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Commanders for Steamer Point would be concerned only with executive artillery duties, and would command artillery personnel only.

The one or two field forces on the eastern side of the peninsula would be dealt with in a similar manner. From page 22 it appears that the O.C. Isthmus Position is subordinate to the O.C. Crater Position, but this is not stated in the orders to those officers on pages 54-57.

It would appear to be a convenient arrangement that the O.C. British Infantry should be ex officio O.C. Harbour Field Force and the O.C. Native Infantry.be O.C. Eastern Field Force (compare pages 62 and 63), but the British and Native Infantry must presumably continue to be mixed.

The raison d'être of the garrison of Isthmus and Crater is explained on page 2, paragraph 5.

As this force retires on the Steamer Point Position it would seem better to regard it in the light of a detached field force, as suggested above, than to treat it as the garrison of a distinct sectional area. If the latter course be adopted there will be difficulties owing to the necessity of appointing a Section Commander for the Steamer Point Section, whereas under the organization now proposed the G.O.C. will har- monize the action of the fixed defences and that of the mobile defence in the neigh- bourhood of the harbour.

On the whole the Colonial Defence Committee consider that the terms Section and Sub-Section should be eliminated from the Aden Defence Scheme.

Chapters III and IV.

12. If the principles suggested in paragraph 11 above are accepted these Chapters will require re-writing in accordance with them. It is not, however, considered necessary to discuss an amended organization in detail in these Remarks.

13. Page 33.-Under the heading "General Review of Measures to be Taken" it has been thought advisable in Colonial Schemes to insert a specific reference to the code messages which would be sent to the Governor directing him to put the Defence Scheme wholly or partly into force. The Government of India may think it advisable that a reference to the messages which would be sent to the Resident should be similarly inserted in the Aden Defence Scheme.

14. Page 35, Part C (i), (ii), and (iii).--It should be possible to ascertain the requirements of Officers Commanding Corps and Heads of Departments in the matter of transport and supplies without waiting till mobilization is ordered. If Tables of the transport required were kept in time of peace by the officer responsible for its provision, and periodically revised, they might take the place of demands to be sent in when war is anticipated or declared, and delay thus avoided. Similarly it should not be necessary for the Marine Transport Officer to await indents before supplying the water transport required for the conveyance of Ordnance and Commissariat stores, &c., to Steamer Point (page 36, lines 6 to 9).

15. Page 35, Part C (vi).-In view of the statement contained in paragraph 6, page 2 of the Scheme, the immediate transfer on mobilization of one month's rations for the Steamer Point Position from the Crater is of very great importance.

16. Page 36, Part D. No chain of artillery command appears in the Scheme. One should be prepared, if this has not already been done, based on the Position-finding system which was completed in 1895-96. If the Section organization which, as already pointed out, exists only nominally at Aden, is maintained, the Fire Commander or Commanders should be under the Section Commander or Commanders, the two posts not being duplicated in one officer, as appears to have been contemplated (pages 14 and 15). If the Section organization is done away with, the Fire Commander or Commanders will come directly under the General Officer Commanding, who will direct the artillery operations through the O.C.R.A. on his Staff. In the improbable event of it being necessary to fight the forts at night, the main responsibility for the direction of their fire must necessarily fall on the Battery Commanders.

17. Pages 36 and 37, Part E.-The action to be taken by the Commanding Royal Engineer or Executive Engineer appears to require some further consideration. Some of the works laid down in the Scheme to be carried out in war, e.g., (v), (vi), and (vii),

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