CAB38-17 — Page 52

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21

The United States of America picked a quarrel with Mexico, because she wanted California, and few will even remember now what the trumped-up casus belli was.

Spain's decrepitude led to her conflict with the same great and occasionally unscrupulous Power in 1898, and the known impotence of the Manila fortifications was probably the deciding factor that induced America to declare war-"Opportunity makes the thief."

Human nature does not change. Small temptations are honourably resisted, but great ones are invariably succumbed to, except perhaps occasionally by Englishmen.

Euripides' saying is as true now as when uttered: "The price of injustice should be high ; so sacred a thing as right should not be invaded for a trifling consideration, for that would be treating it with contempt indeed."

England possesses the fairest and most enviable places in the world, and it is sinning against common sense and inviting aggression leaving them improperly safeguarded.

Hong Kong especially is as defenceless as she is rich and beautiful, and sooner or later will suffer from some enterprising, vigorous young nation the same fate as befel Lucrece, but unlike that_heroic_woman, she will turn as readily to her conquerer as did the Lady Anne to the murderous Gloucester; for the Chinese, who must always form the great bulk of the population of Hong Kong, will obey any strong master, and, however much they might regret the end of British rule, would not lift a finger in our defence.

Hong Kong once lost never regained.

No other nation would copy our errors; the channels of approach would be at once strewn with mines, and the heaviest guns mounted.

24. To sum up, the Colonial Defence Committee is correct in holding Hong Kong liable to class (A) battle-ship attack, for it is obvious any nation is at liberty to copy America and send a "friendly" squadron of battle-ships ou a world-wide cruise, and to be prepared to repel that squadron there must either be battle-ships worth millions or fortifications costing hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Hong Kong is a gem of the ärst water, and cau no more be defended on the cheap than could the Cullinan diamond be cut and polished for a few pounds.

And “now” is always the golden time to correct mistakes.

There should always be a reasonable proportion between the defences and the attacking forces.

England has no right to expect miracles to be performed on her behalf.

25. The least possible minimum that can be accepted is an armament at each entrance equal to that of one modern battle-ship (Tsingtau already exceeds this); and as all nations are building "Dreadnoughts" they must be the standard.

This would still leave us with a great numerical inferiority in guns, but if full advantage were taken of the land positions and they were impregnably mounted, our gunners can be relied on to hold opposing battleships at bay for the few weeks necessary for reinforcements to arrive.

Of late years an erroneous axiom has been accepted that fleets fear forts-the corollary has always been forgotten, and that is that the fortress must be first class, such as Vladivostock in these waters now is, and Toulon was in the old wars.

Inferior fortifications have always succumbed.

I have carefully gone into the subject and believe there is no one single case on record in which a fortress with either numerically inferior or weaker guns has resisted a properly handled battle-fleet.

It is not necessary to weary you with details, but there are hundreds of examples of weak forts and batteries (and the defences of Hong Kong at present cannot possibly be classed as more than fifth rate) being battered down by a sea attack.

The story of the capture of Curaços on the 1st January, 1807, by a squadron of frigates under Captain Brisbane is perhaps the most brilliant example of what ships can do against even a strong fortress, and is always worth re-reading.

26. Fortunately there can be no difficulty in putting matters right-all it requires is for some state man to frankly put before the British people the altered condition of affairs."

Take any public meeting in England, from working men in the north to a Primrose garden party in the south, and they would call at once for the outposts of the Empire to be placed in safety. Indeed it would be fortunate if some disagreeable person were not to make unpleasant inquiries as to who was responsible for the dangerous position of our priceless possessions.

What I have written cannot, I fear be entirely pleasant to the authorities responsible for the present defences, but the truth, however unpalatable, should always be welcome.

I am sending a copy of this letter to the Admiralty.

I have, &c.

(Signed) HEDWORTH LAMBTON, Vico-Admiral.

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