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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
Printed for the use of the Colonial Defence Committee.
23
SECRET.
No. 430 M.
II.
CANADA.
Scale of Attack on Pacific Coast.
C.O. 2446/10.
Memorandum by the Colonial Defence Committee.
THE Colonial Office have referred to the Colonial Defence Committee a despatch dated the 11th January, 1910, from the Governor-General of Canada, transmitting a copy of the proceedings of an Interdepartmental Committee assembled to consider the question of acquiring reservations over land in the vicinity of Prince Rupert, which may eventually be required in connection with any scheme for fixed defences. An expression of opinion from the Colonial Defence Committee as to the nature of attack to which the barbour may be exposed in the future, and the standard of defences to be maintained is desired.
The despatch and its enclosures are printed as an Appendix to this Memorandum.
2. The despatch of the Governor-General of Canada reached the Colonial Defence Committee at a time when they were engaged in reviewing the general principles governing the defence of the oversea Dominions and Colonies. They accordingly decided that its consideration should be deferred pending the completion of their general Memorandum dealing with the defence of the Dominions and Colonies as a whole.
3. In the Colonial Defence Committee's Memorandum No. 417 M., dated the 7th July, 1910, which has received the approval of the Committee of Imperial Defence, the general principles of Imperial defence, as set forth in their Memorandum No. 348 M., dated the 2nd August, 1905, have been restated with modifications necessitated to meet the change of conditions brought about by recent developments of naval matériel and alterations in the naval situation throughout the world. dealing with the reference as regards Prince Rupert, in accordance with the general principles stated in that Memorandum, the Committee consider it expedient to take advantage of the opportunity offered to discuss the scale of probable attack on the Pacific Coast of Canada generally.
Scale of Attack on Pacific Coast of Canada hitherto regarded as reasonably probable.
In
4. Up to 1905 Esquimalt was maintained as a naval base for His Majesty's ships on the Pacific Station, and the standard of defence laid down as necessary was that required to resist attack of one or two cruisers. Provision was not made to resist attack in force such as could be brought to bear by the United States.
The strategic position of Esquimalt was reviewed in the Colonial Defence Committee's Memorandum No. 347 M., dated the 26th May, 1905, and the following opinions were expressed as regards the possibilities of attack on that place:
"3. By the recent comprehensive readjustment of the peace distribution of the fleet to meet modern naval conditions, Hong Kong has been constituted the raval base and main source of supply for British fleets operating in the Pacific. In addition to this primary base, temporary
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