Enclosure 2(2) of Secret Despatch of 5th September 1904
Hong Kong.
Copy of a letter from H.E. The Governor
14.8. The Officer Commanding J. China
Sir,
484
Government House.
31 August 1904
As requested in Your Excellency's letter of the 25th inst., I have the honour to return herewith the revised Defence Scheme for Hong Kong for the year ...
I hope this has been prepared ...
(2) In reading through the Scheme certain alterations have occurred to me.
There are notes on the pages affected in case you should consider it advisable to embody them in the text before the Scheme is sent to England.
As tending to do improvement - I have attached thereto ...
(3) I observe that Chapter II (C)(1) dealing with the communication of orders and intelligence has been worded in strict accordance with paragraph ...
of Colonial Defence Committee's Remarks, No. 340, dated 27 January last done, which has resulted in less definiteness than was obtainable by the former arrangement and I send for consideration part of the scheme which may commend itself as following generally the recommendations of the Committee while keeping distinct the subjects of intelligence communication, & intelligence and orders, and maintenance of official communication for administrative and general purposes.
(4) I assume this officer has already been told of the important and difficult rôle of censor, it is advisable that he should have had some previous practice in the use of code and cypher books, which have to be used during the whole time that a censorship is maintained on the premises of the four Telegraph Companies. In certain cases it may be necessary for him to look through each issue of the local English Papers before publication and in concert with an interpreter officer to keep watch on Chinese Press. I suggest that instructions for the censor including those embodied in paragraph 14 of the Colonial Defence Committee's Remarks No. 340 R, should be "contained in his instructions."
(5) The various Departments having made themselves responsible for providing all coolies required by the Military Departments it is important that the defence scheme should show clearly in one place the numbers required on the different days of mobilization (including number of Headmen and men reporting special qualifications) and also to whom, and when they are to be sent. It will be seen from the notes affixed to the pages of the Scheme that it does not at present give the information as clearly or completely as is desirable.
(6) With regard to the important matters dealt with in the letter of the 25th inst., which concern the Defence Scheme & propose to communicate with the Secretary of State for the Colonies in despatch of which I will furnish Your Excellency with a copy.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your obedient servant,
(MD) M. Nathan
CB
Major General V. Kation
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