CAB9-1_PT2 — Page 200

dine

2

Page 200

December, 1897, it was suggested that a militia infantry force might be maintained at the nearest healthy stations (possibly Cairns and Cooktown), and taken annually to Thursday Island to rehearse the Defence Scheme, and immediately on the outbreak of war to put it into practice. This suggestion, which could not have been before the Local Committee at the date of the revision of the Defence Scheme, will, no doubt, receive consideration in due course. The principle adopted at Imperial Coaling Stations and Defended Ports, which can only be reinforced over sea, is, that garrisons should be kept as much as possible at war strength in time of peace.

Chapter II-Organization.

5. The first Table in this Chapter (page 6) shows the total establishment of the Queensland land forces to be 2,980 of all ranks, while the actual strength on the 4th January, 1898, was, according to Table (E) (pages 10 and 11) 2,676. In Table (F) (pages 11 and 12) 180 men from the Reserve Establishment (called "infantry super- numeraries at the top of page 7) and 341 men from the police are added to the 2,980 men on the establishment, to bring up the total to 3,481, the number on which the present Defence Scheme is based (Table H, page 14). This is 200 less than the Defence Scheme of last year, the reduction being due to a much smaller number of Reserves being reckoned on as available, while there has been some increase in the active force.

The Colonial Defence Committee still hope to see the creation of a reserve force in Queensland by which it will be possible to bring up the peace establishment to a war strength of 5,000. They have dealt with this subject in their Remarks No. 174 R, dated the 8th December last.

6. (i), page 6.-The division of the defences of the Colony suggested in the second sub-paragraph of paragraph 14 of the Colonial Defence Committee's Remarks No. 163 R, dated the 28th June, 1897, having been accepted in the present revision. of the Scheme, it would be useful if it were entered under the heading "Divisions of Command instead of at the bottom of page 15,

The organization of the staff on page 6 should also be shown to correspond with the "Divisions of Command" in war. The title of the officer who would be respon- sible for the organization of supply and transport duties in war should be added to the list of the Head-quarters Staff, as suggested in paragraph 18 of the Remarks No. 163 R.

7. (ii), pages 7 to 9.-The rearrangement of the Tables in Chapter II, suggested in paragraph 15 of No. 163 R, has been carried out in the present revision, and the Scheme gains thereby in clearness. It would be better, however, if the Tables at the foot of page 6 and the information contained on pages 7 to 9 were transferred to the end of Chapter I under a heading " Naval and Military Resources," as it is as well to keep this information separate from the details of the war organization, which is the special subject of Chapter II. Table (C) does indeed deal with this war organiza- tion in so far as it lays down in the column of Remarks the distribution of the floating defences in war. The rest of this Table, however, repeats part of the information previously given in Table (B), and if Table (B) is made complete, a short statement as to the distribution of the vessels and their personnel in war might be added in Chapter II before or after the distribution of the land forces, and the present Table (C) eliminated from the Scheme.

8. It is observed with regard to "fixed and floating defences," that the following deficiencies formerly reported still exist :-

(i.) The two unserviceable B.L. guns, which used to form the armament for Magazine Island, Townsville, have not yet been replaced, except temporarily by field-

guns.

(ii.) There is no submarine mining boat at present available for the Brisbane River.

(iii.) The 8-inch and 6-inch B.L. guns of the "Paluma" still require chase- hooping.

(iv.) At the date of the revision of the Defence Scheme the small-arms in the

Page 200

130

Page 200