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SECRET.
THE POSITION OF THE EAST AND WEST AFRICAN PROTECTORATES
IN THE EVENT OF WAR WITH A EUROPEAN POWER
I.
Colonial Office to Secretary Committee of Imperial Defence.
Downing Street, April 28, 1911.
(Secret.) (12802/1911.) Sir,
I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to transmit to you a copy of a Memorandum by the Colonial Defence Committee (No. 431 M)*, relating to the position of the East and West African Colonies and Protectorates in the event of war with a European Power, and a copy of a letter from the War Officet on the subject of the Memorandum, and to request that, if possible, these papers may be laid before the Committee of Imperial Defence at their next meeting.
2. Mr. Harcourt desires to offer the following observations on the War Office letter:-
(1.) The figures given in Appendix II of the Colonial Defence Committee's Memorandum seem to show that (except, perhaps, as regards French West Africa) the present policy of His Majesty's Government is followed by other European Powers whose territories are adjacent to the British East and West African possessions.
(2.) The desirability of the over-sea possessions of the Crown being capable of self- defence is not questioned, but, having regard to the fact that the resources of the Empire are not unlimited, it is clearly not possible to maintain permanently, in all parts of it, sufficient forces to render each part secure in war without reinforcement.
(3.) The statement in paragraph 12 of the Memorandum, to which exception is taken by the Army Council, is based upon Mr. Balfour's statement of the Government's policy in the House of Cominons on the 11th May, 1905, of which the following is an
extract :-
The principle on which we have proceeded may be summarised by saying that, as the British Fleet and British Army should be available for the defence of the British Empire in all parts of the world, our force should, as far as possible, be concentrated round the centre from which it could best be distributed, as necessity arose, to that part of the Empire which stood most in need of it
that we should cease to scatter our forces in sinall isolated bodies throughout the world, and that we should concentrate them in important tactical units, keep them under our hand, and be able to use them in places where they would be most likely to control the hostile forces of any enemy we may have to oppose."
This policy has een adhered to by the present Government, and, for reasons of economy and strategy alike, it appears to be the only practicable one.
(4.) A table printed as an appendix to Committee of Imperial Defence Paper No. 42 C, on Colonial Garrisons, shows that between 1904-5 and 1906-7, in pursuance of the policy referred to in the above quotation, the Colonial Regular Garrisons (excluding Egypt, South Africa and North China) were reduced from 42,197 to 31,133-a total reduction of 11,064 men.
3. The policy propounded in paragraph 13 of the Memorandum, No. 431 M, has Mr. Harcourt's approval, and he has recently given effect to it, on the recommendations of the local governments, by reducing the strength of the King's African Rifles to a point which, in his opinion, will suffice for the maintenance of internal order. figures given in Appendix II to the Colonial Defence Committee's Memorandum thus require correction. The net effect of the alterations which have been approved is to
[557]
• Printed as III.
† Printed as II.
The
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