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Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. November 12, 1896.

SECRET.

No. 82 M.

HONG KONG.

C.O. No. 12119.

Report on Volunteers, April 1896.

Memorandum by the Colonial Defence Committee.

THE Colonial Office have referred to the Colonial Defence Committee the Reports of the General Officer Commanding and of the Acting Com- mandant on the Hong Kong Volunteer Corps for the year ending the 16th April, 1896, which are printed as Appendix I to this Memorandum.

2. The Report of the Commandant shows an increase of thirteen in the general total of the corps, which now consists of 125 of all ranks, out of an establishment of 238. The present strength is greater than it has been before, but it is little more than half of the present approved establishment, and it is very small in proportion to the considerable European population of the Colony. Efforts should be made to induce a greater number of men to join.

3. Apart from the staff of 4 officers and 1 N.C.O., the volunteers consist of a field battery of 4 officers and 70 N.C.Os. and men, out of an establish- ment of 4 officers and 76 N.C.Os. and men, and of a machine-gun company

of 3 officers and 43 N.C.Os. and men, against an establishment of three such companies, comprising in all 9 officers and 144 N.C.Os. and men.

4. The field battery is at present armed with six 7-pr. R.M.L. guns of 200 lb., which are the property of the Colonial Government. The Table given as Appendix II of this Memorandum shows the necessary establishments of officers, non-commissioned officers and men required for batteries of six and of four guns of this nature, on the assumption that all draught will be done by coolies. It will be seen that the existing establishment at Hong Kong is only sufficient for four guns under these conditions, while the actual strength is barely so.

Under these circumstances, the Colonial Defence Committee concur in the opinion of the G.O.C. that it would be wise to accustom Chinamen to drag and carry the guns over the rugged hill-sides, and in his approval of the Commandant's intention to use coolie draught more frequently in operations at a distance from head-quarters. By this means the energies of the volunteers will be more exclusively devoted to their proper work of the service of the guns, including supply and replacement of ammunition, and of supervising the column of march.

The Committee also consider that the establishment of coolies required for draught and other purposes should be laid down locally, and that arrange- ments should be made for securing the services in time of war of Chinamen with some previous training in the work.

The advantage of raising the strength of the European battery to the number required to work the six guns with which it is armed is obvious.

5. With regard to the Machine-gun Company, the Committee would point. out that to work the 12-45 Maxim guns which are the property of the Colony 6 machine-gun sections would be required, and these, according to

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