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This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.

CONFIDENTIAL.

No. 338 R.

Printed for the use of the Colonial Office.

37

126

C.O. Nos. 30900 and 34230/03.

HONG KONG.

Report on Volunteers, April 1903.

Remarks by the Colonial Defence Committee.

THE Colonial Office have referred to the Colonial Defence Committee a despatch of the Governor of Hong Kong, dated the 6th July, 1903, transmitting a letter of the General Officer Commanding, dated the 7th May, 1903, forwarding the Report of the Commandant on the Hong Kong Volunteer Corps for the season 1902-1903. despatch and extracts from its enclosures are printed as Appendix I to these Remarks.

The

The Colonial Office have also referred to the Committee correspondence, printed as Appendix II, on the subject of the composition and duties of the Hong Kong Volunteer Corps.

2. On the 31st March, 1903, the strength of the Hong Kong Volunteer Corps was 274 of all ranks, as against 318, 366, 311, 181 and 176 at the corresponding periods of the five preceding years. Nos. 1 and 2 Companies, Hong Kong Volunteer Artillery, with an establishment of 310 were 233 strong, thus showing a decrease of 48 on 281, the combined strength last year of the field battery, machine gun companies and infantry company which have been converted into garrison artillery. The strength of the engineer company, with an establishment of 60, was 29, an increase of four during the year.

3. The Commandant attributes the falling off in numbers to the recent change in the corps from field, machine gun and infantry companies to garrison artillery (paragraph 2 of Report). He states (paragraph 36) that the change in the constitution of the corps was brought about owing to an urgent letter from the Officer Commanding Royal Artillery, who pointed out the absolute necessity of more garrison artillery in the command, and, when it was found that no more garrison artillery could be furnished, he strongly urged that the Volunteer corps should be altered accordingly. Major Pritchard considers that great credit is due to all ranks for the manner in which they took up the change, as it was done against the personal wishes of a large number, and entirely because it had been put forward that the corps would be of greater service in the defence of the Colony.

The Colonial Defence Committee have little to add to the recommendations contained in paragraphs 7 to 9 of their Remarks No. 311 R., which were based on a consideration of the principles which have governed the composition of the Imperial garrison allotted to Hong Kong, and on their experience of the Volunteer movement in other Eastern Colonies and at Hong Kong in the past. These recommendations appear to have been justified by the event. It is, moreover, not to be expected that Volunteers employed in commercial pursuits in an Asiatic Colony can find time to acquire more than a smattering of knowledge when trained, as was the case last year, with armaments as diverse as 10-inch B.L., 6-inch B.L., 3-pr. Q.F., 15-pr. B.L., machine guns and carbines. In war Volunteer Artillery so trained would have to be employed chiefly in the less important duties in the batteries involving heavy manual labour for which their physique is little suited, while their influence over, and knowledge of, the native population would not be turned to account as will be the case if they are allotted chiefly to duties in the open.

In attempts to satisfy the manning requirements of fixed armaments in as perfect

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