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alarming idea of the danger of the situation, and possibly lead to a panic and exodus, 159
involving serious inconvenience in obtaining the labour and transport required by the garrison and the shipping in port.
Subject to the modifications suggested by fuller local knowledge than they possess, the Committee recommend that the proclamation to be issued at the war stage should inform the inhabitants that the measures required for the defence had been the subject of full consideration, and were being actively carried out; that having regard to the action of His Majesty's Navy and the strength of the local armaments, the probability of hostile vessels attempting to molest the Colony would be slight, and that on the prescribed signal being given the population would most effectually aid the authorities by avoiding any action likely to cause excitement or confusion, and by abstaining from collecting in thoroughfares required for the troops and others on duty.
It
38. Page 100, paragraph 2.—It is a matter for consideration whether it will be necessary to proclaim the Secret Order in Council ipso facto on outbreak of war. would appear preferable to adhere as long as possible to the ordinary law and methods of contract and purchase, and resort to the extraordinary powers given by this Order in Council only when the ordinary methods prove inadequate.
39. Page 100, paragraph 4.-The contingency of a blockade is incompatible with the strategic conditions stated in Chapter I.
40. Page 101, paragraph 5.-In advising the Governor as to the deportation of Chinese or other aliens, it is most important that the necessity for retaining the supply of labour required for the Royal Navy and for the commercial interests of Hong Kong should not be lost sight of.
41. Page 102, (5). Action by Harbour Master.--It should be stated that the Harbour Master will also be Chief Examining Officer (cf. page 106, top).
It is scarcely necessary that the Harbour Master should confer with the Senior Naval Officer, who has no responsibility in connection with the regulation of traffic, and who will have many other matters of urgency to attend to.
In the event of any unforeseen difficulty arising at any time which directly concerned the Navy, the Senior Naval Officer would naturally be consulted.
There is no reference in Chapter VI (5) to the assistance to be rendered to the O.C.A.S.C. in chartering launches, &c. (cf. page 51, (F), paragraph 4).
42. Page 105 (i). Harbour traffic regulations.A great deal requires to be done before the arrangements for the examination service can be regarded as satisfactory. In some instances, indicated below, the wording of the forms used as a basis has not been adapted to suit the special conditions of Hong Kong, and if the arrangements were enforced in their present form they could not be expected to work smoothly.
At page 105, bottom, the portion of the heading in square brackets should read: "To be put in force, when necessary, by authority of the Governor, on the recom- mendation of the General Officer Commanding, after the concurrence of the Naval Commander-in-Chief or Senior Naval Officer has been obtained."
Page 106.-It is understood that at Hong Kong there is no system of licensed pilots, but that the Harbour Master has wide powers. The wording of paragraph 4 should be adjusted to the situation. Paragraph 5, note, may be omitted, and paragraph 10 requires adapting to local conditions.
In Schedule (A), on page 107, the launches for junk traffic appear to be tugs rather than examination vessels. It is presumed, for example, that they would not carry signalmen. Such points should be explained. In any case, however, the allowance of six signalmen included in Schedule (B) seems inadequate. The source from which the signalmen will be drawn should be stated, and it is suggested that a register of the names of the men whom it is proposed to employ as examination officers should be kept up in time of peace, a footnote being inserted in the Scheme stating when the register was last revised.
Paragraph 10, on page 108, requires adapting to local conditions. The places under shelter to which the examination steamers are to retire in the event of bad weather should be carefully selected and recorded in this paragraph.
After the words "examination battery," at page 108, (c), paragraph 1, insert "She will on no account take up her position in the illuminated area.”
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