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In the meantime, if the General Commanding could see his way to take away one of the two companies, now told off to artillery work, and add it to the strength of the weak field force, the Committee consider that an advantage would be gained. This might possibly be done by cutting down the Reserve at the Citadel, and reducing the detachments at Fort MacNab and Ives Point to the numbers required for one relief with 10 per cent. spare.
In connection with this same subject of setting free infantry to exercise their proper functions, the Colonial Defence Committee suggest that the General Commanding should communicate with the Dominion authorities with a view to No. 17 Militia Field Battery at Sydney, Nova Scotia, being made available in the same way as the 63rd and 66th Battalions of Militia Infantry to assist in the defence of Halifax in war. If this were done the Field Battery, of which the establishment is seven officers, seventy-nine men, and eighty horses, and the actual strength on the 31st December, 1896, was five officers, forty-two men and forty-two horses, would take the place of the two officers and forty-nine men of the Royal Artillery told off (p. 17, and Table E (i), p. 60) to the mobile battery of the field force; the Royal Artillery would go to the fixed armament, and a corresponding number of British Infantry would become available for the field force.
The General Commanding will see from the foregoing that the Colonial Defence Committee attach very great importance to the field force being kept at the greatest possible strength. Formed of the most reliable infantry in the Command, assisted by Field Artillery, and ready to move at once to previously selected positions, such a force, operating on ground well known to them, and with all the other advantages of the defence, should be able to give a good account of an enemy, even if of considerable numerical superiority.
14. Page 22. (C.) (îi.) No. II section.-Semaphore signallers should be substituted for flag signallers in this paragraph in accordance with paragraph 288, Section VII, Q.R., as modified by A.O. 195 of December 1896.
15. Page 26, Ninth case. -The sentence "Mobilize both sections and the field force appears unnecessary in dealing with the mode of meeting Naval attack. Mobilization will take place at outset of war with any Power capable of Naval attack.
PART III-Action to be taken by Staff and Departments.
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16. Page 29.-Under the heading Measures to be taken a specific reference should be made to the Notification that will be sent to the Governor instructing him to put the Defence Scheme partially or wholly into force. The Notification will be in the form communicated in Lord Knutsford's Circular despatch dated the 2nd July, 1891, and it is of vital importance that the simple code laid down in the Circular should be understood and acted on immediately on its receipt.
The Defence Scheme should also lay down the action to be taken on receipt of above Notification in accordance with Clause 2, Section 189, of the Army Act, with regard to making the forces in the Colony temporarily subject to that Act as if they were on active service.
17. Page 29, First Day, paragraph 1.-The Notification which will be received from England to the effect that the complete Defence Scheme is to be put into force will itself be authority for expenditure under all heads of defence, and it will not be necessary to telegraph as proposed for further authority.
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18. Page 29, Second and Third Days, paragraph 3.-The word "launches might advantageously have been substituted for "guard-boats" in this paragraph. It seems doubtful, however, whether the paragraph is required here at all, other references to submarine mines having been taken out of this part of the Scheme in accordance with paragraph 14 of the Colonial Defence Committee's Remarks No. 141 R. There is no necessity to police the mine-field until the laying of the mines is in hand, and this might, under conditions explained in Report XIX of the Joint Naval and Military Committee on Defence, be deferred to a later phase of the defence.
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