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154 rank and file of British battalion on reduced Colonial establishment, and by the Chinese Regiment, but the reasons assigned in the preceding paragraph for an increase of about this amount in 1901 have since ceased to operate, and the Colonial Defence Committee, after a careful consideration of the infantry guards, piquets, &c., required to deny the vulnerable objectives at the naval base to a small hostile raiding force, are satisfied that the present approved infantry garrison is sufficient, though only barely sufficient, for the purpose.

4. The Governor's suggestion that two of the four companies temporarily detached from the British battalion at Hong Kong for service in North China should be restored to the former station cannot be carried out at the expense of the North China Force, which cannot for the present be reduced; but the Colonial Defence Committee think it very desirable that some means should be sought of remedying the deficiency in the strength of the British infantry at Hong Kong, which now numbers only 383 rank and file.

As an expedient for replacing the half British battalion temporarily detached, the substitution of a third Native Infantry battalion was open to the objection that it raised the proportion of native infantry to white infantry at Hong Kong from two to one to six to one. In their Memorandum No. 173 M., dated the 7th March, 1899, on the utilization of native troops in Colonial garrisons, the Colonial Defence Committee recommended that the total number of native troops should not, as a rule, exceed twice the number of British at any station. Adherence to this rule is specially desirable at Hong Kong, where the Chinese population is about 370,000, and the alien white resident population of 3,100 outnumbers the British residents.

Recommendation.

5. The Colonial Defence Committee accordingly recommend for consideration that half a British battalion should be withdrawn from the garrison of Ceylon on the abandonment of Trincomali as a naval base, and be employed in North China, relieving there the half battalion temporarily on detachment from the approved garrison of Hong Kong.

May 16, 1905.

J. E. CLAUSON, Secretary,

Colonial Defence Committee.

App? by C.!.D. Minute 4 of 75th Meeting 13.7.03 083/4113 MO1 15/8/05 to Co. accepted in principle by Many Comil Co. 29405 for for inf? 25/0/05

PRINTED AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE BY J. W. HARRISON, -19/5/1905.

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