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of them-those at Constantia Nek and the Kloof-are to be carried out at the outset of war against attacks that are held by the Local Committee to be improbable. Others, such as the extensive ones for the Salt River Defences, would appear, from the tools and stores provided for their execution, to involve considerable destruction of civil property, which should only be undertaken if clearly necessary. In several instances the construction of gun emplacements and epaulments is proposed. It should be borne in mind that unless these are made beforehand, so that they become covered with vegetation, or by exposure assimilate to the surrounding ground, they would tend to show up the position of the guns and gun detachments, which would be safer without them.
17. Pages 32, 33, 34. (E.) Action by Brigade Signalling Officer.--The Colonial Defence Committee trust that with the extension of the electrical com- munications, now under consideration at the War Office, it will be found possible to confine the signallers to a few men kept in readiness to take the place of any part of the telephone system that may be temporarily deranged, and a few for keeping up communication with moving bodies of troops. They do not consider it necessary to maintain a complete personnel for visual signalling between points in electric communication with each other, nor to maintain a line "to keep the signallers in active employment."
18. Pages 35 to 38. (F.) Action by Principal Medical Officer.--It is observed that in this portion of the Scheme the officers to undertake various duties have been detailed by name, and that several officers so detailed have already left the command. In view of the constant changes in personnel that take place, it is considered that it would be more convenient if the officers were told off to the different posts by ranks instead of by names.
19. Page 39, Table_F (iii).—The official nomenclature laid down in Appendix No. 38, Regulations for Army Medical Services, should be adhered to when describing medical and surgical equipment.
20. Pages 56 to 77.-In the Tables of Fort Details on these pages several "vacant posts for artillery officers" are shown. Some of these are gun group commands of the less important groups, for instance, of 7-in. R.M.L. guns. These posts could equally well be filled by N.C.Os.
The battery command staffs appear to be calculated on a very liberal scale. It is not apparent why nineteen N.C.Os. and men should be required. as a staff for Cemetery Battery, which only mounts two 9-in. and two 7-in. R.M.L. and two machine-guns, nor why Green Point with three 7-in. R.M.L. guns should require fifteen N.C.Os. and men as a staff.
21. Page 108, Proclamation.-The Colonial Defence Committee concur with the Local Defence Committee in considering that the Proclamation which places the Cape Peninsula under martial law when an attack on Cape Town is imminent and provides for entirely closing the Courts of Justice under those circumstances, is not wholly satisfactory. The Governor would be personally responsible for any action taken under such a Proclamation, and such action if it conflicted with the law of the Cape Colony though it might be justifiable, could not be legal. The Colonial Defence Committee suggest that a copy of the Secret Order in Council of the 26th October, 1896, be sent to the Governor of the Cape, with instructions to communicate it, should he consider this advisable, confidentially to his Ministers and to confer with them as to the advisability of passing an Act through the Cape Parliament to give to the Governor in the event of attack or anticipation of attack on the Colony special powers similar to those which the Order in Council confers on the Governors of certain Crown Colonies.
(Signed)
M. NATHAN, Secretary,
Colonial Defence Committee.
December 31, 1896.
PRINTED AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE BY J. W. HARRISON.—5/1/97.
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Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. February 3, 1897.
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