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BAHAMAS.

Enclosure in No. 2.

COPY OF INSTRUCTIONS. CAPTAIN WATSON to MR. HOLDEN.

FOR naval purposes during the present hostilities it is necessary to establish a systematic means for obtaining information as to any use by the enemy of the waters of the Bahamas within the jurisdiction of the Governor, His Excellency G. B. Haddon-Smith, C.M.G.

To carry this out I suggest you should organize such local schooners and information points as may seem to you desirable into channels of information.

The "Carnarvon" should make such cruises as are required to keep in touch with these channels of information.

Having organized the system, you should take it to His Excellency the Governor of Bahamas for approval, and for the sanction of payment as required. The area required to be observed is all the waters and islands to the north of Lobos Cay.

HUGH WATSON,

To Captain William Holden,

Imperial Lighthouse Tender "Carnarvon,”

Nassau.

15th October.

43419

No. 3.

*

BAHAMAS.

The Board pointed out to their lordships that, apart from the fact that the Carnarvon," being a slow vessel and not fitted with wireless apparatus, was not very suitable for such duties, difficulties might arise in the efficient upkeep of the Bahamas lighthouse service if the tender, by reason of her employment for naval purposes, was not available in the event of an emergency occurring at one of the twelve lighthouses for which the Board of Trade are responsible, while her use for belligerent purposes might deprive her of the immunity from capture or destruction by an enemy which she would otherwise enjoy as a lighthouse tender.

It will be observed from the accompanying copy of a letter, dated the 18th November, which the Board have received from the Admiralty that their lord- ships see no objection to the "Carnarvon" reverting to her lighthouse duties, and this decision was communicated to the Inspector of the Lighthouse Service by cable on the 18th November.

I have, &c.,

Captain,

H.M.S. "Essex."

SIR,

GARNHAM ROPER.

Enclosure in No. 4.

Admiralty, 18th November, 1914. WITH reference to your letter of the 13th instant, relative to the requisition- ing of the lighthouse tender "Carnarvon in the Bahamas, I am commanded by

$1

My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to acquaint you, for the information of the Board of Trade, that no objection is seen to the "Carnarvon" reverting to her lighthouse duties, and the Commanding Officer, H.M.S. 'Essex," has instructed accordingly.

been

(Confidential.)

COLONIAL OFFICE to BOARD OF TRADE.

[Answered by No. 4.]

SIE,

Downing Street, 12th November, 1914. WITH reference to the letter from this Department of the 18th October,* I am directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to transmit to you the accompanying copy of a despatch from the Governor of the Bahamas in regard to the arrangements made by him for complying with the request of the Commanding Officer of H.M.S.

Essex as to the patrol of the waters of the Colony.

"3

2. You will observe that the Governor asks in paragraph 6 that certain instructions may be given by the Board of Trade to the Commander of the tender "Carnarvon."

3. A copy of the Governor's despatch is being sent to the Admiralty.

H. J. READ,

The Secretary,

Board of Trade.

BARBADOS.

11213

No. 5.

I am, &c.,

J. W. S. ANDERSON,

for Secretary.

47930

SIR,

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

(Received 8th March, 1915.)

I am, &c.,

for the Under-Secretary of State.

(Confidential.)

SIR,

No. 4.

BOARD OF TRADE to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received 3rd December, 1914.)

[Copy to Governor, Confidential, 11th December, 1914. L.P.]

Board of Trade (Harbour Department),

7, Whitehall Gardens, London, S.W.,

2nd December, 1914.

"

WITH reference to your letter of the 12th November (No. 43419/1914),‡ on the subject of the arrangements made by the Governor of the Bahamas for com- plying with the request of the Commanding Officer of His Majesty's ship "Essex as to the patrolling of the waters of that Colony, I am directed by the Board of Trade to state, for the information of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, that they have been in communication with the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty

" "Carnarvon

for the respting the requisitioning of the lighthouse tender purp 30 in question.

Government House, 6th February, 1915.

In reply to your Confidential despatch of the 1st of December, 1914,* I have the honour to forward the following account of the measures, other than those of a military or technical character, taken in Barbados down to the 31st of December, 1914, in consequence of the war, and of the social [and] economic effects of the war on the Colony up to date.

2. In consequence of the telegrams received from you on and after the 81st of July, 1914, pointing to the imminence of war, I summoned a meeting of both branches of the Legislature for the 4th of August, 1914, and submitted for imme- diate enactment a Bill to prohibit the exportation of such articles of foodstuffs as may from time to time be named by Proclamation. This Bill became law on the 4th of August, 1914.

3. I attach a copy of the Act† (1914-10), and of the Proclamations and Orders† issued from time to time thereunder. The first of these Proolamations caused the stoppage of the accustomed shipment of sweet potatoes to Trinidad and British Guiana; the stoppage brought about an immediate relaxation in the local retail price: and this relaxation conferred a relief which was of great importance to the labour- ing population, because a severe drought had prevailed during the preceding

* 93217: not printed.

Not reprinted.

* 40064: not printed.

f No. 2.

‡ No. 8.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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· Reference —

C.O. 885

24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

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BARBADOS,