CONFIDENTIAL.
From Major-General W.J. Gascoigne, Commanding in Hong Kong.
To The Under-Secretary of State for War.
Sir,
504
10919
Hong Kong
10/11/00.
X
letter copy of which was sent to War Office under No. of Colonial Office 23 of 14-12-00
139558/1900
X
I have the honor to enclose a copy of a letter written by Sir Henry Blake, Governor of Hong Kong, to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the original of which will no doubt in due course reach you.
I would explain that this is somewhat of a test case raised by Sir Henry to enable him to obtain an opinion on his general position of "Commander-in-Chief". He and I hold somewhat different opinions; and though he has raised the question on this unimportant matter, it in reality is meant to include the larger question of whether or no he is in a sense in military command in chief. He holds that he is; I hold that save for the power of being able to order me to move troops to any part of the Colony where he considers they are required for the safety of the Colony, he is not; and that save in this respect the title of Commander-in-Chief is principally one of courtesy.
It must be clearly understood that though I am at variance in opinion with Sir Henry, yet I have