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SECRET.

21-M.

Printed for the Home Ports Defence Committee. May 1913.

Admiralty M-01364/12.

II.

BRISTOL CHANNEL: SWANSEA, BARRY, CARDIFF, AND PENARTH.

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN EXAMINATION SERVICE.

Memorandum by the Home Ports Defence Committee.

THE Admiralty, in a letter M-01364/12 dated the 30th September, 1912, have requested that the question of establishing an Examination Service at Cardiff, Barry, Penarth, Swansea, and Barrow* should be considered by the Home Ports Defence Committee as soon as possible. An extract from this letter is printed in Appendix I.

2. At the meeting of the Home Ports Defence Committee at which this question was discussed there were present, in addition to the usual members of the Com- mittee, Mr. G. J. Stanley, C.B., C.M.G., representing the Board of Trade, and Sir Nathaniel Highmore, representing the Board of Customs and Excise.

Origin of the Inquiry.

3. In the course of an inquiry into certain questions connected with the Treatment of Neutral and Enemy Merchant Ships in British Ports in Time of War the attention of the Home Ports Defence Committee was drawn to the danger that exists at certain ports with narrow approaches that vessels departing with stone, cement, bricks, or similar heavy cargo on board might be deliberately sunk in the fairway in time of strained relations or war with a view to the obstruction of the entrance channel.

4. The measures for dealing with this danger in the case of outgoing vessels are discussed in H.P.D.C. Memorandum No. 25–M, paragraph 14.

5. It has been pointed out, however, in the course of correspondence which has taken place on the subject between the Admiralty, Board of Trade, Board of Customs and Excise, and the Chairman of the Home Ports Defence Committee, that the danger to ports from incoming vessels similarly laden is no less than from outgoing vessels. But, whereas, supervision over outgoing vessels can be conveniently exercised by the Customs Officers, incoming vessels require to be examined before they reach the narrow portion of the approaches at a point beyond the ordinary sphere of operations of the Customs Authorities, and for these a separate organization is required.

6. The Admiralty, in the letter referred to in paragraph 1, have proposed that this duty should be entrusted to the Examination Service at defended ports. As, however, no Examination Service is at present provided for at the defended ports of

• The question of Barrow will be dealt with in a separate Memorandum, as further Inquiries are being made by the Admiralty.

C

[557].

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