Page 169
1
j
7
21. With regard to bringing the Traffic Regulations into operation in time of war, attention is called to the following extract from Report No. XIX of the Joint Naval and Military Committee on Defence.
"The time after a declaration of war or commencement of hostilities at which it would be advisable to put in force the Traffic Regulations must vary with the distance of the port from the base of the enemy, the nature of the attack to which it is liable, and other special conditions which would be known at the time at each place; but if the great importance of maintaining and protecting our trade is accepted in principle, it would indicate that though immediate mobilization is essential to an effective state of defence, the protection derived from the examination and exclusion of vessels may be con- sidered as a second phase of the defence dependent on the enemy's vessels being in certain particular waters.
At the least, it should be understood that neither the Traffic Regulations nor the laying of submarine mines should be put in operation without competent naval approval, whenever such is available."
22. Recognition signals between Her Majesty's ships and fortresses are in existence, and will be communicated for use in war. By this means a British war-vessel will be readily identified, and there will be no necessity for imposing on her the further restrictions laid down in the Scheme.
23. Page 69.-The action which it is suggested should be taken at Perim with regard to removing, in certain eventualities, the coal stored there is contrary to the principle that has been generally accepted that such action should not be taken. For an enemy to make any considerable use of the coal at Perim, it would be necessary for him to occupy and hold the island, which would only be possible if he had naval superiority in the surrounding waters. The risk of his seizing the small supply that he could put on board in a day is one which it is thought may reasonably be incurred rather than the more serious one of British ships seeking coal at Perim, and finding that it had been removed or destroyed.
March 19, 1898.
(Signed) M. NATHAN, Secretary,
Colonial Defence Committee.
approved by Lost for was 15/8/98, in 40051
APPENDIX.
2028
ARTILLERY Personnel required for approved Armament at Aden.
1
Staff and Command-
Command
Totals.
Officers.
W.Os., N.C.Os., and Gunners.
Officers.
::
:::
Range-finders
Telephonists and signallers
Gun Detachments (Fixed Armameut)—
5-10" B.L. guns
""
>
12-6"
4-7" R.B.L. guns 8.-9" R.M.L. 6-6-pr. Q.F.
"
•
:
::
:::
:
::
Magazine men, store men, orderlies, &c., add 66 per cent.
Gun Detachments (Movable Armament)—
2—40-pr. R.M.L. guns
2-25-pr.
"2
6-9-pr.
57
6-7-pr.
15
13-3-pr. Q.F.
Add 10 per cent. for sick, &c.
Totals
Page 169
:
26
26
::
48
12
N
:::::
:
:
:::::
W.Os., N.C.Os., and Gunners.
60
30
98225
65
96
32
72
295
196
18
18
54
54
65
209
26
760
3
76
29
836
FRINTED AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE BY J. W. HARRISON.—23/3/99.
Page 169
103290
Page Tuseument is the Property of Her Britannic Majesty's Governmenge 170 of 290
Ki
Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. March 21, 1898.
SECRET.
No. 182 R.
Report
NEW SOUTH WALES.
C.O. No. 1182.
by the Military Commandant for the year 1896–97.
A
Remarks by the Colonial Defence Committee.
THE Colonial Office have referred to the Colonial Defence Committee the Report for the year ending the 30th June, 1897, on the Military Forces of New South Wales, by Major-General G. A. French, R.A., Commanding the Forces.
2. The necessity for superseding the obsolete Volunteer Acts of 1867 and 1868, frequently urged by the late Commandant, has been again brought forward by Major-General French (paragraph 4) who has framed a Bill on the lines of the Queensland Act of 1884, which apparently awaits consideration by the New South Wales Legislature. On the whole the Committee would have preferred that the South Australia Act of 1895 should also have been consulted, as it appears to them to contain certain valuable provisions wanting in the Queensland Act. On this subject of military legislation the Colonial Defence Committee, in a paper laid before the Premiers of all the self-governing Colonies at the 1897 Conference in London, stated :-----
<<
The Colonial Defence Committee have been informed that the Governments of Victoria and New South Wales are at present considering the question of their military laws with a view to obtaining greater uniformity. The subject is of too technical a matter to be discussed in detail with the Premiers, but the Committee suggest that before further legislation is undertaken a complete Act generally suitable to the six Colonies of Australia and Tasmania should be drafted and discussed by a Committee of the Commandants of those Colonies, and introduced, with such modifications as the Commandants may suggest, in the various Legislatures. The issue of generally uniform Regulations based on this Act should then follow, modified, if necessary, for each Colony to meet its special conditions.
The Committee see no reason why New Zealand should not also join in the framing of such an Act and Regulations, most of the provisions of which would further be suitable to the conditions of Canada, the Cape of Good Hope, and Natal.
k
"Those parts of Imperial Acts and Regulations which are applicable to the Colonies should be embodied in Colonial Acts and Regulations.
"The Acts at present governing the military forces of South Australia and Queensland might form the basis of a general Defence Act for the Colonies, and Section (A) of the Australian Federal Defence Agreement, amended to February 1896, which has already received the concurrence of the Australian Commandants, might also usefully be consulted in its preparation."
mounted rifles.
3. In his Report now under consideration the Commandant has discussed at Cavalry and length (paragraphs 23 to 29) the relative merits of cavalry and mounted rifles as mounted troops for Australia, and the conclusion that he has come to is that not only are the latter more easy to raise, horse and train, but are far more suited to the con- ditions of the country and to the duties that mounted troops will there be called upon to perform in war. Under these circumstances the Commandant has no hesitation
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B
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