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II.
EXTRACT FROM A MEMORANDUM ON THE PRINCIPLES GOVERNING THE DEFENCE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, AS AMENDED BY THE HOME PORTS DEFENCE COMMITTEE.
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CHAPTER I.-GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
THE problem of Home Defence is part of the greater problem of Imperial Defence, with which object the naval and land forces of the Empire are maintained.
1. Imperial Defence.-An Empire which does not possess the power of free inter- communication between its parts exists only on sufferance. The maintenance of our superiority at sea over the naval forces of any combination of Powers likely to be arrayed against us is therefore the bed-rock of Imperial Defence, and the supreme factor in shaping the military policy of the Empire.
In order that this fundamental condition may be fulfilled, the policy of His Majesty's Government is to maintain the British Navy at a two-power standard of strength. The maintenance of this standard of strength will, it is considered, serve to ensure our superiority at sea in all reasonably probable circumstances.
Without superiority at sea the Navy cannot control the maritime routes by which the Empire is connected, British territory cannot be protected against organized invasion from the sea, our oversea garrisons cannot be reinforced, our land forces cannot be rapidly and safely transported to any point outside the Empire where our vital interests may be threatened, and the security of our trade in war cannot be insured.
The Admiralty have accepted the Tesponsibility of protecting all British territory against organized invasion from the sea, but in the case of the United Kingdom it is considered necessary that, as an additional safeguard, our Army for Home Defence should fulfil certain conditions.
In undertaking their great responbility the Admiralty claim the absolute power of disposing of their forces in the matter most certain to secure success, and object to limit the action of any part of them to he immediate neighbourhood of places which they consider may be more effectively otected by operations at a distance.
In the same way the integrity portions of our land forces which are free to fulfil their proper rôle.
the Empire cannot be assured unless those primarily maintained for oversea operations are
It is therefore necessary that Army for Home Defence should be able to provide the measure of land defence required for the security of the United Kingdom without relying on the support of Rela troops. (If this condition is not fulfilled on the outbreak of war, it may be necessary to retain temporarily some Regular troops as explained in paragraph 9.*)
While, therefore, Home Defence is buy a part of the greater problem of Imperial Defence, it is necessary that the United Kingdom should be adequately safeguarded, because a successful blow struck at the eart of the Empire would be more instantly fatal than any other form of attack.
N
1 Forces.
The peace distribution of the British fleet is eurements of war. The normal distribution
2. Peace Distribution of the N determined primarily by the strategi of our battle squadrons is governed by dispositions of the fleets of those foreign Powers which for the time being are ded as our most formidable rivals. Modifi- cations in the peace distribution fleets, therefore, from time to time become necessary to meet alterations in the gth of foreign fleets and changing political combinations. This distribution m urther undergo review and readjustment in order to satisfy changing naval con ighs. Modern conditions resulting from_the evolution of war vessels and the improvement of telegraphic communications throughout
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Paragraph 6 page 3 of C.I.D. Paper 48-A.
B 2
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