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served in Her Majesty's Imperial and Local Forces. It is expected that a large proportion of this number will be provided from the Reserve Force which is being formed. When the increased peace establishment of 1,133 has been attained it is proposed that 369 additional men should be enrolled to bring up the war establishment to a total of 1,502.
These numbers appear to have been well thought out. It has been recognized that it would be unwise to flood the ranks in war with large numbers of untrained men or of men who have had no recent training, and the proposed proportion of about one quarter, which the men enrolled at the outbreak of hostilities will constitute of the whole force, should not be exceeded. The total number of about 1,500 appears sufficient for the defence of Western Australia, having in view the mobilization requirements as shown on page 3 of the Scheme.
The Colonial Defence Committee desire to urge on the Government of Western Australia the desirability of raising as soon as possible the additional 336 men required to increase the present peace establishment of 797 to that proposed-1,133. The most urgent part of this increase is the company of forty partially-paid men for Bee Scheme Garrison Artillery duties at Albany. The three new companies of infantry required
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for the defence of that station come next in order of importance.
According to the recommendations of the Intercolonial Military Committee which assembled at Sydney in January 1896, the Colony of South Australia was to furnish in war 200 infantry to assist in the defence of the mercantile strategic harbour of Albany until such time as Western Australia would be in a position to furnish the whole of the garrison for that important station. The Colonial Defence Committee, when dealing with the South Australian Defence Scheme of June 1896, pointed out that that Scheme should embody all arrangements for the prompt dispatch of two companies to King George's Sound. The Committee would, however, look upon the defence of Albany as much more reliably secured if the whole of its garrison in war is provided by the Colony in which it is situated, and this will be the case when the increase in strength proposed in the present Defence Scheme has been effected.
4. The distribution of Field Artillery shown in the Mobilization Table on page 3, contemplates, in existing circumstances, sending half a battery to aid the Garrison Artillery and to man two 9-pr. R.M.L. guns at Albany, and keeping a battery and a-half to man two 15-pr. B.L. and six 9-pr. R.M.L. guns at Freemantle. Eventually, half a battery is to man four 9 prs. at Albany, half a battery to man four 9 prs at Freemantle, and one battery to man four 15-pr. B.L. guns at Freemantle. The 9 prs. will be practically guns of position. Though it may be well to retain them for the present for Freemantle, they should be done away with as soon as a fixed armament is obtained for that port. The 9 prs. for Albany should be replaced by four 16 prs., which could probably be obtained by arrangement with New South Wales now that that Colony is providing its field batteries with B.L. guns.
5. The Colonial Defence Committee have already given their opinion (see para- graph 4 of their Remarks, No. 156 R) that in the absence of a thoroughly trained personnel capable of rapidly laying a minefield at Albany at the moment only when competent naval authority considers the immediate attack of the port to have become possible, it would be better to dispense altogether with the submarine mine defence. Two permanent submarine miners and fourteen men, enrolled at outbreak of hosti- lities from among those employed in the Government workshops and harbour works would not contribute a thoroughly trained personnel. It is therefore recommended that the fourteen men to be enrolled as submarine miners should be omitted from the present and proposed war strengths. The Committee have been informed that the two permanently employed submarine miners are required for other duties than superin- tending the laying of the minefield.
6. The mobilization arrangements for the infantry with the proposed war strength tell off one regiment of six companies (480 of all ranks) from Perth and its neighbour- hood to Freemantle; one regiment of four companies (320) from stations on the railway between Perth and Albany to Albany; two companies (160) from Geraldton to the defence of that place; and two companies (160) from Bunbury and its neigh- bourhood to Bunbury. Until the additional companies for the regiment told off to Albany can be raised, one company from the Freemantle Regiment is to go there in war, and the infantry garrisons will be as follows: Freemantle, 320; Albany, 180;
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