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4. The Remarks of the Committee above referred to embodied various recom- mendations with regard to the numbers, organization, equipment, and training of the Western Australia Defence Force, with a view to making this force efficient for the duties that it might be called upon to perform in war. In view of the fact that a Defence Scheme for Western Australia has just reached the Colonial Defence Committee, they propose to defer further remarks on this aspect of the question till they deal with that Scheme.

5. There is one point, however, connected with the general defence of the Colony to which the Committee desire to refer without delay. They are informed that the Instructions issued by Her Majesty's Government as to the observation by the Colonies of a strict neutrality during the Spanish-American war produced from Western Australia an application that one of Her Majesty's ships should be stationed at Albany, and one at Freemantle, to prevent belligerent ships obtaining supplies of coal at these ports. The application appears to the Committee to show that the West Australian Government have no confidence in their power of protecting their own ports from the action of a cruiser, and that they would in war expect to receive assistance for this purpose by Her Majesty's ships being stationed as guard-vessels at the places where coal is stored. The Colonial Defence Committee cannot impress too strongly on the Government of Western Australia that this form of assistance would not be given.

So long as the British vessels in Australian waters remain as a fleet they will be able to deal effectually with any squadron that a combination of hostile Powers could there bring against them. If, however, they were to be divided up, so that every place of the importance of Freemantle and Albany had a ship told off to defend it from the raid of an enemy's cruiser, the fleet and the security against invasion that it gives would vanish together.

Against cruiser raids the ports are required to defend themselves by means of fixed defences at the most important, and by small mobile forces at all, where an enemy could obtain coal or supplies. If a Colony does not prepare such defences and forces in peace it will have to take its chance in war. The general defence of Australasia cannot be disorganized because an individual Colony has failed in its duty to itself and to the Empire.

M. NATHAN, Secretary,

(Signed)

November 9, 1898.

Approved bytte 25.11.98 in

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Colonial Defence Committee.

087

361

PRINTED AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE BY J. W. HARRISON.-10/11/98.

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Page 266 This Document is the Property of Her Britannic Majesty's Government 290 2

Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. November 18, 1898.

SECRET.

No. 199 R.

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MALTA,

266

W.O. No. MALTA.

17

Defence Scheme revised to January 1898.

Remarks by the Colonial Defence Committee.

Covering Despatch of General Commanding.

THE Colonial Defence Committee have but few remarks to make on the latest revision of the Defence Scheme for Malta. The Scheme is now, as far as changing conditions of armament, garrison, &c., make this possible, accurate and complete, except in those details that the General Commanding considers should not be given with further completeness. The Colonial Defence Committee, while they are unable to look upon the Defence Scheme as other than a most secret document, of the contents of which, with reasonable precaution it should be impossible to unauthorized persons to obtain knowledge, are nevertheless prepared to accede to the desire of the General Commanding that detailed information with regard to mine-field, boom, electric lights, &c., and with regard to supplies obtainable from Mediterranean ports, should be excluded from it. They have no doubt that the General Commanding, who is personally and solely responsible for the defence of the fortress in war, will make all arrangements so that no sudden changes of staff would result in important informa- tion affecting this defence being lost sight of. He will, no doubt, also bear in mind that the exclusion of details, with regard to certain parts of the defence, from the Defence Scheme increases the difficulty of annually reviewing that Scheme, from the standpoint of the action required by the Departments of Government in England to maintain and increase the efficiency of the defence.

2. The Committee are informed that the points referred to in paragraphs 7 and 21 of the covering despatch of the General Commanding have been dealt with by the War Office, and that the question of supplies referred to in paragraph 12 is still under consideration of that Office and of the Colonial Office.

3. With regard to paragraph 8, the Colonial Defence Committee desire to place on record their opinion that the substitution of B.L. and Q.F. for the R.M.L. guns which are still mounted at Malta is a matter of serious and urgent importance.

4. In the present revision of the Malta Defence Scheme the Tables have been taken out of the body and placed at the end of the book. This is a matter of arrange- ment, and not of much moment. The Committee prefer the system adopted in all other Defence Schemes of placing the Tables after the statement of the action required from the Staff or Departmental Officer concerned.

[1897]