CO129-322 - Acting Governor May - 1904 [1-5] — Page 185

and with perhaps no faults.

184

The armaments with their component parts,

fixed lights, P.C. stations, search lights, telephonic communications progress, but far too slowly; for instance, the batteries on Devil's Peak, which should have been ready last May, are not yet ready. This is partly accounted for by an "unexpected" hard soil being found, but I think that the chief reasons for delay are the interminable disputes on land questions and the numerous departments from which communications come on defence matters.

For not only do communications emanate from the Adjutant General to the Forces, the Quartermaster General, the Director General Military Intelligence, the Inspector General of Fortifications, the Director General of Ordnance, the Principal Ordnance Officer, Woolwich, but from the Colonial Defence Committee, The Admiralty, The Indian Government, as well as the Local Government in its various departments.

The traffic question has been quite admirably dealt with by Major Baker Brown, R.E., and regulations will be formed on his lines.

There should always be at least one strong British Battalion here. This is not the case at present.

The defences of Hong Kong are expanding, and as the batteries are completed, should be able to be manned at once. The Artillery personnel should therefore not be allowed to fall below that fixed for the approved armament. This has not been the case during the past year.

There undoubtedly should be a Colonel on the Staff as Commanding Royal Artillery; there should also be a Brigade Major of Infantry.

14.

That portion of the scheme given in Chapters 1