CAB11-57-1 — Page 279

Page 279

Page 279

11

Annual Army Estimates. The question of the reduction of the garrison has been brought to the notice of the War Office on several occasions, but in view of the proposition of the Colonial Defence Committee (paragraph 4 of Remarks No. 373 R) to issue a separate Memorandum on this subject, I do not propose to discuss it here.

4. You will notice that I forward with this revision a new map of the defended area, which is submitted as an improvement on the one at present in use, combining in one sheet the information hitherto contained in the two maps "Hong Kong: Island and Kowloon Peninsula,' facing page 1. and "Hong Kong: part of Mainland," at end. This will be more convenient for reference, and I would suggest that, in future printings of the Scheme, the maps might be placed in a pocket at the end, to save dilapidation by constant turning of pages, &c.

5. The important principle laid down in paragraph 12 of the Colonial Defence Committee's Remarks No. 373 R is accepted and embodied in the Scheme. It is necessary to point out that this principle is the governing factor of all the amendments proposed for consideration throughout the remainder of the Scheme, and I have thought it as well to further emphasize this fact by a reference to it at the commencement of Chapter II (D) (Modes of meeting various attacks). Personally I do not subscribe to the principle, but as I am informed that the Remarks of the Colonial Defence Committee have received the approval of the War Office, I accept it and obey it as an order from my military superiors.

6. A new paragraph (33) has been added defining the "precautionary" and "war" stages, and at your Excellency's request a paragraph (30), dealing with the personnel of the Civil Police and Fire Brigade.

7. Chapter II-Tables B (i) and B (ii) have been inserted in accordance with paragraph 19 of Memorandum No. 330 M of Colonial Defence Committee. The instruction in this paragraph quoted with reference to modifications necessitated by any serious deficiencies in personnel would appear to be somewhat at variance with that contained in paragraph 31 of the Committee's Remarks No. 373 R on Defence Scheme revised to September 1904.

8. It is hoped that the amendments in Tables C (i) and C (ii), which have practically been rewritten, will make clear the subject of communications in the Fortress.

9. Table D (i) has also been amended, differentiating the "precautionary" and "war" stages.

10. Chapter III has been entirely revised throughout. The measures put forward as taking place in the "precautionary" stage can, in my opinion, be carried out without attracting undue attention. The public in Hong Kong are accustomed to constant moves in the garrison, necessitated by the routine training of troops, but it is perhaps as well to mention that in the case of the electric lights 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 (No. I, Western, Section) infantry guards will have to be posted in a public thoroughfare, viz., the Praya. This may cause comment, but these lights are so important a factor in the defence of the Western Entrance that under no circumstances could they be left unwatched.

11. I am unable to concur in the opinion of the Colonial Defence Committee, expressed in paragraph 23 of their Remarks, that "there seems no necessity for the appointment of a Brigade Signalling Officer," for the following reasons:-

(a.) Local weather conditions are such that the telephone system is not to be relied on as the sole means of communication. At certain seasons of the year typhoons are frequent, and during a recent thunder-storm, accompanied by heavy rain, both the military and civil telephone systems sustained so many casualties that complete communication was not established for several days.

(b.) The telephone system as it exists at present is far from complete as regards No. IV Section.

(c.) A large proportion of the military signallers shown in the present revision as distributed to stations in the different Sections, is furnished from the half battalion of British Infantry which is our only General Reserve, and cannot therefore be said to belong to any Section. The special knowledge of these men is lost to the defence if they are to be retained for duty under regimental arrangements with a Reserve.

I have therefore exercised my discretion in retaining the present system, as I feel sure that I am in a better position to remedy a failure at any point in the telephone system, by centralizing the visual signalling arrangements in the hands of one officer.

A propos of this subject, I would call attention to the fact that the message forms in use in India and at home are different. The result of this is that the British signallers have to conform to the Indian method, and practice a system different from that in which their efficiency is tested at the Annual Signalling Inspection.

12. The subject of censorship has already been dealt with by your Excellency in a despatch to the Secretary of State for the Colonies. The amendments put forward in the present revision agreed to by you, seems to convey all essential information suggested in paragraph 20 of the Remarks of the Colonial Defence Committee, with the additional advantage of no direct reference to docu- ments on whose page 6 the instruction is printed "The very existence should be kept a profound secret." As regards the foot-note to Table C a difficulty arises from the fact that owing to frequent changes in the personnel of the staff of the large commercial firms from which the Assistant Censors are drawn, the heads of these firms prefer not to nominate individuals beforehand but are prepared to promise a certain number of individuals from their staff. Under these circum- stances it does not appear necessary to include actual names.

13. Table D (i).—A new Chain of Artillery Command on the tabular form is now furnished.

E- [1021]

172

Page 279

Page 279

Page 279