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My Lord,

APPENDIX.

Governor-General to Secretary of State.

Government House, Ottawa, January 11, 1910. I HAVE the honour to forward herewith, for transmission to the War Office, copy of a letter from the Department of Militia and Defence, covering a copy of the proceedings of the Inter- departmental Committee, which recently considered the report of the naval and military officers who were deputed to visit Prince Rupert last July, with a view of ascertaining what areas should be withheld from private occupation, in view of the probable necessity of eventually erecting defence works.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

GREY.

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Enclosure.

Sir,

Deputy Minister of Militia and Defence to Governor-General's Secretary,

Standard of Defences to be maintained at Prince Rupert.

Ottawa, January 5, 1910.

I HAVE the honour, by direction of the Honourable the Minister of Militia and Defence, to submit a copy of the proceedings of the Interdepartmental Committee which recently considered the report, copy of which is also enclosed, of the naval and military officers who were deputed to visit Prince Rupert last July, with a view to ascertaining what areas should be withheld, from private occupation, for military purposes, having regard to the fact that future developments of this port may eventually necessitate the erection of defence works.

am to ask, should his Excellency the Governor-General think fit, that the proceedings of the Interdepartmental Committee and the report of the Board of officers who visited Prince Rupert, together with the accompanying plans, may be forwarded to the Imperial Government for consideration by the Committee of Imperial Defence, the Militia Council being anxious to ascertain the nature of attack to which this harbour may be subjected in the future, and the standard of defences to be maintained.

I am to add that requests have already been addressed to the Secretary of State, the Superintendent General for Indiau Affairs, and to the President of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, that no lands within the areas, now severally controlled by them, and coloured red on the accompanying plan, shall be disposed of without first ascertaining from the Department of Militia whether any or all of the said lands are required for defence purposes.

I have, &c.

(Signed) E. F. JARVIS,

Sub-Enclosure No. 1.

Deputy Minister, Militia and Defenc«.

Proceedings of the Interdepartmental Committes.

Third Meeting, December 20, 1909.

Present:

Major-General Sir P. H. N. Lake, K.C.M.G., C.B., Rear-Admiral C. E. Kingsmill, A.D.C., Brigadier-General W. D. Otter, C.V.O., C.B.

Attending:

Colonel R. W. Rutherford.

The subject for discussion, introduced by Brigadier-General W. D. Otter, Chief of the General Staff, was the question of acquiring Military Reserves in the vicinity of Prince Rupert, the acquisition of the Kinnahan Group, and of Kate and Compton Islands, at the entrance to Wark Channel.

The Interdepartmental Committee, having considered the report drawn up by the officers appointed to visit Prince Rupert in the summer of 1909, agreed to the principle of immediately acquiring reservations over any localities which may eventually be required in connection with any scheme for fixed defences before all suitable sites have been disposed of by private purchase.

The Committee advised that the Committee of Imperial Defence should be asked to lay down

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