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South Africa, in the event of hostilities between the British Empire and a European Power, but it is an obvious element of weakness to include in a Defence Scheme any troops as to which there is doubt whether they will be available on the outbreak of war.
It is suggested that in future this Scheme should be entitled, "Cape of Good Hope Peninsula Defence Scheme."
CHAPTER 1.-STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS.
2. Page 5, paragraph 1.-The value of trade from the United Kingdom passing by the Cape in the year 1896 was valued approximately at 63,320,000.; the total trade from the United Kingdom passing Aden in the same year was valued at 120,741,0001.
3. Page 5, paragraph 2.-This paragraph will require redrafting, in accordance with the observations in paragraph 1 of these Remarks.
1. Page 6, paragraph 4.-The Table of Distances to Cape Town from the nearest British and foreign ports or bases should be amended by the omission of Komoro Islands and by the addition of Sierra Leone, Ascension, St. Helena, Durban, Dar-es- Salaam (German); Colombo, Trincomali, and Singapore.
5. Page 7, paragraph 11.-Reference to the attack on Simon's Town should not come under the heading of "The only possible Lines of Attack on Cape Town,” as it now does in (f) of this paragraph.
CHAPTER II.—ORGANIZATION.
6. Page 11, paragraph 3.-Here, and in many other places throughout the Scheme, Officers Commanding are designated by name. It would be better to refer to them by the titles of the posts they are holding in peace time.
Having regard to the recent increase in the garrison of Natal, it appears extremely improbable that the G.O.C. and his staff could be removed from that command in time of war for duty at Wynberg. It is desirable, therefore, that some other arrangements should be made for the staff of the Wynberg Field Force.
7. Pages 12 to 14, Tables A and A (i).—Table (A) should now be remodelled on the basis of the first paragraph of these Remarks, i.e., as regards Imperial Infantry and Colonial troops on the same basis as Table A (i), with possible modification as regards the detachment of Cape Mounted Rifles. The details of the orders, and other staff arrangements recorded in Chapters III to V of the Scheme, should be revised accordingly. It is specially desirable that the orders which have been issued for the move to Cape Town of part of the local forces at Kimberley on mobilization should be definitely cancelled.
8. Page 15, paragraph 4.-The fact that "negotiations are proceeding with the G.P.O. to run a telephone wire from the Wynberg Exchange to the post of the Officer Commanding Simon's Bay defences" would more correctly have been recorded in the covering despatch of the Governor. In the Defence Scheme established facts should alone be dealt with.
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CHAPTER III.-ACTION BY STAFF AND DEPARTMENTS.
9. Page 21.-Attention is called to the first part of paragraph 13 of the Colonial Defence Committee's Remarks No. 152 R, dated the 31st December, 1896, on the subject of a reference being made at the commencement of Chapter III of the Defence Scheme to the notification which will be received directing the Scheme to be put partially or wholly into force.
With regard to the second part of the same paragraph, the Governor states in paragraph 7 of his covering despatch (page 1) that the action to be taken with regard to making the forces in the Colony subject to the Army Act is still under the con- sideration of his legal advisers before being formulated. The former Remark of the Colonial Defence Committee has apparently not been understood. It was intended to apply to the Imperial troops in the Colony, who are at all times under the Army Act, and who can be made "temporarily subject to this Act as if they were on active service'
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