies."
The General Officer Commanding, who concurs in this view, states that the present Defence Scheme is drawn up on the assumption that there would be little or no difficulty in this respect, and although the Governor thinks the difficulty would be overcome in the event of actual hostilities, it is in any case desirable that both the requirements of the garrison and the detailed organization for meeting them should be. carefully reconsidered by the Local Defence Committee, which should include an officer of the Colonial civil service conversant with the local conditions bearing on the question.
Chapter I. Introductory Remarks and Strategic Considerations.
3. Page 1, paragraphs 1 to 9. Strategic Conditions.-The Siberian Railway is now completed, and also the Chinese Eastern Railway, through Manchuria and Vladivostock, with a branch from Harbin to Port Arthur. There is therefore direct railway communication between Europe and both Port Arthur and Vladivostock.
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