Confidential.
From
Commandant, Hongkong Volunteer Corps,
To
Hon. Colonial Secretary.
Sir,
Volunteer Headquarters,
Hongkong, February 5th, 1904.
I have the honour to request that the following remarks on the organisation of the Hongkong Volunteer Corps may be put before the Colonial Defence Committee if approved by His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government and His Excellency the General Officer Commanding.
No answer has yet been received from the Committee to the last letter on this subject dated 10th August, 1903, since this date the local Defence Committee have recently allotted to the Corps six 15 Fr.B.L. Guns and 12 Maxims in settling the defence scheme of the Garrison on mobilization and have not allotted any of the men to the fixed armament in the forts. I now therefore beg to withdraw my previous recommendation that the members of the Corps should do a certain number of drills with the fixed armament, and I should be glad if it could be finally decided that the Artillery portion of the Corps should in future only carry out 15 Fr.B.L., Maxim and infantry Drills.
Musketry &c.
This is practically the suggestion of the Colonial Defence Committee in their despatch dated March 15th, 1903, except that I am of opinion that all the members of both companies should drill with 15 Frs. and Maxims, and not have one Company...
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