Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. October 1894.
CONFIDENTIAL.
82-R
ST. LUCIA.
Page 219
ST. LUCIA.
No. 205.
Defence Scheme of January 1894.
Remarks by Colonial Defence Committee.
THIS Scheme has been carefully arranged in accordance with Colonial Defence Committee's Memorandum No. 46, and for a first Scheme is exceptionally good. In many cases, however, the detailed arrangements, which it is stated have been worked out at the station, have not been forwarded, and without them the Scheme cannot be considered complete. These omissions should be filled in at the next annual revision. As pointed out in Memorandum No. 46, a Defence Scheme should be more than a mere outline of measures to be taken, and should record, so far as they can be worked out beforehand, all the details of the action to be taken by each responsible authority on the mobilization of the defences, so that-eyen in the extreme case of an officer new to the command-he may find therein ready to hand sufficiently detailed information in regard to the duties required of him,
The following points in the Scheme, as it now stands, require further consideration :—-
1. Strategical Considerations. It is true that, at present, there are no foreign torpedo-boats within striking distance of St. Lucia, but Fort de France, Martinique, only two to three hours' run from Port Castries, is a sufficiently complete naval base to maintain a torpedo-boat station, and though ample warning would be given before it could be established, from the necessity of sending the torpedo-boats across the Atlantic in peace-time, and under the necessary precautions, it is yet a form of attack which should be considered.
As regards the remark that "vessels carrying second-class torpedo-boats are not considered likely to appear in these waters," it is to be observed that though the naval force of any Maritime Power in the West Indies is at present insignificant, it by no means follows that hostile cruisers will not appear in these waters in war-time. It is on those of our distant trade routes on which they have a coaling base that these vessels will find their best opportunity for inflicting damage on British interests. So long as an enemy's ships can keep the seas, Port Castries must be considered liable to attack by cruisers and by the smaller class of torpedo-boats or launches that can be carried on board them, and it is to be remembered that vessels such as our "Vulcan " are now being extensively imitated by foreign Powers. In the opinion of the Colonial Defence Committee, a proper measure of defence against a surprise raid by torpedo-boats is necessary at Port Castries if our war-vessels are to lie there at night in safety. This particular branch of the defence, with the cognate subject of Harbour Traffic Regulations, will, however, be specially considered by the Local Joint Naval and Military Committee, which no doubt has been, or will shortly be, assembled. The outcome of their deliberations, when approved, should be incorporated in the Defence Scheme.
2. Organization (A), p. 15.-Paragraph 2 directs that the Fire-Com- mander of the sub-section is to act under the Officer Commanding Royal Artillery, and so appears to draw a sharp division between the artillery and
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