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consideration recommended to the case of a possible landing of a force of "400 to 500 men with field-guns on the beach to the east of Tanjong Katong. The Colonial Defence Committee, in their remarks of February 1892, agreed with the Local Committee as to the desirability of the question being further studied. If an adequate garrison cannot be allotted to the outlying work at Tanjong Katong, it would appear to be a matter for consideration whether definite arrangements should not be made to govern the withdrawal of its garrison in the case of such an attack, and for disabling its guns so as to prevent an enemy turning them after capture against the town and port. In the state in which the question is now left, Tanjong Katong appears to be a source of weakness, and possibly of positive danger, to the defences more than anything else.

3. The following proposals are still retained in the Scheme, though the questions have been definitely settled. The Scheme thus does not represent the actual state of affairs with regard to them at the date up to which it purports to have been revised.

Page 8. Food. The proposed arrangement with the Government of India for the supply of food has been definitely concluded, and the General Officer Commanding was informed of this by War Office letter No. 53 (Straits Settlements) 1239 of the 26th August, 1892.

Page 9. Personnel.-The authorized company of Asiatic Artillery has been raised, and was complete on the date of the revision of the Scheme. With regard to the paragraph, "It is imperatively necessary that its strength may be doubled, in order to assist in the artillery defence," it may be remarked that the General Officer Commanding has already been informed by the War Office that no addition can be made to the existing approved garrison.

Page 9, Personnel, and page 17, paragraph 2 (b), Appendix (V).——The local Ordinance empowering the enrolment of the Coast Defence Corps has been passed.

Page 9. Armament.-The mounting of the 7-inch gun in Fort Canning was approved as far back as April 1892.

4. The Colonial Defence Committee desire to draw attention also to the following points :-

Page 3. There is a discrepancy between the strength of the Asiatic Artillery, given there as 15 gunners, and that given in Appendix (A), where 120 are shown as in existence.

5. Page 4. It is stated that, "for the purpose of resisting a land attack, only 214 men are available, and of these, 50 are required for the occu- pation of the Labrador Heights, thus leaving 164 available for the Alexandra Position." It is difficult to reconcile this statement with the distribution given in Appendix (A), which shows, at-

Mount Faber, 246, Alexandra Position, 189, Labrador Heights, 50.

6. Page 4 Ordnance, Stores.-But little is said about the action to be taken by the Senior Ordnance Store Officer. A first general issue is spoken of, but there is nothing to show of what this issue consists.

It is stated that the Senior Ordnance Store Officer requires accommoda- tion for various reserves, but there is nothing to show the space required or how it is to be provided.

A recommendation is made about loopholing the criminal prison wall in order to command the magazine. This matter is only indirectly connected with the work to be done by the Ordnance Store Department, but is distinctly a matter to be executed by the Royal Engineers, and, as such, should be dealt with under the head of Royal Engineers' work. There is no need to make any "recommendation" as to the matter; provided the sanction of the Colonial authorities is obtained, all that is required is to record the steps to be taken.

7. Page 4. The transport question should be dealt with in a less vague manner. The requirements, whatever they are, should be recorded as far as they can be foreseen, so that no time may be lost on emergency in calculating them. This has been done in the case of water transport, though it is observed that the Return of additional boats required to be hired for submarine mining service, according to Appendix (F), differs somewhat from that given in Appendix (X).

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