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of the views which were expressed in paragraphs 8 and 12 of their Remarks No. 373 R on the 1904 Defence Scheme.
The principles governing the provision of defences against torpedo craft were formulated also in paragraphs 3 and 5 of the Colonial Defence Committee's Memoran- dum No. 348 M, dated the 2nd August, 1905, on the defence of Colonial ports, which received the approval of the Committee of Imperial Defence and of the Army Council and Admiralty.
6. Paragraph 11.-Under the circumstances detailed in paragraph 11 of the letter of the General Officer Commanding the appointment of a Brigade Signalling Officer is
concurred in.
7. Paragraph 11. Message forms.-The General Officer Commanding in South China points out that the message forms in use in India and at home are different, with the result that the British signallers at Hong Kong have to conform to the Indian method, and practise a system different from that in which their efficiency is tested at the Annual Signalling Inspection.
The Colonial Defence Committee recommend that the matter should be considered by the War Office.
8. Paragraph 12.- Since the date of the despatch, further correspondence has taken place with the Governor on the subject of the censorship, and as a result some alterations will be necessitated in Chapter III (C). It is not considered necessary to include the actual names of the persons it is proposed to appoint as censors, assistant censors, and decoding clerks in Table C of the Defence Scheme.
9. Paragraph 16.-The construction of field defences in peace time, if considered necessary, should form the subject of a special report from the General Officer Commanding to the War Office.
10. Paragraph 17.-It has now been arranged that the naval authorities shall assume control both in peace and war of the signal stations at the Peak and Cape D'Aguilar, which have been selected as port war signal stations, and the necessary alterations should be made in Chapter II (C) (ii), paragraph 2, of the Defence Scheme.
11. Paragraph 19.-The arrangements in regard to increased hospital accommo- dation are satisfactory. But, owing to the recent reduction of our naval force in the Far East, it is doubtful whether so large a number of naval sick and wounded as 1,500 need now be provided for. The Committee suggest that the Naval Commander-in- Chief should be consulted on this point.
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12. Paragraph 20. Expenditure at the "precautionary stage of the Defence Scheme.-The Governor suggests that the General Officer Commanding should have permanent authority, in the event of the "precautionary" stage being adopted, to incur. without further reference, the expenditure necessary to maintain it for one month, irrespective of any balance that may remain on the sum allotted for manœuvres.
66
The General Officer Commanding was informed by War Office letter No. 266/852, M.O. 1, dated the 26th April, 1905, that the instructions contained in the Colonial Defence Committee's Memorandum No. 330 M should be carried out, and is therefore in possession of permanent general authority to carry out all measures required for the precautionary" stage of the Defence Scheme as soon as the Governor receives the telegraphic instructions of His Majesty's Government to adopt that stage. The General Officer Commanding will then be in a position to incur the necessary expenditure for an indefinite period. It is not usual, nor does it appear desirable, to give specific financial authority in peace for services carried out in pursuance of the general instructions to put in force, either partially or wholly, the Defence Scheme.
66
The Committee's suggestion that the expenditure on 'precautionary" stage measures, which would ostensibly be practice exercises, should be thrown-as an excess, if necessary--on current Votes for ordinary annual manoeuvres, without having recourse to special legislation, had reference mainly to the Colonies without Imperial troops. In the case of expenditure incurred by the General Officer Commanding at Hong Kong, all that is necessary is to debit the expenditure to the training grant or to a special
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