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Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. October 24, 1891.
CONFIDENTIAL.
JAMAICA,
JAMAICA.
477. Secret.
Amended Report of Local Committee.
(WITH COVERING LETTER OF GOVERNOR.)
Remarks by Colonial Defence Committee.
THE Colonial Defence Committee have carefully considered the Report of the local Committee of Jamaica, dated the 26th March last. This Report contains much valuable information, but cannot be regarded as in any sense a scheme of defence such as is required.
The Committee state that they "do not consider that any scheme of defence that they might devise would adequately provide for the defence of the coaling station in its present position, considering the variety of circum- stances under which it could be attacked.
"They are further of opinion that no naval or military Commander should be fettered by an order to adopt a hard-and-fast scheme of defence which might neither be suitable to the strength of the hostile force or to the exigencies of the moment.
"With these few remarks, the Committee proceed to discuss in detail the capabilities of the Colony for self-defence, and the requirements of the present time, for which they consider that provision should be made."
The passages above quoted serve to show clearly that the local Committee have entirely failed to grasp the object sought to be obtained by the schemes of defence with which nearly every Colony of the Empire is now provided.
The assumed adequacy or inadequacy of existing resources is evidently a matter apart altogether from such a scheme of defence as is required. The questions with which the local Committee should have attempted to deal are- 1. Given existing resources, what measures can be taken to insure that those resources would be employed with the greatest advantage if Jamaica were expecting immediate attack? and
2. What preparations can be made by wise forethought applied in advance for meeting the probable contingencies of war?
The contention of the local Committee appears to be that, under the special conditions of Jamaica, no scheme of defence could be adequate, and that no scheme is, therefore, worth preparation. This view cannot be accepted for a moment. Such a scheme may or may not be adequate to meet the requirements which war might entail, but it can at least be so drawn up that the best results may be obtained with existing resources.
The further view of the Committee, that forethought tends to fetter the hands of a Commander in war, cannot be too strongly condemned. The elaborate schemes of preparation drawn up by the Prussian General Staff, in which the smallest details found place, can scarcely be said to have fettered the action of the military Commanders in 1870.
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