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

Printed for the use of the Colonal Office.

SECRET.

No. 396 R.

HONG KONG.

167

C.O. No. 31047/05.

Defence Scheme revised to June 1905.

Remarks by the Colonial Defence Committee.

THE Colonial Office have referred to the Colonial Defence Committee a despatch of the Governor of Hong Kong, dated the 25th July, 1905, forwarding the Defence Scheme revised to June 1905.

The despatch is printed, with a letter from the General Officer Commanding in South China, as an Appendix to these Remarks.

2. This revision has evidently been drawn up with great care by the Local Defence Committee under the presidency of the General Officer Commanding the Troops, and considerable improvement in the Scheme has resulted.

Covering Despatch of Governor.

3. Paragraph 3. Strength of garrison.--In their Memorandum No. 343 M, dated the 16th May, 1905, which was considered and approved by the Committee of Imperial Defence, the Colonial Defence Committee recommended an arrangement under which the half battalion temporarily on detachment from the approved garrison of Hong The Governor has been Kong could be restored to the garrison of that naval base.

informed that effect will be given to this recommendation when the next relief of the British infantry in North China takes place, which will in no case be deferred beyond January 1907; and that in the event of the withdrawal of the British troops from North China at an earlier date, it will become possible to transfer British infantry from North China to Hong Kong. (W.O. No. 083/4170.)

This arrangement, when completed, will meet the wish expressed by the Governor that a whole battalion of British infantry should be allotted for the defence of the Colony. As regards the strength of the native infantry regiments, it has always been recognized and recorded in the annual table of "Approved Garrison" that not more than 800 of all ranks per regiment could be relied on to be present in the Colony.

4. Paragraph 4, and Enclosure, paragraph 4.--Two new General Staff maps of the Colony and Leased Territory, and of the neighbourhood of Kowloon, have been substi- tuted for two of the maps in the previous revision of the Defence Scheme.

These maps have been placed in a pocket, but it has been considered advisable that the armament map containing secret matter should continue to be bound up with the Scheme.

5. Paragraph 5. Attack by torpedo craft.-The Committee are of opinion that nothing which has occurred in recent naval warfare has necessitated any modification

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