CAB11-57-1 — Page 110

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Sir,

Enclosure 1.

Letter from Major-General W. Black, C.B.

Head-quarter House, December 2, 1898. IN answer to your Excellency's letter of the 30th ultimo, No. 94/G, I have the honour to state that the slopes of Mount Davis between Sandy Bay and Kennedy Town are so steep and rugged that no formed body of soldiers could move along them at night.

2. If a broad level road were constructed from Sandy Bay to Kennedy Town, a force landed under cover of darkness anywhere between these points could move easily and rapidly to the latter place.

3. I am, therefore, of opinion that it is unadvisable on military grounds to give an enemy an casier method of access to the town of Victoria.

4. I have seen it stated that a small fort or work might be built to defend the road, and that the fire from Belchiers Battery would sweep it, and would answer that the small garrison of Hong Kong cannot afford to detach men to defend yet another work, and that during darkness the fire from Belchers would be of little avail.

To his Excellency Sir H. A. Blake, G.C.M.G.,

I have, &c.

(Signed)

W. BLACK, Major-General.

&c.

&c.

&c.

Enclosure 2.

Your Excelleney,

First Minute by Major-General W. J. Gascoigne.

SO far as I can understand it, my opinion is asked for, as to the desirability or otherwise from a military point of view, of a roadway being made close above the sea round Mount

Davis.

I shall regret extremely if my first decision is autagonistic to the general wishes of the Colony, which has received me with so much kindness, but I am bound to say that I should look upon such a roadway as being highly undesirable in a military sense.

There are already various points in the defence of the island which I can best describe as being points of anxiety.

The coast round Mount Davis, as it at present exists, is absolutely secure. A roadway brought along it close to the sea would render this an additional point of weakness, and as the garrison of Hong Kong is none too large, I cannot afford to increase the number of weak points requiring special forces to guard them.

W. J. GASCOIGNE, Major-General.

(Signed)

January 17, 1899.

Your Excellency,

Enclosure 3.

Second Minute by Major-General W. J. Gascoigne.

I DO not know that I have anything to add to my previous remarks.

It was a matter of regret to me that the first opinion I was called upon to express officially after my arrival in the Colony should be unfavourable to a scheme which, it appeared, was desired by a large number of residents.

There can be no question whatever that the making of this road would not be a source of strength in a defensive sense, but rather the reverse.

It would be an increase of anxiety, and would probably necessitate some alteration in the Scheme of Defence. Therefore any Military Commander, if asked whether he preferred that the road should or should not be made, would be bound to reply that he preferred that it should not be. At the same time, if your Excellency informed me that to make this road would satisfy a great and pressing need for the Colony generally, I should not consider the military objections to be so imperative as to necessitate my urgent protest against it.

I can add nothing more to this.

September 22, 1899.

(Signed)

W. J. GASCOIGNE, Major-General.

PRINTED AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE BY J. W. HARRISON.-10/1/1900.

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