CAB11-57-1 — Page 261

Page 261

14

10. I would call attention to the rapidly increasing numbers of the Chinese on the Island, and the situation in consequence as regards-

(i.) Consumption of water, &c. (ii) A hostile demonstration or rising.

His Excellency the Governor, &c.,

Hong Kong.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

V. HATTON, Major-General,

Commanding in South China.

Enclosure 2.

Governor to General Officer Commanding Troops in South China.

Sir,

Government House, August 31, 1904. AS requested in your Excellency's Secret letter of the 25th instant, I have the honour to return herewith the revised Defence Scheme for Hong Kong, for the insertion of the map that has been prepared to illustrate it.

2. In reading through the Scheme, various alterations have occurred to me as tending to its improvement, and I have attached notes of these to the pages affected, in case you should consider it advisable to embody them in the text before the Scheme is sent to England.

3. I observe that Chapter II (C) (ii), dealing with the communication of orders and intelli- gence, has been revised in strict accordance with paragraph 11 of the Colonial Defence Committee's Remarks No. 340 R, dated the 27th January, 1904. In some respects this has resulted in less definiteness than was obtained by the former arrangement, and I send for consideration a draft of this part of the Scheme. which may commend itself as following generally the recommendations of the Committee, while keeping distinct the subjects of intelligence, communication of intelligence and orders, and maintenance of ordinary communica- tion for administrative and general purposes.

4. I assume that an officer has already been told off to the important and difficult post of censor. It is advisable that he should have had some previous practice in the use of code and cypher books. He will have to live, during the whole time that a censorship is maintained, on the premises of the Joint Telegraph Companies. In certain cases it may be necessary for him to look through each issue of the local English papers before its publication, and, in concert with the Registrar-General, to keep a watch over the Chinese press. I suggest that instructions for the censor, including those embodied in paragraph 14 of the Colonial Defence Committee's Remarks No. 340 R, should be contained in the Scheme.

5. The Civil Government having made themselves responsible for providing all extra coolies required by the military departments, it is important that the Defence Scheme should show clearly in one place the numbers required on the different days of mobilization (including number of Headmen and of men requiring special qualifications), and also to whom, and where, the coolies, as collected, are to be sent. It will be seen from the notes affixed to the pages of the Scheme that it does not at present give the information as clearly or completely as is desirable.

6. With regard to the important matters dealt with in the letter of the 25th instant, which covered the Defence Scheme, I propose to communicate with the Secretary of State for the Colonies in a despatch of which I will furnish your Excellency with a copy.

(Signed)

I have, &c.

M. NATHAN, Governor.

Enclosure 3.

Sir,

General Officer Commanding Troops in South China to Governor.

Headquarters, Hong Kong, September 3, 1904. IN reply to your Excellency's letter of the 31st August, 1901, I have the honour to forward the revised Scheme with alterations made in accordance with your suggestions.

A map, corrected to date, has also been added.

2. Your recommendation in paragraph 3 has been adopted.

3. No officer has been told off to the important post of censor, as no officer is likely to be available at the time; and in this connection I would request that the whole staff be supplied by the Colonial Government, namely, 1 censor, assistants, and 14 decoding clerks, and their names sent in to me for registration.

Instructions for the censor have been embodied in "Action by D.A.Q.M.G."

Page 261

Page 261

Page 261