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units. The force already detailed in Table II, p. 6, of the Scheme for the defences now proposed to be included in the Western Section of the Fortress, and the recognized improbability (see paragraph 3, p. 12, of Scheme) of an advance on Melbourne being attempted from Barwon Heads, or any possible landing-place west of Port Phillip, make it unnecessary to detail any special Field Force for that side.
(2) The Williamstown defences should be under an officer specially detailed, who should not be the Battery Commander at Gellibrand. The latter officer should act as Fire Commander for that battery.
(3.) The defences of Portland, Port Fairy, and Warrnamboul constitute small independent sections, as they are too far apart to be supported by a central reserve.
This is recognized in the Scheme, but the arrangements there proposed of placing the Battery Commander over the whole garrison in each is not considered satisfactory. There should be an O.C. defences detailed for each place, and the Battery Commander should be a separate officer acting
under him.
(4.) The Offensive-Defensive Force should remain, as regards command and head-quarters as detailed in the Scheme, but provision should be made for an artillery officer on the staff of the General Officer Commanding.
One of the chief purposes for which this force is organized is that referred to in paragraph 2 of these Remarks. It forms, in fact, the Victorian Contingent to the Australian Federal Defence Force, as proposed by the Inter-Colonial Military Committee in their Report of the 29th January, 1896. The proposals of this Committee were agreed to by the Officers Commanding the Forces in the various Australian Colonies, and effect has been given to them in detail in the New South Wales Defence Scheme, and, generally, in that of Queensland, while the Colonial Defence Committee have pointed out how the Defence Scheme for South Australia should be modified to the same end. They attribute great importance to the Colonies working together towards the organization, each within its own limits, of a common Scheme of operations, even though it may not be practicable to give to the Scheme the complete realization which federation will ultimately render possible. It should be borne in mind that, though organized as a separate column, so long as the Offensive-Defensive Force of Victoria remains in the Colony it will be available to reinforce the Port Phillip Field Force or the Western Section of the Fortress, for despatch by rail to the Western District in case the defended places there are seriously attacked, or for any other purpose that the General Officer Commanding may think fit.
6. With the above organization the chain of command and communica- tions should be approximately as follows:-
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