CAB9-1_PT1 — Page 109

Page 109

Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. June 26, 1891.

CONFIDENTIAL.

MAURITIUS.

MAURITIUS.

Secret. 17.

Revision of Scheme of Defence to 30th September, 1890.

Remarks by Colonial Defence Committee.

THE Colonial Defence Committee have had under consideration the Report of the Local Committee dealing with the defence of Mauritius up to the 30th September, 1890. This Report has not been printed, as it does not appear, in its present form, to satisfy the requirements of a scheme of defence such as has been drawn up in other Colonies.

In their Report of the 7th January, 1888, the Local Committee rightly stated that "their business is primarily the consideration of a definite scheme for the utilization of resources existing at the present moment in the Colony, and, as forts and armaments are completed, their scheme must be modified to meet such improvements." Since this date, the works and armaments of Port Louis have made considerable progress, and the total garrison returned in 1890 is 630, as against 421 in 1888; but no such scheme of defence as that con- templated in section 15 of the Colonial Defence Committee's Memorandum of the 1st November, 1886, forwarded to the Governor with Colonial Office Circular of the 8th November, 1886, has yet been prepared.

In their remarks of the 10th April, 1888, with a copy of which it is assumed the Local Committee were supplied, the Colonial Defence Committee, among other matters, drew special attention to the desirability of including the proposed treatment of the land defence of Port Louis in the scheme. They considered "that the details of this scheme should be embodied in the next Report of the Local Committee, in order that the general plan of defence may be brought together as a whole." The present Report states that "schemes of defence have been elaborated," and that the total working parties required to complete them would number 4,665 men; but no details are given of the many arrangements necessary to give effect to these measures.

In the same Memorandum the Colonial Defence Committee pointed out that "

as soon as the new defences are completed, a fresh Report should be prepared embodying the matters above referred to, and giving a detailed account of the proposed distribution of the available force." The defences are now nearly completed and armed, but no distribution of the force available is proposed.

The important question of food supply to which attention was also drawn is stated to be under the consideration of the Government.

Again, the Colonial Defence Committee pointed out that "the Local Committee should specify the number of look-out stations along the coast which it would be necessary to occupy, and should state the arrangements required to insure their efficient use." In the Report under consideration, it is .merely remarked that "the coast is well provided with look-out stations. The

police will arrange for a look-out all round the coast."

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