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torpedo-boat attack. It is not usual, nor is it considered necessary in this case, to employ search-lights against boat attack. The road suggested by the Local Committee would appear desirable to enable the field- and machine- guns to come into action, and cover Middleton Beach, Ellei Cove, and the slopes of Princess Royal Battery, and the necessary clearances should be made to ensure the most efficient working of all the available armament
11. The Colonial Defence Committee recommend that the arrangements proposed in the Report under consideration, in so far as they relate to action to be taken on imminence of war, and modified in accordance with the foregoing remarks, if approved, be now embodied in a Scheme of Defence for Albany, drawn up on the lines of the Committee's Memorandum, No. 46, simplified to deal in a concise and definite manner with the special conditions of the important mercantile strategic harbour of Western Australia. A Defence Scheme on similar lines should also be prepared for the commercial port of Freemantle. In this connection attention is called to the Colonial Defence Committee's Memorandum, No. 19, of the 1st November, 1886, in which the formation of a standing Local Committee to deal with matters of defence was advocated, and to Lord Knutsford's despatch of the 22nd October, 1890, in which the importance of an annual revision of schemes for defence was explained.
Since a Report on the defence of Freemantle and Perth, drawn up by a Local Committee in July 1887, was referred to the Colonial Defence Committee, they have received until now no Defence Schemes or Reports on defences or defence forces from the Government of Western Australia except the Annual Returns of Military and Naval Resources. They do not, therefore, feel themselves to be in as satisfactory a position to advise the Govern- ment of that Colony on its military affairs as when they are dealing with other Australian Colonies from which they receive periodically the Defence Scheme revised up to date, as well as the Annual Report of the Military Com- mandant on the forces under his command.
August 5, 1896.
M. NATHAN, Secretary,
Colonial Defence Committee.
6 War and Lords of the Astoria -
Approved by the 5.5 for War
16.1.97.
J.NEM.C. They draw particular
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attention to para 11 of the C.D.C Remarks above
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