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Does
Printed
Date of Last
Group.
No.
Colony.
Scheme exist?
Revision.
2222
232232
Remarks.
Defence of Islands now under
consideration of Admiralty.
Local committee's proposals of
1887 now out of date.
20
Falkland Islands
No
21
Gibraltar -
Yes
March 1897.
Mediterranean
23
Malta Cyprus
-
"
January 1897. February 1887
24
Gambia.
No.
Sierra Leone
Yes
January 1898.
West Africa
Gold Coast
December 1896.
1+
27
Lagos
April 1888
Scheme now out of date.
28
St. Helena
September 1896.
Cape of Good
"
January 1896.
South Africa -
Hope.
30
Natal
September 1896.
31
Mauritius
32
Ceylon
11
January 1894.
33
Straits Settle-
December 1896.
Eastern
ments.
34
Labuan
No
35
Hong Kong
Yes
January 1896.
36
Western Australia
July 1887
*** 27
ד
October 1896.
37
South Australia -
38
Victoria
39
New
Sonth
Wales.
40
Queensland
June 1896. November 1896. September 1896.
January 1897.
41
British
New
No.
Australasian
42
Guines, Tasmania -
Yes
January 1887.
43
1. New Zealand
No
44
Fiji
Colonial Defence.
Scheme imperfect, nud now out of date. Revision last called for in C.D.C. Remarks, No. 146 R., dated 5.8.96.
Scheme now out of date. Revision last called for in C.D.C. Memorandum, No. 58 M., dated 19.3.96.
Scheme last called for in C.D.C. Remarks, No. 153 R., dated 1.2.97. Raising of local forces now under
consideration of Colony.
Memorandum by the Colonial Defence Committee.
.
ABOUT six years ago the Colonial Defence Committee drew up a Memorandum laying down certain general principles which they considered should be kept in view by the various responsible Governments of Australasia in dealing with questions affecting defence.
These principles have been generally accepted and acted upon in the Australian Colonies, though at times action is still taken there not entirely in accordance with them, while from other parts of the British Empire proposals are still received based on erroneous conceptions of the true policy of a great State having vast interests to defend in all quarters of the habitable world.
The Colonial Defence Committee, therefore, consider that the time has come when advantage will be derived from a further enunciation of the principles which have guided and still guide them in making recommendations to the various Departments of State with regard to the defence of the Colonies.
2. The maintenance of sea supremacy has been assumed as the basis of the system of This is the determining factor in Imperial defence against attack from over the sea. shaping the whole defensive policy of the Empire, and is fully recognised by the
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Admiralty, who have accepted the responsibility of protecting all British territory abroad against organised invasion from the sea. To fulfil this great charge, they claim the absolute power of disposing of their forces in the manner they consider most certain to secure success, and object to limit the action of any part of them to the immediate neighbourhood of places which they consider may be more effectively protected by operations at a distance.
It is recognised, however, that Her Majesty's ships, engaged in hunting out and destroying the squadrons of an enemy, may not be in a position to prevent the predatory raids of hostile cruisers on British ports. The strength of such an attack will vary in the different parts of the world, according to the stengths of possibly hostile navics, the proximity of their bases, and the troops that are or could easily be brought there in anticipation of war. It also varies from time to time with changing political combina- tions. But it is improbable that a raiding attack would be made by more than a few ships, nor could it be of any permanent effect unless troops could be landed. In no case could a greater force than a few thousand men be collected and conveyed without such arrangements and preparation as would bring the operations under the category of those dealt with by the navy. Against a raid of the rature indicated it has been considered necessary to make secure those places which are essential to the for coaling, refitting, and repairing. Ports for this purpose have been selected by the Admiralty, and Imperial resources in men and money available for use abroad have been concentrated on their defence. Many of the Colonies have contributed largely to their own military protection. In Australian waters defence for naval purposes has been provided by the Colony of New South Wales in the protection that has been given to the port of Sydney, while the defence of certain mercantile strategic positions has been undertaken mainly by the Australian Colonies whose commerce they will protect.
navy
3. Apart from the harbours fortified for the navy, there are other ports which, though they do not enter into what may be called the general strategic scheme, are also liable from their commercial importance to predatory raids, and which require measures of defence for the protection of the special interests involved. The resources of places which, in the opinion of an enemy, would justify the very considerable risks which a raid on them would involve, are generally sufficient to admit of the provision of local defence by local meaus, and where the liability to attack and the resources to resist attack co-exist, it has been held to be the duty of the Colony to make provision for adequate defence.
In dealing with places of this nature the Committee have advocated the creation of sufficient fixed defences to resist occupation by hostile cruisers, but more especially the provision of troops sufficient to deal effectually with such forces as an enemy must put on shore to enable him to secure any permanent advantage from his attack. Troops without works may defeat an enemy and frustrate his object. Works without troops are useless and delusive. It is necessary to lay stress on this fact, as fortifications give an appearance and feeling of security which is not justified unless they are fully garrisoned by well trained men and supported by mobile forces, and because expenditure on defences, involving a heavy outlay at one time and little at another, can be more easily fitted into the exigencies of fluctuating budgets than expenditure on troops, which must be constant to be effective. When money is made available in time of anticipated war, there is a tendency to spend it in increasing fortifications and armaments, sometimes already on an unnecessarily elaborate and extensive scale, while in time of external quiet and internal financial depression there is a tendency to reduce to a dangerous extent the military forces, which can only be of value if constantly kept up to a state of efficiency in numbers and training.
4. It is scarcely necessary to point out that the system of defence for the whole Colonial Empire must take fully into consideration the special conditions of the various Colonies. The organisation of forces in a vast continent like Australia must differ from that of the small body of men whose duty will be to protect the single port of a West Indian island. The Colonies of Australia should be in a position to afford each other inutual support by combined offensive or defensive action. An armed police force, prepared to resist the few troops that might be landed from a single cruiser may suffice to guard the smaller interests of a West Indian town. Again, the defence of Canada, with its long land frontier, obviously requires to be treated on a different basis from that of the small island of St. Helena,
To enable them to deal with these varying conditions on the basis of the general Scheme for the defence of the whole Empire, the Colonial Defence Committee have recommended that a Scheme, drawn up on certain indicated lines to show the probable strength and nature of attack on each Colony, and how its existing resources
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could be utilised to the best advantage for defence, should be submitted annually for their consideration and remarks. Such Scheines are now regularly received from all the Crown Colonies, and from most of those that are self-governing. The clearer perception of the strategic conditions of each place which is shown in the later Schemes, and the increase in their definiteness and practicability as they are revised year by year, lead the Committee to attribute the greatest importance to them, and strongly to urge those Colonies which have not already done so to at once take this step towards informing war, and what means they have for themselves as to what would be their weak points remedying them. Defence Schemes are not of mere academic interest. If war with a Great Power were to break out to-morrow there would be no new data available on which to draw up such Schemes if they did not already exist. They would have to be bastily compiled, considered, and adopted, and would probably be considerably above or below the requirements of the case, unnecessarily dislocating the civil progress of the country in the former case, and dangerously risking its safety in the latter.
5. In addition to the Schemes which deal, as above stated, with the organisation of existing resources for purposes of defence, various annual Reports of the Commandants of the military and naval forces of the self-governing Colonies have been referred to the Committee, as well as proposals which have been received from time to time by the Colonial Office from the Colonies with reference to alterations in their personnel and matériel. This has enabled the Committee to advise on the organisation, conditions of service, training, and equipment of colonial military and naval forces, and on the fortifi- cations and armament of the many defended places abroad. The Committee can, of course, only advise, and, for reasons of local policy or expediency, or for other causes, it has not always been possible for the Colonial Governments to accept the advice that has been given. The failure to do so has sometimes involved them in expenditure which to the Committee has not appeared essential, while sometimes they have effected economies which to the Committee have not appeared wise, and thus have in part marred the completeness of the general Scheme of national defence to which so much importance is attributed.
It will be convenient to repeat here the principles which are now guiding the Committee in advising on the more important details with regard to the above subjects.
6. The military forces of each Colony, when more than a detachment of volunteers or armed police, should be under a carefully selected officer, who should be appointed for a definite number of years, and who should be directly responsible to the Defence Minister in self-governing, and to the Governor in Crown Colonies, for the administration and for the maintenance of the efficiency of the military forces in time of peace, and, except when Colonial forces are co-operating with Imperial forces under a senior officer, for the conduct of all military operations in time of war. The Committee attribute great importance to the duties and responsibilities of the Military Commandant being clearly Until such time as the training defined, and to his powers, especially in war, being large.
of officers of local forces shall have been carried to a standard that will make it possible to select from among them officers equal to the very responsible duties involved in the command of all the troops of a Colony, it will be necessary, in the interests of the Colonies, to give these commands to Imperial officers.
Where the troops of adjacent Colonies are likely to co-operate, a Council of Defence of those Colonies should appoint a General Officer with Staff for the inspection of the troops in and for the conduct of joint operations in war.
peace
Where a Colony is divided for purposes of defence into several districts, each district should be under an officer appointed to its command, who should be responsible for the defence organisation of that district to the Military Commandant of the Colony.
In Colonies where there are extensive artillery defences and a considerable artillery force, a specially selected officer should be appointed from the Royal Artillery for a definite number of years to command the artillery of the Colony in peace, and to serve as Such an appoint- Artillery Staff Officer to the Military Commandant in peace and war. ment would only be necessary in the self-governing Colonies until local officers become available who are well acquainted, both theoretically and practically, with modern artillery matériel, and with the latest approved methods of utilising it, and the artillery personnel, to the best advantage.
The corresponding appointinent under similar conditions of an officer from the Royal Engineers is advisable where there are extensive submarine mining defences, or where large military works are in contemplation or in progress.
7. The selection, appointment, and conditions of service of the officers in the various branches of the colonial forces are not altogether satisfactory, and require to be assimilated in the various parts of the Empire, and especially in adjacent Colonies.
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Each Colony should have a reserve of qualified officers, who should be available, under definite arrangements, to make up the full number required for the forces on war footing with a small additional number to replace casualties. Canada possesses excellent material for such a reserve in the graduates of the Kingston Military College, and the matter has also been kept in view in some of the Australasian Colonies.
The
As many colonial officers as possible should be passed through military schools in the first instance, and should occasionally attend classes of instruction afterwards. concentration of the military education of officers in Australia at one centre would tend to economy and efficiency. It was recommended by a Royal Commissiou as long ago as 1882, and would probably follow on confederation, as in the case of Canada.
The higher instruction of officers has been assisted in some of the Australian Colonies and Canada by sending selected officers to courses in England and India. The results are reported to have been very satisfactory, and the system is considered a good one.
The United Service Institutions of New South Wales, Victoria, aud Queensland, have been established to contribute by lectures and discussions on military and naval matters towards raising the standard of technical knowledge of the officers of the military and naval forces of those Colonies, and the Military Institutes of Toronto and Quebec to serve a similar purpose in Canada. The Colonial Defence Committee look on these institutious as most useful, and hope to see similar institutions established in other Colonies,
8. The colonial military forces consist of regular or permanent troops, militia, either partially paid or unpaid, volunteers, and armed police. The Colonial Defence Committee attach the greatest importance to the assimilation of the troops in adjacent Colonies, and they consider that, as far as the local circumstances permit, the conditions of service should also be similar to those in the corresponding forces in the Imperial army.
In self-governing Colonies there should be, as there mostly already is, a small body of regular or permanent troops to look after armaments, defence works, and stores, and to assist in the training of the militia and volunteer forces in peace. They would form a strong nucleus for the more technical corps in war, and should include, until they attain a standard of recognised efficiency, a certain number of warrant officer or N.C.O. instructors from the Imperial service.
The Committee consider that a better general result has been, and is likely to be, given where the bulk of the colonial forces are partially paid than where the entirely voluntary system is adopted. The latter is fairly applicable in towns and well-populated districts, where it is possible frequently to get men together for parades without seriously interfering with their ordinary avocations; in rural districts the men cannot, as a rule, be assembled with sufficient frequency without pecuniary loss, and payment should be made to them.
In those Colonies where armed police are maintained, they should be liable to serve against foreign aggression as well as for the maintenance of internal order, and arrange- ments should be made to replace them in the latter duty at time of anticipated attack by special or rural constables as far as this can be done consistently with safety.
Militia, volunteers, and armed police should be separately organised, but arrangements should be made for their working together at peace manoeuvres, or in war operations, and also for their working with Imperial forces if called upon to do so.
Colonial troops should, as a rule, be organised in battalions of infantry, squadrons or regiments of mounted troops, batteries or companies of artillery, companies of engineers, and companies of armed police, but they should be told off to the higher units of a field force in Colonies where field operations are anticipated, and to definite duties in the combined action required for the defence of coast or land positions.
The Colonial Defence Committee attribute the greatest importance to the organisation of the departmental services, without which the smallest operation in war becomes impossible. Definite arrangements for supply, transport, and medical services should be made beforehand for every defended port and every contemplated field operation. Much can be done in this direction without expenditure by mere registration of doctors and nurses, and of sources of supply, horses, vehicles, labour, and superintendence, and more, by the small payment of retaining fees to secure services which might otherwise not be available in the hour of need. The departinental services, to be completely satisfactory, should, however, te thoroughly organised in time of peace.
9. With regard to the conditions of service in colonial regular and militia forces, it will suffice here to state that the Committee consider a short period-say three years—with thorough training to be more advantageous than the same training spread over a longer period. Re-enlistment and re-enrolment should be possible for further yearly periods
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