CAB9-1_PT1 — Page 132

Page 132

3

8. Page 12. Appendix (F), according to p. 6, purports to give "the measures which will be taken to lay down the submarine mines in the event of war." It, however, merely contains a Return of personnel and boats, and an estimate of the time required to lay the complete defence. It is understood that the complete defence has been worked out, and, if so, the arrangement showing the distribution of personnel, &c., and work to be done each day until completion, should be recorded in the Scheme, as has been done in case of the preliminary defence.

The statement that the War Office establishment is 32 Europeans is a misapprehension; it is only 3 officers and 25 non-commissioned officers and

men.

9. Under the head of "Lights, Buoys, and Beacons," on p. 7, the Committee recommend the construction of two booms, one across the Sinki Strait, the other at the western entrance to the harbour, but no provision is made in the Scheme for the execution of the necessary work or for procuring the materials required. If the Committee propose that the construction of these booms should form part of the defensive arrangements, full details as to all the steps necessary for their construction should be given in the Scheme. If they do not intend this, then the recommendation should not be made.

10. The works mentioned as necessary at Guthrie's Hill and Borneo Wharf, under the head of "Coal," on p. 8, and those at Labrador Height, Pine Hill, &c., under the head of "Suggestions," on p. 5, are so far provided for in the Scheme in that Appendix (W) details the working parties, tools, material, and time necessary for their construction. There is, however, nothing to show whether all these works are to be executed simultaneously, or whether it is intended that the completion of some of them would precede that of others. There is also nothing to show how or whence the requisite tools and material are to be procured. The engineer portion of the Scheme should show clearly the whole of the work of this nature to be undertaken on mobilization, the order in which it is to be executed, and the arrangements for obtaining the necessary personnel and material.

A list of intrenchments, obstructions, &c., is given under heading 13, p. 9, but there are works mentioned in the list which are omitted from the details in Appendix (W), and vice versa.

11. There is practically no mention of any medical arrangements to be made on mobilization. This defect will, no doubt, be remedied in the forth- coming revision.

12. Page 7. Immediate patrolling in front of mine-fields. The principles lately approved by the Joint Naval and Military Committee to govern this question and that of harbour traffic have been communicated to all Governors of Colonies in the Colonial Office despatch of the 12th May, 1893. This will enable the Local Committee to amend this paragraph and Appendix (G), where desirable, so as to bring these arrangements into accord with the latest approved guiding principles.

13. Pages 2 and 9. The Colonial Defence Committee fully concur in the views expressed by the Local Committee that the 7-inch 63-ton R.M.L. guns fall short of the standard of accuracy in shooting required from medium guns -the bad shooting of these guns is a notorious fact and also that the number of Q.F. and machine-guns should be increased. The question of the substitution of Q.F. for medium guns on the sea fronts of all defences has lately been under consideration by the War Office, and the recommendations made on this head with regard to Singapore include the substitution of Q.F. guns of suitable natures for all the 7-inch R.M.L. guns on the sea defences, as also the provision of a certain extra number of machine-guns. The latter will probably satisfy the suggestions of the Local Committee with regard to light armament for Mount Palmer and Tanjong Katong.

14. Page 5. Telegraph Cables.—An arrangement is now under consideration for laying a cable from Singapore to Hong Kong viâ Labuan,

15. Subject to the foregoing remarks, the Scheme, viewed as a general outline of the measures to be taken for the defence of Singapore, may be regarded as satisfactory. The matter in it is distinctly good. What is now chiefly required is that the action to be taken by each of the various authorities, including the different branches of the staff, should be worked out in greater detail and arranged systematically in the Scheme.

Page 132

Page 132

By

d

ד נן