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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 885

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

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and retirement from active service should be followed by a period in the reserve dealt with below.

Permanent troops should always, and partially-paid troops should when called out for training or in anticipation of war, pass under the Army Act of 1881 for discipline, and volunteers and armed police should also come under it when acting with regular troops, or in operations against an enemy.

The Colonial Defence Committee consider that the conditions of service for (1) regular forces, (2) militia, (3) volunteers, and (4) armed police, in all parts of the Empire should be as uniform as the varying circumstances of the different Colonies will allow, and that this principle should govern local legislatures in framing their Military Acts.

Such Acts, besides dealing with enlistment or enrolment, length of active and reserve service, application of Imperial Army Act and Army Regulations, &c., should also lay These at present vary greatly in different down definite regulations for training.

Colonies, and, while taking into consideration the high intellectual and moral standard of the material generally available for the forces in the self-governing Colonies, the training at present given in some of them may be considered sufficient, in others this is not the case.

The Committee attach the greatest importance to combined training in camps of exercise, and in rehearsal of the approved schemes of defence; but they would point out that unless the soldier has previously received sufficient recruit's instruction and company position to derive full advantage from larger operations. training, he will not be in a Thorough training in small units is the first step towards making a soldier efficient.

10. The Colonial Defence Committee have always strongly advocated the formation of reserves for all colonial forces. They consider that a proper reserve system will enable the peace establishments to be kept low, and insure their being brought up to war strength with trained men. They attach great weight to the first of these considerations, as they recognise that it would seriously militate against the civil interests of the Colonies to keep a large force permanently with the colours, or liable to be constantly taken away from their ordinary avocations for the frequent training necessary to make a short-service militia efficient. They also deprecate any system which in time of emergency floods the ranks of the permanent or partially-paid troops with a number of untrained or slightly- trained recruits.

They therefore recommend that all men that have passed through the ranks of the permanent or partially-paid forces should be registered for a definite period as reservists, liable to be called out in the event of national emergency, and their addresses and changes of address should be recorded, and that they should receive an annual retaining fee, carrying with it the obligation of attending certain drills. The number of men so registered should be sufficient to bring the peace up to the war establishment and to provide a small additional number to replace casualties, and the period of service in the reserve should be about twice as long as that in the active forces, reduced, however, when the strength of the reserve allows of this being done without falling below the total laid down as necessary.

11. Passing to the question of equipment, the most important item is the small-arm, and concerning this the Committee are guided in their recommendations by the following principles :-

(1.) All troops in a Colony to have small-arms of the same calibre.

(2.) Troops in Colonies which may have to act together to have small-arms of the

same calibre.

(3.) Troops in Colonies where they may have to act with Imperial forces to have

small-arms which will take the Service 303′′ ammunition.

(4.) Cavalry and artillery to be armed with carbines, and, as a rule, other troops with

rifles.

(5.) Machine-guns to take the cartridges of the small-arms used in the same Colony. (6.) Small-arms to be provided for 50 per cent. over establishment and reserves

of men.

12. Field artillery, in connexion with Colonial defence, is required either for operations with a field army or in counexion with the land defence, and the defence against landing parties of a coast fortress or coaling station. In the former case it is essential that the batteries should be able to move rapidly, and over long distances, complete with ammunition columns. In the latter case rapid movement is equally essential, but only over short distances, and prolonged action will not be called for; a single battery will probably suffice in places only liable to a raiding attack. All guus in a Colony should

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take the same ammunition, and it will be best to adopt, as far as possible, a field gun used in the Imperial Service.

13. It is scarcely necessary to point out that in all Colonies a sufficient reserve of uniform, equipment, harness, saddlery, and stores, for at least the full strength of the war establishment of all arms of the Colonial force, should either be kept in store, or The there should be means provided for its rapid supply by local manufacture. Committee have seen with satisfaction that much has been done in some Colonies towards supply from local sources, and they recommend that this object should constantly be kept in view. It is advisable that clothing and equipment should, as far as is consistent with local conditions, be of similar patterns for the different branches of the Service in the different Colonies, Uniform should be plain, serviceable, and cheap. Khaki has been found in India to be the most suitable colour. There should be a uniform system in all Colonies for distinguishing the different services, arms, and grades, and the system should be similar to that adopted in the Imperial Service.

14. The Colonial Defence Committee have frequently dealt with the question of guns for the defended ports of the Empire, and have pointed out that a medium B.L. and lighter Q.F. armament is, in most cases, sufficient coast defences. The reasons that have led them to this opinion are the great advantage that shore guns have over those on ships, and that unarmoured or lightly armoured vessels are especially at a disadvantage in fighting shore batteries mounting even light artillery. Against cruisers a medium gun will amply suffice, and by its greater handiness and speed of fire will prove more effective than the heavier natures. The cost of armaments and emplacements rapidly rises as calibres increase, and by restricting the size of their guns in the future the Colonies will secure economy, efficiency, and simplicity at the same time.

The substitution of more modern guns for armaments now mounted will, of course, become desirable from time to time, especially when such guns can be worked by a smaller number of men; such substitution, when it is undertaken, should be considered for the whole armament of a port. Otherwise there results a multiplication of calibres and patterns, which add greatly to the difficulties of training the gunners and working the guns. It is scarcely necessary to add that every gun mounted should be maintained thoroughly efficient, with a full supply of all the ammunition and necessary stores for working it.

15. With regard to coast works, it is unnecessary to say more here than that, where their position renders them liable to boat attack, they should always be protected from a sudden rush by an unclimbable fence or ditch.

Land works are sometimes necessary to protect a port from hostile parties landed out of range of the coast batteries and attacking from the flanks or rear. They will usually consist of field defences. Clearing of foreground and, occasionally, demolitions will also be necessary.

All details concerning them should be carefully worked out beforehand. More extended works will of course be necessary in the case of attack from a land froutier, and will require more complete study and preparation.

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16. Certain Colonies have provided themselves with local floating defences to supplement the fixed defences of their ports. Since the completion of the latter the Colonial Defence Committee have attributed

ce than formerly to the small colonial navies, cousidering that it is generally

obtain from floating harbour defences an effect commensurate with the outlay led by them. Where, however, there is a sufficiently spacious area of navigable water apart from the fortifications to permit local defence ships to manoeuvre, this objection does not apply. Colonial warships, where maintained, should be kept in a thoroughly efficient condition both with regard to personnel and matériel.

17. There are many points in addition to those touched on above concerning which the Colonial Defence Committee have offered advice to the Colonies in the past, and are prepared to do so in the future, but which it is obviously unadvisable to deal with in a Memorandum for general information. In this connexion they would repeat a paragraph from a former Report: "The necessity for preserving secrecy in regard to the

position of

and details was brought before the Colonial Conference in 1887, and "has at various times been impressed upon the Colonial Governments. It is carnestly

hoped that these warnings will in future be acted upon.”

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guns

18. The Committee would also take this opportunity of pointing out that they can more satisfactorily assist the Colonial Governments in dealing with questions of defence, if all general Repots and important proposals of their military advisers are referred to the Committee through the Colonial Office as soon as possible after being considered by the Governments. The Committee completely recognise that, for financial and other reasons, possibly of a coufidential nature, and of a political rather than of a military character, it may often not be practicable to give effect to the recommendations that are E e 3