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garrison, as communicated by the War Office to the General Officer Commanding, instead of on the establishments shown in Army Estimates; the modifications in the Scheme rendered necessary by any temporary deficiencies should, of course, be made clear.

6. Page 3, paragraph 3.—According to information furnished to the Colonial Defence Committee, the establishment of native battalions in India on a peace footing is, in Bengal, 912 native ranks, in Madras, 835, excluding pension and recruit boys, in Bombay, 816, excluding boys, and in the Hyderabad Contingent, 833 native ranks. The establishment on a war footing is 737 native ranks, irrespective of Presidency. The Indian battalions now at Hong Kong are on a war footing, but the Committee presume that those which remain as the normal garrison of the Colony will have the establishment given at page 158, Army Estimates, 1901-1902, for Indian native infantry regiments serving in Eastern Colonies.

7. Page 4, paragraph 5.—The changes introduced in the present revision of the Defence Scheme, in regard to the disposition of the troops and the boundaries of the sections, appear to the Colonial Defence Committee to be sound..

8. Page 5, lines 5 to 7.-Four 47-inch Q.F. guns on travelling carriages have been added to the movable armament at the station since the date of this request for additional guns capable of firing cordite. The Committee understand that the 15-pr. B.L. guns to be withdrawn from the field army and issued as movable armament for the coaling stations may not be available for some time.

Obstructions for closing harbour 9. Page 5, paragraph 7, and page 6, bottom. entrances.-The Colonial Office have referred to the Colonial Defence Committee a despatch of the Governor, dated the 27th February, 1901, forwarding a letter of the late Naval Commander-in-Chief, dated the 25th February, 1901, on this subject. The despatch is printed as an Appendix to the present Remarks, and the letter is that of which a copy will be found at page 6 of the Defence Scheme.

The correspondence was, in the first instance, laid before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, who adhered to the approval they had given to the Remarks, No. 247 R, of the Colonial Defence Committee.

The Committee have little to add to their previous observations. They agree with the Governor that the sea-going torpedo craft at Whampoa may at present be ignored. As Whampoa is the only foreign naval base within 300 miles it follows that Hong Kong does not come within the category of ports liable to attack by destroyers and first class torpedo boats. As regards attack by second class, that is, by ships' or carried torpedo boats (paragraph 2 of his despatch), they have expressed no views as to the power of His Majesty's fleet to prevent the conveyance of torpedo boats to within striking distance of the harbour," as they recognize that the possibility of attack by carried torpedo boats exists wherever a vessel large enough to carry a torpedo boat can float. It is, however, laid down in Report XI of the Joint Naval and Military Committee on Defence, and in paragraph 65 of the Admiralty Instruc- tions on Defence Matters, that no special preparations are required locally (except passive protection of dock gates, &c.) against this form of attack, which is primarily directed against His Majesty's ships, and one against which they must always be ready to defend themselves.

Section C of Report No. XXXI of the Joint Naval and Military Committee on Defence, which is quoted by the General Officer Commanding as admitting of such obstructions as are proposed by the late Naval Commander-in-chief, points out the impracticability of maintaining obstructions other than permanent breakwaters to close effectively against torpedo boat attack harbours having wide entrance channels, and, explains that, where permanent breakwaters cannot be constructed so as to narrow the entrances, ships of war must, if necessary, be withdrawn into inner sheltered anchorages where booms can be maintained and kept under effective fire. The first part of this section excludes such proposals as those now under consideration for a weak boom not under effective fire, and, in regard to the second part, neither the prac- ticability nor the necessity of providing an inner sheltered anchorage closed by booms for men-of-war at Hong Kong has been established. The necessity might not even arise if Hong Kong were exposed to effective first class torpedo boat attack; as at the majority of ports exposed to such attack both at home and in the Colonies no such

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of the J. M

although making is distant only 310 miles from from Admally and this is only slightly intends the limit of 300 miles letter as 4/6/02 prescibed in the appendia to Report NOXXXI M/0439.

the dictors within which ports 4-Clues T.D. and Dealiozers, yet in their opinion it is n Wo. 266/41/43 by jet-Claes T.D. and Dralizers, yet

that H. K. should he concisued at within the category of

M.C

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