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

Printed for the Committee of Imperial Defence. April 1911.

SECRET.

COMMITTEE OF IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

MINUTES OF 109th Meeting, March 24, 1911.

Present:

The Right Hon. H. H. ASQUITH, M.P., Prime Minister (in the Chair).

The Right Hon. W. S. CHURCHILL, M.P., | The Right Hon. L. HARCOURT, M.P.,

Secretary of State for Home Affairs.

The Right Hon. R. McKenna, M.P.,

First Lord of the Admiralty.

Admiral of the Fleet SIR A. K. WILSON, G.C.V.O., G.C.B., First Sea Lord of the Admiralty.

Rear-Admiral the Hon. A. E. BETHELL,

The

Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Right Hon. Viscount Haldane, Secretary of State for War.

General SIR WILLIAM NICHOLSON, G.C.B.,

Chief of the Imperial General Staff. Brigadier-General H. H. WILSON, C.B., D.S.O., Director of Military Opera- tions.

C.M.G., Director of Naval Intelligence. The Right Hon. SIR ARTHUR NICOLSON,

Viscount ESHER, G.C.V.O., G.C.B.

General SIR JOHN FRENCH, G.C.V.O.,

G.C.B., G.C.M.G., Inspector-General of the Forces.

Bart., G.C.V.O., G.C.B., G.C.M.G., Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

General Sir Ian HAMILTON, G.C.B., D.S.O., Inspector-General of the Oversea

Forces.

Rear-Admiral SIR CHARLEN OTTLEY, K.C.M.G., M.V.O., Secretary.

1. REPORT OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE ASSEMBLED TO FORMULATE QUESTIONS CONNECTED WITH THE NAVAL AND MILITARY DEFENCE OF THE EMPIRE TO BE DISCUSSED AT THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE, 1911. (C.L.D. Paper 67-C.)

MR. HARCOURT said that the Sub-Committee had considered the various subjects proposed to be discussed very carefully, and, except for the question raised in paragraph 28 of the report which was reserved for discussion later on, there was little to be added. The recommendations of the Sub-Committee were summarised on page 7 of the report. The paper on General Defence Policy might perhaps be prepared by the Secretary of the Committee of Imperial Defence, the Director of Naval Intelligence, and the Director of Military Operations jointly. With reference to Appendix V (1), as there had not been time to communicate with the representatives of the Dominions, it would not be possible now to invite them to come prepared to state how far their

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