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prevent any mistake as to the position of the approaching ship, and so that the crossing of the line may be instantly followed by the fire necessary to stop or sink her.
It will be seen from the foregoing that Regulations to prevent hostile vessels from entering harbours are useless where there is no armament to enforce them.
30. Attention is called to the following extract from Report XIX of the Joint Naval and Military Committee on Defence :-
"The time after a declaration of war, or commencement of hostilities, at which it would be advisable to put in force the Traffic Regulations, must vary with the distance of the port from the base of the enemy, the nature of the attack to which it is liable, and other special conditions which would be known at the time at each place, but if the great importance of maintaining and protecting our trade is accepted in principle, it would indicate that though immediate mobilization is essential to an effective state of defence, the protection derived from the examination and exclusion of vessels, may be considered as a second phase of the defence dependent upon the enemy's vessels being in certain particular waters, and that in the same way, the use of submarine mines should not be resorted to unless there is a reasonable prospect of attack. At the least it should be understood that neither the Traffic Regulations, nor the laying of sub- marine mines should be put in operation without competent naval approval, whenever such is available."
(Signed)
M. NATHAN, Secretary,
Colonial Defence Committee.
June 28, 1897.
Approved by SofS. fr. trae on 10.7.97
in
266
Acestralaces
10.
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