CO885-5 — Page 386

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TITITI

C.O. 885

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

328

I regret that, owing to an accident, I am unable to send you a plan of Port Darwin Harbour, showing the reserves on the headlands which are suited for fortifications; but I have no doubt the Agent-General will obtain for you a copy of the Admiralty chart of Port Darwin. Every position of advantage is still in the possession of the Crown, except a portion of the land at West Point, which can, however, be resumed if

necessary.

I confidently anticipate that as the result of the construction of the railway to the mining districts, there will be a rapid development of our mineral wealth. I am also satisfied, after visiting China, that there is a great future before the Northern Territory in tropical agriculture, especially in rice. Saigon and its rice plains are an exact counterpart of the Adelaide, Daly, and Alligator Rivers in the Northern Territory. In fact, one might easily imagine himself in the Northern Territory when looking on the country from the Dai-Vai River.

All these considerations give great importance to Port Darwin, and I feel sure they will compel recognition, both from an Australasian and an Imperial point of view.

I have, &c.,

The Hon. J. W. Downer, Q.C., M.P., Premier of South Australia.

(Signed) J. LANGDON PARSONS,

SECTION VII.

B. General.

No. 72.

Government Resident.

PRECAUTIONS IN RELATION TO THE DEFENCE OF HARBOURS, &c. COLONIAL OFFICE MEMORANDUM.

There is an important matter to which I think it is desirable that the attention of the representatives should be drawn. It is in contemplation to carry out measures of necessary precaution in relation to the defences of fortresses and coaling stations, and the self-governing Colonies will be invited to take similar steps in relation to their own defences, on which they have expended large sums of money. Three separate questions are involved, and I propose to state the measures which Her Majesty's Government have in contemplation.

1. It has been the practice in certain cases for parties to be landed from ships of war on the territory of other Powers. This practice has been permitted on British territory, and no regulations exist enjoining restrictions of the privilege. It is proposed to issue instructions that no armed parties shall be granted permission to land on British territory under any circumstances, It will be unnecessary for me now to point out the reasons which have influenced Her Majesty's Government in this matter, as they will be fully set forth in the circular despatch which it is proposed to address on the subject to the respective Colonial Governments, and I trust that the representatives. of the self-governing Colonies will lend their influence to the enforcement of a similar restriction in the case of the territories of their Colonies.

2. No restrictions exist as to the number of foreign ships of war or transports carrying troops allowed to be present in a fortified harbour at the same time. In many cases where the defences of a port are concentrated at the channel of approach, it is evident that a force once within those defences is placed at an advantage which could not be subsequently neutralised. The right of all Powers to impose regulations restricting the entry of foreign ships of war within its ports is unquestioned, and, as you are aware, the Russian Government have recently issued regulations limiting the number of ships of war of the same nationality to be present in their Pacific ports at the same time to two, and requiring previous notification to the local authorities of the coming of such vessels. A proposal for the establishment of analogous restrictions in the case of certain British ports is now under the consideration of Her Majesty's Government. It will be for the consideration of the representatives whether, in some of their ports to which the above conditions apply, similar restrictions should not be enforced.

3. Lastly, Her Majesty's Government have had under consideration the urgent necessity of keeping secret the details and armaments of works of defence as far as possible, and have decided, in the case of those stations for which they are responsible, to lay it down as a positive rule, under no circumstances to be departed from, that no one is ever to be admitted within works of defence except on duty. As you are doubtless aware, foreign Powers exercise extensive precautions in these respects, and the laxity

329

which has prevailed in regard to British defences has elicited no measures of reciprocity in any quarter. The necessity for such precautions is enhanced at the present time by the fact that in the defences which are at present being constructed, concealment of guns and works is being aimed at to a large extent; while the introduction of the system of position-finding, by which the direction of the fire of the guns of coast defences will be vested in observers operating in hidden positions, renders it specially desirable that full details as to the internal arrangements of the defence should not be rendered casily available for the benefit of possible enemies. I may be permitted to point out that the want of full information as to the defences of Alexandria proved a decided disadvantage to the British Admiral in carrying out his operations. In order to show that measures of precaution are not invariably observed at the present time, even at such important. stations as Hong Kong and Singapore, where Imperial garrisons are maintained under the command of an experienced general officer, and where there are also civil authoritics of high standing, I will proceed to quote to you extracts from a report from the Admiral commanding the China squadron, in which he points out-

The complete absence of any procautions being taken to prevent foreign officers getting access to our forts.

"One Russian officer was caught inside one, taking plans, and was simply fined 10 dollars. Butterfly hunting in the vicinity of forts is a great Russian amusement here (at Singapore) at present.

Myself and officers of the squadron have been over most of the forts both here and

at Hong Kong, in plain clothes, and no notice has been taken of us.

"I therefore think that the utter absence of all precautions to prevent foreign officers obtaining minute information of the numbers and disposition of guns already mounted (as in Fort Siloso, alluded to in my letter to the Governor) adds very materially to naval difficulties in the matter of defence."

And again in the letter to the Governor of the Straits Settlements referred to, he says:-

44

Yesterday, accompanied by my flag-lieutenant and secretary, I landed in white uniform in my galley at Siloso Fort, without let or hindrance, to inspect the entire fortifications; the gates were open, and, with the exception of a few coolies (who were having their supper, and took no notice whatever), we saw no person who could possibly be taken to be in charge of the fort, with the exception of a half-dressed Malay, who came to us after we had finished the entire inspection, and who said something which we could not understand.

"We inspected the guns mounted, magazines, casemates, &c., &c., and, had we been foreign officers, could easily have made plans of the whole fort, and, if so inclined, could have placed dynamite or gun-cotton in various places, which would have totally destroyed the place without suspicion being attached.

"I am given to understand that a Russian officer was recently actually found in one of the forts with plans in his possession.

"During the late visit of the squadron under my orders to Vladivostock, the Russians took very good care not to allow our officers to approach nearer than two miles to their forts."

I need scarcely enlarge on the extreme gravity of the state of affairs here revealed. It will be the duty of Her Majesty's Government to ascertain on whose shoulders the blame for this culpable carelessness rests.

It will be generally admitted that the facilities for observation, which the Admiral points out, are not unlikely to be turned to account in an age of great military and naval rivalry, and where highly organised intelligence departments are maintained by all great Powers. It is proposed to issue stringent regulations to meet the danger pointed out, and it will be for the consideration of the Governments of the various Colonies whether they should not adopt similar measures of precaution. The difficulty of main- taining absolute secrecy in relation to defences is fully recognised; but there can be little doubt that no means should be neglected to prevent the spread of information which would be invaluable to an enemy in the case of attack.

May 1887.

3 A 2

H. T. HOLLAND.

330