Appendix No. 4.
K
HONG KONG,
Page 336
308
tried as an experiment; and I am to say that Lord Kimberley proposes to communicate a copy of the despatch to the Defence Commission.
No. 90.
War Office to Colonial Office.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
R. H. MEADE.
(Confidential.)
Sir,
War Office, July 23, 1880. WITH reference to your letter dated the 15th July, 1880,* inclosing draft of a despatch which the Earl of Kimberley proposes to address to the Governor of Hong Kong with reference to the proposal of the local Committee that the employment there of Chinese forcombatant purposes should be tried as an experiment, I am directed to acquaint you, for his Lordship's information, that it appears to the Secretary of State for War that it would be judicious not to communicate at all with the Colony until after the Royal Commission, to whom the papers have been referred, have had the subject under con- sideration and reported their views.
Mr. Secretary Childers would therefore deprecate any immediate communication to Sir J. P. Hennessy, except that the subject was under consideration.
No. 91.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
RALPH THOMPSON.
Colonial Office to Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad.
Downing Street, August 2, 1880.
Sir,
WITH reference to the letter from this Department of the 10th May last,† inclosing a copy of the Report of the local Committee appointed to consider the question of the enlistment of auxiliary forces to supplement the regular forces in Hong Kong, I am directed by the Earl of Kimberley to transmit to you, to be laid before the Royal Commission, a copy of a letter which has been received from the War Office on the subject.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
R. H. MEADE.
Inclosure in No. 91.
War Office to Colonial Office.
War Office, June 30, 1880.
Sir,
WITH reference to your letter dated the 10th May, 1880, transmitting copies of a despatch from the Governor of Hong Kong inclosing the Report of the local Committee appointed to consider the question of the enlistment of auxiliary forces to supplement the regular forces ordinarily maintained in the Colony, I am directed by the Secretary of State for War to acquaint you, for the information of the Earl of Kimberley, that the Report has been laid before His Royal Highness the Field Marshal Commanding-in-chief, who thinks that the experiment of employing and arming Chinese should be adopted with great caution and in very small numbers, the officers being Europeans. He is well aware that the coolies employed in the expedition to Peking did excellent service, and considers the Chinese of Hong Kong might be used in that manner with great advantage in any numbers required, but His Royal Highness is of opinion that the armed force to be employed as supplementary to the regular troops should be composed as far as possible of trustworthy Indians, and that Malays could probably be obtained as gun lascars.
His Royal Highness concludes that the Volunteer force alluded to by the Governor of Hong Kong consists entirely of Europeans.
I am to add that in these views the Secretary of State for War concurs.
No. 92.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
RALPH THOMPSON.
Colonial Office to Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad.
(Secret and Confidential.)
Sir,
Downing Street, August 31, 1880.
WITH reference to previous correspondence, I am directed by the Earl of Kimberley to transmit to you, to be laid before the Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and
* No. 89.
† No. 88.
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