CAB11-57-1 — Page 236

Page 236

2

These measures have the entire concurrence of the Colonial Defence Committee, who propose only to make one or two suggestions, based on their experience of Volunteer organizations in other Colonies, which may be of assistance to the Governor in guiding the future development of the movement.

5. In 1902 a paid Commandant (a captain of Royal Garrison Artillery, with the local rank of major) was appointed to the Hong Kong Volunteers on the resignation of Sir J. Carrington, the late Chief Justice of the Colony. This arrangement might have had much in its favour if the proposal in the same year of the then Officer Commanding Royal Artillery to convert the Volunteers into a corps of garrison artillery, paid at the rate of 57. and upwards a man, had been carried into effect. Even with the retention of purely Volunteer service, and a mixture of arms of the service, the arrangement has not caused difficulty, owing no doubt to the personal qualifications of the present holder of the appointment, which have been of service in minimising the disturbance caused by the changes in the duties assigned to the Volunteers. But in principle the Colonial Defence Committee doubt the advisability of grouping Volunteer units of different arms in such a Colony as Hong Kong under a Commandant. The Volunteer Ordinance, 1893, recognizes no Commandant between the Governor and the commanding officers of a number of separate Volunteer corps, and the circumstances of the Colony do not appear to render such an appointment necessary or desirable. In war the Volunteer force will not be under one command. Indeed, nearly every Volunteer corps will be sub-divided among two or more sections of the defence.

In peace, training and administration have to be considered. For purposes of training it is very important that each corps should be closely associated with its own arm in the regular service. The courses of instruction of corps should be arranged: for artillery by the Officer Commanding Royal Artillery, for engineers by the Com- manding Royal Engineer, for the machine gun companies and mounted infantry by the Officer Commanding British Infantry Battalion, and the annual inspections of the corps should be made by these three officers, who should render reports on Army Form B. 153 to the General Officer Commanding, for the information of the Governor. The acting adjutants and instructional staff of corps, with extra duty pay from local funds, should be detailed by the same three officers. The annual camps of Volunteer corps should be with the regular troops during the annual mobilization of the garrison if this could be arranged by the General Officer Commanding; or, failing this, in conjunction with the minor camps for battalion or company training which take place at Hong Kong. Even if local conditions rendered it desirable to assemble a purely Volunteer camp of mixed arms, this might be commanded by a selected regular officer, who should be assisted by a staff officer, preferably of the general staff.

The

There remains only the question of administration in peace, and the services of a Commandant are no doubt useful in compiling the annual Volunteer Estimates, and in administering the items of expenditure, other than capitation grants, shown in the Estimates. On examination, however, of the headings in the Estimates, it will be seen that most, if not all, of the items included might be divided among the various corps for administration by commanding officers and finance committees. decentralization of financial administration to Volunteer corps, which are drawn from different classes of a highly intelligent British community, would seem calculated to develop a spirit of individuality among the various units, and create a friendly rivalry between them, which would be wanting in the case of a more centralized administra- tion by a paid official staff. Such a spirit would tend to enlist the personal and pecuniary support of different sections of the British population in favour of the various corps.

The Colonial Defence Committee do not suggest any immediate alteration in regard to the office of Commandant, especially as the services of the present holder of that appointment are likely to be of value in connection with the development of the Volunteer movement now in progress. They would suggest, however, that the training and administration of the various Volunteer corps should gradually be modified in the directions indicated above.

Co4449/08 6. Should the Volunteer Reserve Association and the Military Telephonist Gorurn 9/1/8

organization develop, necessitating expenditure on additional arms and ammunition, and rendering it desirable to place the liabilities and privileges of the members in time kroposed an of war or emergency on a legal basis, the position might be regularised by introducing annual grant

$500. See.

coe uggest that

a Vol Reccwe ord.

Should now

be

introduced to

regulainge the position of the Reseve

Page 236

650

Page 236

Page 236