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

Printed for the use of the Colonial Office.

SECRET.

No. 343 M.

HONG KONG.

Strength of Garrison.

C.O. No. 34936/04.

Memorandum by the Colonial Defence Committee.

IN the correspondence covering the Hong Kong Defence Scheme revised to September 1904, which has been referred by the Colonial Office to the Colonial Defence Committee, the General Officer Commanding the Troops in South China, as President of the Local Defence Committee, draws the Governor's attention to the weakness of the garrison of Hong Kong, and the Governor in his despatch dated the 5th September, 1904, suggests for consideration that "two more companies of the British infantry regiment now divided equally between Hong Kong and North China should be transferred to the former station, so that the establishment of its garrison should approximate more closely than it does at present to that recommended by the Colonial Defence Committee in their Memorandum No. 264 M., dated the 25th June, 1901."

2. In the Memorandum of 1901 referred to, the Committee, after recapitulating their earlier recommendations since 1887, and calling attention to certain contemporary alterations in strategic conditions including "a further increase in foreign naval forces in Eastern waters, the development of a great naval base by Russia at Port Arthur 1,200 miles from Hong Kong, and the continued growth of the military strength of Russia in Eastern Asia, and of France in Indo-China," recommended that the garrison of Hong Kong should be increased by two British companies and six companies of the Chinese Regiment which were about to be withdrawn from Weihaiwei, thus raising the infantry portion of the garrison to:-

1 British battalion.

2 Native Indian battalions.

6 companies Chinese Regiment.

These recommendations were approved by the Secretary of State for War (W. O. No. 083/3860), and the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, and communi- cated to the Governor of the Colony; but action was postponed, and eventually the Chinese Regiment was retained at Weihaiwei. In 1903 half the British battalion was temporarily detached to North China, and replaced at Hong Kong by a third Native Indian battalion, and in November 1904 the withdrawal of this third Native Indian battalion was decided upon.

The approved infantry garrison of Hong Kong is, therefore, at the present time:

1 British battalion (of which half is temporarily in North China).

2 Native Indian battalions.

3. This approved infantry garrison is weaker than that approved in 1901 by

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