Enclosure 2 (1) 4 Secret Despatch of the September 1904.
Keret
Copy of
482
Letter from 14.8. The General Officer Commanding South China
£ 4.9. The Governor Hong Kong
Head Quarters
Hong Kong 25th August 1904.
I have the honour to forward to your Excellency the revised Scheme of Defence, 1903, revised up to date, in accordance with the suggestions and instructions of the Colonial Defence Committee. The Permission to revise the 1903 scheme reached me only on 30 June 1904 and after I had submitted the 1901 scheme.
1. You will have observed that I have added H. H. Stay, Colonial Secretary, as an additional member of the Local Defence Committee to represent the Civil Government.
2.
3. Allusion is made in the remarks to the use of torpedo tubes as a defence to the Dock Gates. There are lots of obsolete patterns, and apparently of no war value to the Navy, which have been appropriated by the Admiralty for the Defence of Hong Kong, and the value of them is £2350. I recommend that they be handed over to the Dock Companies and that they be asked to take the responsibility for the defence of this dock gate.
4. I wish to draw your attention to the weakness of the telephone system and to remark that in some units it is not up to establishment strength, which you will realise on reference to the table as
Page 6. I attribute this largely to the shortage of the Officers administering the government telegraphs and telephones and I wish to point out that the approved telephone system which has been long begun is not yet complete. There are only five R.E.'s working on telephones when 8 are required (3) and of these 5 only 2 are completely trained. Therefore it is difficult to install new telephones, in addition to maintaining those already installed.
I draw attention to the fact that the working of the complete telephonic System requires European telephonists. There are to be detailed from the 1/2 Battalion of British Infantry which comprises practically the whole of our company out of four from the only available British troops available. Something might be done to alleviate or remedy this by providing civilians who might be members of the Volunteer Corps.
The Colonial Office, $6
I am informed that 17 R.E. signallers are required for the Examination Service. These would be found from the R.A. Reserve
And a
host
sa
host
which at present only amounts from sickness and other causes, to 93; and column casualties would further reduce it so that it will be found that the worst will not be able to supply what is wanted, and the batteries will be undermanned.
Again owing to the war in the number of Defence works now in course of construction and present establishment of the Submarine Mining Company Royal Engineers is inadequate, I have already proposed to the War Office to increase this establishment from 72 to 102 as per letter No 204 Engineer, 4094/209/71 of 12th May 1904. This proposal has been considered favourably. A further appears to your Excellency
The Governor