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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 885

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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I am also to transmit to you a copy of a letter which has been addressed by this Office to the Treasury on the subject of providing for the first cost of the proposals of the Committee.

I am to request that you will move Colonel Stanley to give his early consideration to the measures recommended by the Committee for immediate adoption as far as they concern the War Department.

The number of guns required for these Colonies is fifty-eight 6 or 7-ton guns, of which Sir Michael Hicks Beach understands that thirty-four are being sent out by the War Department, as well as thirty-six 64 or 80-pounder guns. For other Colonies, as to which subsequent communications will be made to you, there will be required forty-nine 6-ton guns, and thirty-three 64-pounder guns, making a total of ninety-seven 64-ton guns and sixty-nine 64-pounder guns, to meet which requirements there are available only from thirty to forty 63-ton guns. The Committee state that these guns can be manufac tured at the Royal Gun Factory at the rate of two and a-half per week, the delivery to commence after three months, but that the supply might be greatly accelerated by having recourse to Sir W. Armstrong's works at Elswick. I am to request that you will call Colonel Stanley's serious attention to the necessity for setting the Royal Factory imme diately to work, and not neglecting any auxiliary means of supply, and Sir Michael Hicks Beach will be glad to be informed as soon as possible of the steps which Colonel Stanley may decide to take in this matter.

I am, &c.

(Confidential.) Sir,

No. 47.

(Signed)

Colonial Office to Admiralty.

W. R. MALCOLM.

Downing Street, April 20, 1878.

I AM directed by Sir Michael Hicks Beach to transmit to you, for the consideration of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, the accompanying copy of the Report, as regards the Cape and the Eastern Colonies, of the Committee appointed to consider the temporary measures necessary for the defence of the Colonies in the event of war.t

I am also to transmit to you a copy of a letter which has been addressed by this Office to the Treasury on the subject of providing for the first cost of the proposals of the Committee.

I am to request that you will move their Lordships to give their early consideration to the measures recommended by the Committee for immediate adoption, particularly to the suggestion that gun-boats of the "Comet" class should be permanently stationed at Table Bay, Singapore, and Hong-Kong.

I ain, &c.

(Signed) W. R. MALCOLM.

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Baltic fleet, such as it is, and I do not apprehend that its defences are of a character to enable it to withstand a spirited attack made by a couple of heavily-armed gunboats, which, from a distance wholly unattainable by any batteries at present mounted on the island, could shell it into submission within a few hours from the opening of their fire. Nor is the Coast-guard force actually at the disposition of the Lieutenant-Governor suffi- ciently numerous to prevent the landing of such a body of marines or man-of-war's men as could be easily conveyed thither from the Baltic immediately after the formal pro- mulgation of a declaration of war between Russia and England, supposing an expedition for that purpose to have been prepared and kept in readiness to start from the most con- venient point at an hour's notice. Heligoland, unless provided with armaments of a far more powerful description than those of which it can now dispose, is really at the mercy of our possible enemy, and could be carried by a coup de main with but small risk of loss to the attacking force.

A few heavy guns, with artillerists to serve them from shore or cliff batteries, and a British gunboat to cruize in the neighbourhood of the island, thus averting the possibility of a surprise, would amply suffice to allay the apprehensions of the inhabi- tants, and to guarantee "Holy Land" against capture by anything the Russians would be likely to send against it with suddenness and rapidity enough to be effective. It might be as well, too, that an engineer officer should be attached as aide-de-camp to Colonel Maxse, who is, with one exception, the only Englishman on the island. accident might happen to the Governor, who, being a British soldier, would certainly occupy the post of chief danger were Heligoland attacked, and there is at present no one at his disposition to whom he might delegate his authority, or who could take his place under such circumstances. Heligoland is only a large red rock with a green top and nearly perpendicular sides; every house on it is exposed to fire from the sea, and could be shelled into cinders with the greatest ease by gunboats posted behind the dune or strip of isolated sand fronting its inhabited side, and to which those amongst the annual holiday visitors who practise sea-bathing are compelled to cross in open boats from the rocky island upon which they eat, drink, dance, and sleep. The islanders, sturdy Frisians and good fishermen, are by no means gifted with a heroic temper, and I should be sorry to have to count upon them for resistance à outrance to a landing force unless they were kept well in hand by Englishmen.

An

"The possession of Heligoland, at all times valuable to us, would be more thau ever so in case we should be compelled to engage in a war against Russia. Its importance as a coaling station for our fleet, and as a depôt for stores and munitions of war, entitles it to the most careful protection at the hands of our Government. The expenditure involved in making that protection presently and thoroughly effectual is hardly worth talking about, and I feel convinced that the attention of the proper authorities has only to be directed to the somewhat forlorn condition of what is practically our extreme outpost-our sentinelle perdue in northern waters-for all that is needful to be done at once, so that the "red rock" shall be put into a proper state of defence. Prevention is better than cure. lost Heligoland we should doubtless retake it with extreme promptitude; but on the whole it is preferable that we should not lose it, even for an hour."

If we

No. 49.

No. 48.

Extract from the "Daily Telegraph" of April 25, 1878.

Berlin, April 21, 1878.

THE accounts published daily in the German and Austrian newspapers of the naval preparations under way, or at least contemplated. by the Russian Government in antici. pation of a war with England, though somewhat sensational, and, I have reason to believe, considerably exaggerated, claim a certain modicum of attention and consideration, chiefly because they are suggestive of one or two minor precautionary measures which, despite our undisputed supremacy on the seas, we cannot afford to neglect, under penalty of being disagreeably surprised some fine day by a Russian success, possibly trifling and unimpor- tant, but of which our enemies would be inordinately proud, by reason of its being achieved in a direction peculiarly humiliating to us. It seems to me that the compara- tively unprotected condition of Heligoland and of some 2,000 British subjects inhabiting that island is a subject to which the notice of Her Majesty's naval and military authorities might, at the present moment, be vouchsafed with considerable advantage to our maritime interests, as well as to those of the island itself. Heligoland lies quite handy to the Russian

+ Vide Miscellaneous, No. 35.

• No. 45.

The Right Hon. Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, Bart., to the Marquis of Normanby. (Telegraphic.) (Secret.)

Downing Street, April 25, 1878.

A COMMITTEE of experienced officers has been appointed to consider the question of the immediate defence of the Colonies in the event of war, and they pronounce that the naval defence of New Zealand is impracticable. The Committee recommend, against attacks by sea, for Auckland, batteries on both sides of Judges' Bay; for Wellington a battery between Barrel Beacon and Dorset Point, and, if possible, submarine mines, which will necessitate a small pilot steamer; a battery between Port Lyttleton and the Heads. For Otago harbour and Dunedin, a battery near to Harrington Points. A local force at. each of the four mentioned towns and Nelson in order to repèl land attacks. Total cost estimated at 44,0001. For works, 26,4001. For guns (11 7-ton; and 11 64-pounders), 17,600/. Will New Zealand undertake expense ?

Details will be forwarded by despatch.

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