CO129-324 - Governor Nathan - 1904 [10-12] — Page 461

COPY

Enclosure

C.O.

460

1524

Government House,

16 JAN 05'

Hongkong, 9th August, 1904.

Sir,

Since the conversation which I had with Your Excellency I have given some further consideration to the important question of increasing the strength and efficiency of the Volunteer Force at Hong Kong.

2. The organization of the existing force of 2 Artillery Companies, comprising 1 Machine Gun and 1 Field Gun Half-companies and 1 Engineer Company, seems to be on the whole satisfactory and the principal matter that has to be considered with regard to it are the steps to be taken to bring up its present strength of about 220 to the authorised establishment of 400 efficient members. I think it possible that such might be done in this direction by arranging that detachments (8 R. & F.), half-sections (16 R. & F.), sections (32 R. & F.), should be furnished by individual firms or Government Departments or by several firms or departments in combination, by letting half-sections or sections have charge of their own Machine or Field Guns, and by substituting half-section or section drills at places convenient to the members for some of the drills that are now conducted at the Volunteer Head-quarters. On this subject I propose to address you later when I have further details on which to base a scheme but I should like to know now whether the general idea which has in view to make it possible for Volunteers to become efficient with less expenditure of time and which should encourage friendly rivalry between the smaller units of the force commends itself to you.

It has been pointed out to me that there are

His Excellency

The General Officer Commanding.

Page 10

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(The last few lines appear to be a scanning artifact and are not part of the original text)

COPY

Enclosure

C.O.

460

1524

Government House,

16 JAN 05'

Hongkong, 9th August, 1904.

Sir,

Since the conversation which I had with Your Excellency I have given some further consideration to the important question of increasing the strength and efficiency of the Volunteer Force at Hong Kong.

2. The organization of the existing force of 2 Artillery Companies, comprising 1 Machine Gun and 1 Field Gun Half-companies and 1 Engineer Company, seems to be on the whole satisfactory and the principal matter that has to be considered with regard to it are the steps to be taken to bring up its present strength of about 220 to the authorised establishment of 400 efficient members. I think it possible that such might be done in this direction by arranging that detachments (8 R. & F.), half-sections (16 R. & F.), sections (32 R. & F.), should be furnished by individual firms or Government Departments or by several firms or departments in combination, by letting half-sections or sections have charge of their own Machine or Field Guns, and by substituting half-section or section drills at places convenient to the members for some of the drills that are now conducted at the Volunteer Head-quarters. On this subject I propose to address you later when I have further details on which to base a scheme but I should like to know now whether the general idea which has in view to make it possible for Volunteers to become efficient with less expenditure of time and which should encourage friendly rivalry between the smaller units of the force commends itself to you.

It has been pointed out to me that there are

His Excellency

The General Officer Commanding.

Page 10