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The Notification that will be sent to the Governor, instructing him to put the Defence Scheme partially or wholly into force, will be in the form communicated in Lord Knutsford's Circular despatch, dated the 2nd July, 1891, and a specific reference to this despatch should be made, at the commencement of Chapter III of the Scheme, to insure the simple code laid down in the Circular being understood and acted on immediately on its receipt.
M. NATHAN, Secretary,
Colonial Defence Committee.
March 23, 1898.
(Signed)
PRINTED AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE BY J. W. HARRISON,--25/3/98.
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Page 199 This Document is the Property of Her Britannic Majesty's Government 199 of 290
Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. April 6, 1898.
SECRET.
No. 186 R.
QUEENSLAND.
C.O. No. 4597.
Defence Scheme revised to January 1898.
Remarks by the Colonial Defence Committee.
THE regularity and punctuality with which the Defence Scheme of Queensland is now annually revised and submitted is evidence of the care bestowed by the Colony on its efficient military organization, and is a matter of much satisfaction to the Colonial Defence Committee.
Chapter I-Strategic Conditions.
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2. The strategic conditions, as given in the Scheme, are generally sound. They might possibly be made somewhat more clear and concise by a slight rearrangement. For instance, the information given under the head of “ Bombardment on page 3 and that given below the Table on the same page, and in the first five paragraphs of page 4, might come, where it does not already do so, under the headings of the three Military Districts and of the Federal Fortress on pages 4 and 5.
3. Page 5, paragraph 2, and page 8, at bottom. It is observed that the recom- mendation contained in paragraph 13 of the Colonial Defence Committee's Remarks No. 163 R, dated the 28th June, 1897, to the effect that there should be no submarine mine defence at Cairns, has not been adopted, and that cable for completing this defence has been indented from England. The existence of a mine-field at Cairns, of which the details were not known to Her Majesty's ships, would effectually close that harbour to them in war. It is accordingly recommended that a plan of the proposed defence should be sent home to the Admiralty for concurrence.
It is stated on page 8 that the "mines would be protected by guns on shore," but there are no guns or men told off to Cairns from the land forces, and the only gun apparently existing on shore is a 5-inch B.L. belonging to the Marine Forces, and mounted for drill. This would not make a very efficient protection for a mine- field.
4. Page 5, paragraph 6.-It is stated that the Thursday Island garrison will be reinforced from Brisbane "in case of hostilities being probable," but on page 19, under "Action to be taken by Staff and Departments," it is laid down that" after a Proclamation has been issued notifying the imminence of hostilities," three companies of the 1st Battalion, 1st Regiment, are merely "to be held in readiness to embark for Thursday Island at the shortest notice." These two statements are not quite consistent. It is presumed that freight can always be taken up at Brisbane at the shortest notice, but the point is not touched on in the Scheme. In any case, it is essential that the reinforcements for Thursday Island should be sent off without the slightest delay or hesitation, if possible, before the declaration of war. The small garrison maintained in the island during peace renders this step a matter of paramount importance.
In the Colonial Defence Committee's Memorandum No. 120 M, dated the 7th
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