CO882-(8-9) — Page 500

57

recommendation of the Committee of Imperial Defence that the garrison at Trin- comalee be withdrawn.

(Confidential)

SIR.

No. 67.

CEYLON.

ADMIRALTY to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received 4 April, 1905.)

Admiralty, 3rd April, 1905. Ix acknowledging the receipt of your letter (No. 8649) of the 25th ultimo,* I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to draw the attention of Mr Secretary Lyttelton to the fact that no mention is made of fortifications in the Admiralty felegram of the 23rd December last, on the subject of the closing of the Royal Naval Ordnance Depôt at Trincomalee

18411

No. 68.

CEYLON.

I am, &c..

CI THOMAS.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 30 May, 1905.)

| Capy to War Oflice and Admiralty, 8 June, and Committee of Imperial Defence.

23 June, 1905.]

[Answered by No. 73. |

I have, &c.,

GEORGE ATKINSON-WILLES.

His Excellency

Rear-Admiral, Commander-in-Chief.

The Governor of Ceylon.

(No. 214/1578.)

SIR,

Hyacinth at sea, Lat. 22° 34′ N., Long. 68° 1' E.,

25th April, 1905. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge receipt of Admiralty letter of the 17th March, 1905. informing me that the Committee of Imperial Defence has recom- mended that the garrison at Trincomalee be withdrawn.

2. I would respectfully submit that dismantling the forts and withdrawing the garrison from Trincomalee appears to me to be a very grave course to pursue.

3. The closing of the Naval and Victualling Yard is of small consequence, as the buildings are to be kept weather tight and can easily be resumed; but to give up the one protected harbour in the Indian Ocean where a crippled ship and vessels carrying stores can be assembled and find security appears to me to be unwise, in view of the growing sea power of other nations.

4. I would further submit it as my opinion that Colombo can never take the place of Trincomalee as a naval base, owing to its vulnerability to gun fire from the sea and the limited size of its harbour.

5. I beg that their Lordships will believe that nothing but a strong sense of duty would allow me to demur from the ruling of the Committee of Imperial Defence, who may not have had these facts brought to their notice.

The Secretary,

Admiralty.

5th May, 1905.

I have, &c.,

GEORGE L. ATKINSON-WILLES,

Rear-Admiral, Commander-in-Chief.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TILLC.O. 882

SIR,

(onfidential.)

The Queen's Cottage, Nuwara Eliya, Ceylon,

I HAVE the honour to enclose, for your information, a copy of a letter received to day from Rear Admiral Atkinson- Willes. Naval Commander-in-Chief of the East Indian Station.

While I know nothing of the strategic reasons that have led to the abandonment of Trincomalie as a naval station, I share with Admiral Atkinson-Willes the appre- hension with which he regards the dismantling of the forts and abandonment of the only protected harbour in the Indian Ocean.

While the fine breakwater at Colombo affords protection to vessels from wave action, the harbour and the new dock are fully exposed to gun fire from the sea. The harbour could therefore never take the place of Trincomalie as a harbour of refuge for damaged ships in time of war, or a safe harbour for the assemblage of store ships.

I venture to hope, therefore, that the proposal to dismantle the forts at Trin- comalie may be reconsidered.

20869

SIR,

No. 69.

CEYLON.

WAR OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received 17 June, 1905.)

War Office, London, S.W., 16th June, 1905.

I AM commanded by the Army Council to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 18411/05, of 8th instant, covering copy of a despatch from the Governor of Ceylon with regard to the dismantling of Trincomalee. As at present advised the Council do not propose to take any action in the matter, but I am to suggest that if this has not already been done a copy of the Governor's despatch and enclosure should be communicated to the Secretary of the Council of Imperial Defence.

I am, &c.,

R. H. BRADE.

(No. 1578.)

YOUR EXCELLENCY,

I have. &c..

21647

HENRY A. BLAKË,

Governor, &c.

Enclosure in No. 68.

Hyacinth at sea, Lat. 22° 34' N., Long. 68° 1' E.,

25th April, 1905.

I HAVE the honour to forward for your information a copy of a letter which

I have addressed to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, relative to the

* Not printed: it transmitted copies of Nos. 58 and 66.

↑ Enclosure in No. 66,

(Confidential.)

ŠIR,

No. 70.

CEYLON.

ADMIRALTY to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received 23 June, 1905.)

>

Admiralty, 21st June, 1905. In reply to your letter transmitting copy of a despatch from the Governor of Ceylon together with a correspondence between His Excellency and the Naval

• Transmitting copy of No. 68.

6

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON