CAB9-1_PT1 — Page 280

Page 280

2

provided against by the companies of local militia proposed in para. 17. With a view to this, the Committee concur in the recommendation that the formation of those companies and Local Rifle Associations should be encouraged.

But it does not appear necessary to consider the case of a landing party from one or more cruisers attempting to march inland from any of these remote outports on Kingston. Such an expedition by blue-jackets 40 to 50 miles inland in a strange and hostile country, with the uncertainty that their ships, with reduced crews, would be able to maintain their position off the outport till their return, would be wild and foolhardy in the extreme, and may be dismissed from consideration. The Committee fully understand that the Local Committee only desired to indicate the remote possibility of such an attack, but it would be well to omit all reference to it as a distinct contin- gency to be provided against. The greater part of this paragraph should be omitted, and also paras. 4 (III), and 4 (IV), p. 68.

5. Page 10, para. 4.-There is some clerical error in the total of the artillery, or in the figures which make up the total; and again in the Table, pp. 13-16, there is some similar error in the numbers of artillery and engineers. Apparently the 20 W.I. gunners have been omitted. The head-quarters' staff and the position of head-quarters should be included in this Table. "Eastern Forts" might, with advantage, be substituted for "Port Royal" in column 1, so as to preserve the nomenclature used elsewhere in the Scheme.

6. Page 18 (C.), para. 3, and p. 37 (E).—The Committee are informed that steps have been taken to complete the deficient telephonic communi- cations.

7. Page 18 (D.), para. 3.-Jamaica is no worse off in this respect than any other station. At no station either at home or abroad has it been possible to provide more than a single relief for the gun detachments, and a small

reserve.

8. Page 27.-The strength of the look-out posts should be given. Many of these are so distant from telegraph-stations that cyclists or mounted men should, if possible, be attached to them.

A Table summarizing the signallers which are elsewhere referred to and their equipment should be given. This would be most appropriately dealt with under the proper sub-head of " Action by C.R.E."

-

<<

9. Page 37 (E).—The action of C.R.E. should be worked out in greater detail under the separate sub heads of "Works," Submarine Mines," and Signalling." The Table at pp. 39-42 is a useful summary, but it requires certain research through other parts of the Scheme to ascertain the nature of much of the work referred to in the Table. The work to be undertaken should be detailed in a collective form for each officer concerned with the execution, together with the tools and materials required for each, the places where these are to be procured, and the transport, if any, required.

The time given for laying out the Submarine Mine Defence seems long, but the withdrawal of the advanced mines lately recommended by the Colonial Defence Committee in their remarks on the Local Joint Naval and Military Committee's Report, if approved, will make a sensible difference in this respect. It is noticed that no allusion is made to obtaining the concurrence of the naval authorities before proceeding to lay the mine-fields. This is a most important point, and it should be clearly understood and recorded in the Scheme that no mines shall be laid without the joint concurrence of the naval and military authorities.

10. Page 43.-Under the heading "Action by S.M.O." a Table sum- marizing the hospital arrangements and the distribution of the M.S.C. would be a convenient addition, so that a medical officer may find in a collective form, and ready to hand in the particular part of the Scheme affecting his

Page 280

Page 280