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9.2-inch gun at Outer South Head; No. 2 to include Middle Head and George's Head and heights.

(c.) Botany Bay Section limits to be those laid down for Botany district, and also to contain two Fire Commands: No. 1 comprising the 9.2-inch guns at Bondi and Coogee, and No. 2 Henry Head and Bare Island, The Senior Battery Commanders at Bondi and Henry Head to act as Fire Commanders to the small Fire Commands.

(d.) Field force to be encamped in Moore Park, as being nearer trams and railway.

(Sub-paragraphs (2,) (3), and (4)).— Noted.

7. (Paragraph 7.)-This Table will be altered to suit above, as far as Sydney fortress is concerned.

8. (Paragraph 8.)--This will be done.

9. (Paragraph 9.)-Noted.

10. (Paragraph 10.)-Noted. Reference to light-houses will be omitted.

11. (Paragraph 11.)-The communications do run as pointed out. The short line between Coogee and Henry Head is laid, and is required, under our modification of para- graph 6 (1). Telegraphic communication with advanced posts is easily arranged, the wire running near the railway line being tapped for this purpose,

12. (Paragraph 12.) Noted. Special reference will be made.

13. (Paragraph 13.)-Will be acted on.

14. (Paragraph 14.)-Time required for mobilization will be added.

15. (Paragraph 15.)-The details and Tables referred to all exist, in the hands of the Defence Committee, who do not consider it necessary or advisable to embody them in the Defence Scheme.

The departments concerned will have copies.

16. (Paragraph 16.)—Plans of the mine-fields were forwarded to the Admiralty through the Local Government in 1894, since which date there has been no material change.

No mines will be laid without the concurrence of the Senior Naval Officer.

17. (Paragraph 17.)—The Committee are satisfied that the present arrangement is that best suited to the present local conditions.

18. (Paragraph 18.)-Noted for action.

19. (Paragraph 19.)-Will be held in view when revising the Scheme. The general principles are accepted.

20. (Paragraph 20.)-The Local Defence Committee have decided that the mine- field for Botany Bay is not required, which is concurred in by the Local Joint Naval and Military Committee.

Arrangements have been made for defending the works from a land attack. The term "gorge

" is rather misleading, as few of the works have “ gorges."

No arrangements for combined action seem possible until some form of military federation becomes recognized.

The rest of the paragraph has been carried out.

21. (Paragraph 21.)-Will be corrected.

22. (Paragraph 22.)--Destruction of jetties does not appear in the last Defence Scheme. (Vide paragraph (c) p. 41.) Destruction of mining plant will also be abstracted. 23. (Paragraph 23.)-The Local Defence Committee are of the same opinion, and the question had been discussed previous to the receipt of the "Remarks."

24. (Paragraph 24.)-Noted for consideration.

25. (Paragraph 25.)-Has been carried out,

26. (Paragraph 26.)--This question has been carried out by the Joint Naval and Military Committee in conjunction with the naval authorities.

27. In view of the changes involved by the suggestions of the Colonial Defence Committee, and considering recent alterations in the strength of the forces of the Colony and other impending changes, the Local Defence Committee do not see their way to having the revised Scheme ready for some time.

I have, &c. (Signed)

G. A. FRENCH, Major-General, Commanding New South Wales Military Forces.

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i

To the Principal Under-Secretary.

100 Page 162 of 290

PRINTE AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE BY J, W. HARRISON,-3/12;97.

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[This Document is the Property of Her Britannic Majesty's Government.] Page 163 of 290

Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. March 23, 1898.

Sage 163 of 200

SECRET.

No. 181 R.

ADEN.

Defence Scheme revised to 1895.

40051.

W.O. No.

1951.

Remarks of the Colonial Defence Committee.

THE War Office, with the concurrence of the India Office, have referred the last revision of the Aden Defence Scheme, received from India, to the Colonial Defence Committee. The Military Secretary, India Office, and the Ordnance Consulting Officer for India attended the meeting of the Committee, at which it was considered.

2. The general arrangement of the Scheme is based on the suggestions contained in Colonial Defence Committee Memorandum No. 46, dated the 3rd May, 1893, but there is considerable divergence between the manner in which these suggestions have been carried out at Aden and the way they have been embodied in the latest revisions of Defence Schemes for Colonial stations. The arrangement of the Scheme, so long as it is clear, is not a matter of great importance, but it is an assistance to officers passing from responsible positions at Home or in the Colonies to India, or vice versa, that they should be familiar, at any rate, with the plan of the Defence Schemes which they may be called upon to put into practice at short notice. It may be of advantage, therefore, for the Committee to point out generally the alterations which would bring the Aden Scheme into the form which, after an examination of over 100 Colonial Schemes, they have found to be the most suitable.

Though Parts I and III of Chapter I of the Aden Scheme, as it now stands, contain information rightly embodied in that chapter, it might be somewhat fuller as regards the probable strength and direction of attack, while Part II would properly come under Chapter II (D), instead of being merely referred to there. The normal garrison and available armament might be included in Chapter I instead of Chapter II.

In the latter chapter the headings "Divisions of Command" and the "Distri- bution of Troops and Armaments" might be kept separate. Under the first heading the head-quarter staff, the areas of sections, their Commanders, and their total garrisons, are stated as they should be if a sectional organization is adopted; but the detailed disposition of the troops and their duties might be left to be dealt with in other parts of the Scheme. Under the second heading it would suffice to give three Tables: one to show the distribution on first mobilization of all troops by Sections and stations, one to show their distribution by corps, and one to show the allotment of armament.

The third heading of Chapter II, viz., " (C) Communications," might conveniently be divided into Means of Communication," which should contain the information now given in the Scheme, and "Communication of Orders and Intelligence," which should describe generally the existing telegraphic, telephonic, and signalling systems which have considerable influence on the "Modes of Meeting various Attacks.'

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Under this last heading of Chapter II the information now given in Chapter I. Part II, should, as already stated, be inserted. The instructions as to movement of troops on mobilization which it at present contains would more properly come in the

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