CAB11-57-1 — Page 140

Page 140

Page 140

Commanders should be stated in Chapter III (B): "Action by Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General (4).”

28. Page 49, Table G.-The Colonial Defence Committee are informed that all the stores in this Return shown as not available locally are being supplied by the War Office.

The Committee are inclined to think that the total quantity of explosives stored is small in view of the possible requirements at Hong Kong. On the other hand, the proportion of guncotton primers (630 lb.) to slabs (372 lb.) seems large. It is suggested that the question should be further considered locally in connection with the Defence Scheme, and that the basis of calculation should be explained.

29. Page 62 (H).-A summary of expenditure required for mobilization should here be given showing the initial expenditure and the subsequent weekly expenditure of each military department under the heading that will be responsible for it.

CHAPTER IV.—Instructions to Section Commanders.

30. Page 65.-Chapter IV is still unsatisfactory. The first page has been copied without alteration from the 1898 Defence Scheme, and the penultimate paragraph, describing conditions which have since changed, affords an example of the extent to which the value of the Scheme is lessened by allowing portions of it to become stereotyped. The whole of this page is unnecessary, and should be eliminated; the instructions to cach Section Commander on the succeeding pages should be carefully revised and amplified, and in doing this it should be borne in mind that it will be by these instructions, and not by the whole Scheme, that the Section Commander will be guided on mobilization. It is consequently very desirable that the instructions should be sufficiently explicit to place the essential points in possession of any officer on whom a Section command may unexpectedly devolve and who has not had the opportunity of previous access to a copy of the complete Defence Scheme. It will be necessary to go through the whole of the Scheme and ensure that each duty laid upon the Section Commander is communicated to him in the instructions contained in this Chapter.

CHAPTER V. Orders to Corps as to Procedure on Mobilization.

31. Page 73.-Paragraph 19 of the Colonial Defence Committee's Remarks, No. 218 R, dated the 20th June, 1899, on the last revision of the Defence Scheme, appears to have been overlooked, as Chapter V remains unchanged since last year, and is very unsatisfactory. The object to be attained is that, on receiving the order to mobilize, each Officer Commanding a unit should, without awaiting further instruc- tions, issue orders for the men of his unit to move to their war stations with the necessary ammunition, equipment, rations, &c. This Chapter should consist exclusively of a copy of each of the draft regimental orders compiled for the several units (including volunteers). A copy should also be supplied to, and kept in the possession of, each Commanding Officer. It will be understoood that the Section Commander, as such, becomes responsible for the troops told off to his Section when these troops have arrived fully equipped at the stations to which they are told off, and it follows that the regimental orders need only provide for the period of mobilization which ends when the various detachments of the unit properly equipped and rationed have arrived at their war stations.

The present subject-matter of the Chapter should be remodelled and transferred to Chapter III (B) in the form of a draft garrison order to be issued by the Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General (A) on mobilization. The details of the action of the O.C.R.A., C.R.E., and O.C.A.S.C. should be given under the action of those officers in Chapter III.

32. Page 73, paragraph 3.—The order, in accordance with section 189, sub-section 2, of the Army Act, is intended to place all the forces at the station under the active service conditions of the Act, and is not for the purpose of making the Hong Kong Volunteer Corps temporarily subject to it. Under section 18 of "The Volunteer

Page 140

Page 140

Page 140Page 141