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23. Page 32, paragraph 5 (b) -It is noticed that the armament shown here differs from that allotted in Tables B (i) and (ii).

Chapter III.-Action by Staff and Departments.

24. Page 39 (A).—As laid down in Report No. XXXI of the Joint Naval and Military Committee on Defence, the necessity for putting the traffic regulations in force will depend upon the naval conditions which exist in neighbouring waters, and they are not to be imposed, nor are mines to be laid down, until the consent of the Naval Commander-in-Chief or Senior Naval Officer has been obtained.

To make this more clear, it would be well to strike out the last sentence of paragraph 2, and to expand paragraph 6 in this sense.

The references to Consular notices in paragraph 7 on page 39 and paragraph 5 on page 40 should be struck out in accordance with paragraphs 11 and 20 of the Committee's Remarks, No. 218 R, on the 1898 Defence Scheme. No previous notification of the kind is now considered practicable or necessary.

25. Page 39, paragraph 8.-Attention is directed to paragraph 32 of the Committee's Remarks, No. 247 R, on the 1990 Defence Scheme.

26. Page 40, paragraph 11.-It would appear convenient that the first paragraph of the garrison orders to be issued on mobilization should be that required by Section 189 (2) of the Army Act for publishing the Governor's declaration placing the forces at Hong Kong under the active service conditions of that Act. (See paragraph 38, below,)

27. Pages 43 to 53.-Chapter III (C), describing the action by the D.A.A.G. (B) and his departmental subordinates, remains the least satisfactory part of the Defence Scheme. The Colonial Defence Committee's suggestion, that it would seem possible to arrange beforehand for the sub-division of the work among members of the staff, and to consider the extent to which this staff would have to be supplemented on mobilization, has not been acted on.

28. Page 44, paragraphs 4 to 6, and page 129, paragraph 7.-It would appear from these paragraphs that between 8,000 and 9,000 coolies have to be entertained on mobilization, and as no detailed arrangements are recorded in the Defence Scheme, the mobilization of the garrison is not unlikely to be attended with confusion.

Table C (i) shows that, on the first day of mobilization, 1,195 coolies are required for transport of troops and baggage, and 3,904 for the distribution of ordnance, equipment, and ammunition, making 4,825 in all (in addition to 274 coolies of the Coolie Corps).

Table C (ii), which is incomplete and not very intelligible, states that 165 coolies are required for what is apparently permanent water transport.

It is not made clear whether the untabulated details, amounting to 3,645 coolies, in paragraphs 6 and 7 on page 44, are required temporarily or permanently, but as the number of coolies permanently employed and rationed is shown on page 50 as 2,000 (including the Coolie Corps), it is probably intended to dismiss, after a day or two, a large proportion of the 2,085 coolies for "transport of guns and carriage of ammunition of movable armament," and of the 370 coolies for "transport of guns and carriage of ammunition of the 2.5-inch guns," for which it is stated on page 121. that the Volunteer Corps "will provide their own draught."

In Chapter IV the section commanders are informed of the number of coolies of the Coolie Gorps that have been permanently detailed to their sections, but the coolies for ammunition lifts, for sanitation, for carriage of water to troops in the field, and to act as dhoolie bearers are not mentioned.

The Colonial Defence Committee strongly recommend that the whole subject of coolie labour should receive further consideration locally with a view to working out a practical scheme which will ensure the orderly distribution of the troops to their war stations on the first day of mobilization, together with the stores necessary to satisfy their first requirements, and will then provide for the organization of an efficient coolie service for each section.

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