Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. July 15, 1896.
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SECRET.
No. 145 R.
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
C.O.
No. 52. Secret.
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
Defence Scheme revised to September 1895.
Remarks by the Colonial Defence Committee.
SINCE, in the correspondence which accompanies the present revision of the Defence Scheme, reference is made to the relative responsibilities of the Local Defence Committee and of the General Officer Commanding with regard to the framing of the Scheme, the Colonial Defence Committee think it desirable to definitely lay down their views on this important matter. They consider that the object of the Local Defence Committee is, as stated by the General Officer Commanding in his letter of the 25th January, 1896 (p. 12, para. 8), to assist him with their local knowledge of the resources, &c., of the place, to advise him on matters laid before them, to consider the remarks made from time to time by the Colonial Defence Committee, and to help generally in carrying out and perfecting the Scheme of Defence. Their functions are thus most important, especially those of the non-military members who will be in a position to secure the effective co-operation in the Scheme of the Departments which they represent. The Local Defence Committee have, however, no responsibility for the arrangements for defence. This responsibility rests absolutely on the General Officer Commanding. The object of a Scheme is not in any way to restrict the freedom of action or responsibility of that officer, but mainly to assist him, especially on his first arrival in the Colony, in insuring that all local resources can be promptly made available to repel the different forms of attack to which the Colony is held to be liable, and to enable him, in anticipation of hostilities, to take, without further reference, all the measures considered by him to be desirable, and which do not conflict with the general interests of the Empire.
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2. In the correspondence printed with the Defence Scheme the question of the abandonment of Tanjong Katong Fort is again discussed at length.
The construction of this fort was originally agreed to by Her Majesty's Government to meet what were understood to be the wishes of the community, who considered that without such a fort the town would not be sufficiently protected. Its abandonment was first suggested by the Governor in a despatch dated the 8th July, 1893, dealing with additional lands required by the War Department at Singapore for the purpose of increasing the efficiency of the defence of that port. The Governor was not in favour of the abandonment, but was of opinion that " rather than that the Colony should be embarrassed to find money to meet the present military requirements it would be prudent to ask the Imperial Government to dismantle the fort, which was constructed mainly to meet the wishes of the Colony, and was not deemed an essential feature of the new defences by the War Department-those defences being designed for the protection of the coaling station." The subiect was referred
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