CO129-288 - Public Offices & Others - 1898 — Page 27

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the guuners and 50 of the Home Quard, now homeless.

NOTE BY EDITOR.-The manuscript here ended abruptly, part having been apparent- ly torn. off.

THE END.

CORRESPONDENCE,

THE BACK DOOR.'-A CRITICISM.

To the Editor of the 'CHINA MAIL.'

Hongkong, October 8.

quite lost; Britain's flag still flew over of the island, that the last of the defenders Stonecutters--over amazingly few certainly, was slain and the Union Jack torn down. Poor Blobs, if spooks revisit this world his should haunt the isle he guarded so well General Renard was unable to commu- and loved so dearly in life. It is now time nicate with General Morblea till after dark to tell you--- and then had to report that he had barely 700 men fit for duty, and that they were in such an exhausted condition without re- inforcement, he could not essay the reduc- tion of Stonecutters. Morbleu's men were if anything in worse plight, and Huzzard took good care to rouse them at intervals during the night with a shell or two over the town. About 3 a.m. Renard sent over some snall parties of men, who, landing at the eastern end of the island, got into the Civil Magazine, where were stored nearly 150 tons of dynamite and about 200,000 Ihs of powder (it was a great oversight that at | the first alarm this mass of explosives had! not been taken out into the harbour and suuk), laid trains, lit the matches and re- tired to the Peninsula again. About 4.15 a.m. the Magazine blew up with a fearful explosion and shock like an earthquake, bringing down houses and walls in Victoris Now, to put things in plain English, and tumbling down the ruins in Kow- British authorities never were prepared for loon. The effects were calamitous on the unexpected, except in India of late the Stonecutters Forts: it literally dis-years, where their billets, nay, their lives, mantled them; all the guns were thrown depended on their being ready, and it cost over, the front of Stonecutters East opened them many hard knocks to make them see and fell forward into the sea, yawning it. Nowadays, all honour to them, they chasms appeared in Stonecutters West. are ready for anything, and there is no Rookshank and many of his men were reason why they should not be equally buried in the ruins of the Eastern fort. ready in Hongkong. If the General or the Huzzard collected all the survivors in the Commodore would step forward and say West fort and did what was possible to with authority, It is all right,'of course barricade the breaches, &c. One quick-we do not want them to publish defence firer was got into serviceable order, and secrets, but to give us a reasonable assurance then they had done all they could do. At that things are not as they seem, and that we sunrise the French came over, at first very can possess our souls in peace - much un- cautiously, but finding no resistence with easiness would be set at rest, but so far this We are not finding greater boldness, till past the butts. Rehas never been done.

SIR, Your Back Door' contributor is just a wee bit too previous. The Bear has not got Hongkong yet, though the object of the little story is plain to be seen, and who will say that the writer's motives are not patriotic.

nard had landed 500 mon, but it was not fault with individuals, but with the system. tall past 8, and until reinforcements from We know that our soldiers, officers and Hongkong had landed on the southern shore men, will do all that men can do and may

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be trusted to die at their posts; but why cable would enable information to be sent should they have to die, when a little fore to Headquarters for re-inforcements on the thought and preparation would render it first appearance of an enemy, and here the unnecessary for them to make this sacrifice ? Jubilee Road would come in.

What are the facts? Civilians possessed

Now the expense of this first instalment

of ordinary commonsenso and reasoning! of defence would not be very great. I be

qualities, though not necessarily experts in

lieve we have some Maxims in store, and fortifications and warfare, believe, not with the services of the convicts could be utilized out some apparent reasons, that this Island to make the shelters, shelters that could is inadequately defended on the South

not be easily burt or reached by any vessel side; and that under modern conditions we are liable to be ‘rusled,' say at the prosent sink anything short of an iroudlad, and this in the offing, but those holding them could moment with only the Undaunted (under would be cheaper than expensive torpedo repair) and the amber and the obsolete

Harbour craft available, not counting plant. I believe there are numerous sites torpedo boats, which are fast becoming ob for guns pre-empted by the War Authorities on the South side, but so far there is not a

solete, too. Of course, we know the hundred and one reasons that would be given to gun near them, and we know how long it prove such a thing impossible, but it is takes to get a heavy gun into position when always the unexpected that happens, and there is extra pay per hour for the men on the job. And what has become of the knowing the recently expressed sentiments of some of our friends, would it not be worth famous Defence Committee of which so while to be prepared for any eventuality much was expected? Hongkong is our most distant link in the

So far as can be learned the sum of their chain of strongholds. Now, is it worth or labours are represented by a coat of black is it not worth our while to defend it to the paint on several buoys in the Harbour, last? If it is not worth our while, why all presumbly to frighten the enemy and the money spent and to be expended onį make him imagine Mines. None of the naval projects, etc., etc. We must con- members ever fulfilled the purpose for clude that the authorities consider it a vital which they were intended, so far as the point! If so, why this blind trusting to public are concerned. Now we have to luck and a defenceless south shore.

To pay 17 per cent Military Contribution, some the weak point appears to be that if we besides extras. Many of us have all we were attacked in the foggy season guns on possess invested in this Island, and will the heights would be no use, in a dark have to live and die here, and naturally we night, to keep hostile craft at a distance in want to feel reasonably sure that our de- the absence of the fleet as at present. Now. fences are being looked after. If there is if the points of each small bay on our south any doubt on this point let the Authori- shores were provided with a couple of ties take us into their confidence and Maxims and a quick-firer in the nearly demonstrate the fact to a representative absolute shelter of the points of land where committee, and if it is money they want galleries could be excavated for them, and they can surely trust to our patriotism and for a powerful search light, no boats capable to our sense of self-interest to make any of landing troops could possibly escape required sacrifice, the only necessity being detection or annihilation. The number of that they must convince our reason. Surely men required at each bay would not exceed this is botter than trusting to hack and say ton in peace time, and a buried telegraph! passing on responsibility.