3
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14. Although no staff officers are available for the various sections of the defence it will be advisable to draw up concise instructions for each Com- mandant, giving him the necessary information regarding his section. The principal points to be included are detailed in paragraph 20 of Memorandum No. 46 of the Colonial Defence Committee.
15. Chapter V at present contains many orders which are only applicable to peace manœuvres, and it is recommended that it be omitted on revision, the portions relating to the individual action of the staff being placed in Chapter III of the Scheme. In its place orders, based on the Defence Scheme, should be drawn up for each unit of the garrison in accordance with paragraph 21 of Memorandum No. 46 of the Colonial Defence Committee.
16. As regards the statement at foot of the Table at p. 54, that by Horse Guards letter 57/Straits Settlements/2496, the ammunition for the nine 7-inch and two 64-pr. R.M.L. guns is kept at 100 rounds per gun, the Colonial Defence Committee are informed that, in supersession of the authority quoted, the station was instructed in July 1893 to demand ammuni- tion for these R.M.L. guns to complete to 200 rounds per gun. It is desirable that this demand, if not already made, should be put forward, as there may be considerable delay in replacing these guns by others of improved type.
17. A few discrepancies have been noticed, these are as follows:- Tables B (1) and B (3) do not, in all cases, agree with each other or with other portions of the Scheme. For instance the number of employed men as given in column "Clerks, &c," of Table B (1) is 26, in another place in the same Table the total amounts to 53, while according to paragraph 101, p. 74, 86 non-commissioned officers and men of the artillery and infantry alone are employed or not available to meet an attack. Again. 31 signallers are allotted in Table B (1), but according to paragraph 18, p. 65, 48 men are required. The examples given show that some revision is still required.
In Table B (3), p. 17, only 17 officers of the infantry battalion are accounted for. This appears to be a much smaller number than may reason- ably be expected to be available.
Page 19-The strength of the garrisons of the Alexandra Position and Mount Faber does not agree with Table B (1).
The instructions in section 7, p. 89, do not agree with (ab.), p. 24, and paragraph 94, p. 73, in which the Commanding Royal Engineer is directed to apply to the Colonial authorities for the native labour he may require.
18. Civil Administration.—The Colonial Defence Committee have recom- mended that the ordinance referred to in section 3, p. 86, should be drafted, as has been done in the case of Malta and Gibraltar.
May 30, 1894.
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(Signed)
W. PEACOCKE, Secretary,
Colonial Defence Committee.
PRINTED AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE BY T. HARRISON,—1/6/94.
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