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45. Page 48 (II), paragraph 1 (3).-It is not clear that the wheeled transport, horses, drivers, &c., in Kingston which might be required on an emergency have been registered, though from the paragraph it appears that this is necessary.

46. Page 48 (II), paragraph 2.-The arrangements made by the civil authorities for the maintenance of a surveillance over the telegraphs and telephones in the island should be entered in the Scheme as already recommended by the Committee in para- graph 18 of their Remarks, No. 168 R.

Their arrangements for manning and working the nine look-out posts, of which a list is given on page 20, should also be fully described.

47. Page 48 (III)-It is desirable that the drafts of the Proclamations to be issued should be embodied in the Scheme. Those referred to in paragraphs 1 to 3 involve questions of arming, clothing, and organizing, which should be thought out in peace time. The resulting draugements should be embodied in the Scheme. academic proposal to call out a number of unarmed and unorganized men is of no value.

A mere

48. Page 48 (IV), paragraph 1.-The proposal to encourage the cultivation of yams on mobilization does not seem a very practical one.

49. Page 48 (IV), paragraph 3.-The Scheme should record information as to existing fire brigade and appliances, and how they would be strengthened in case of necessity. The troops would clearly not be available for duties in connection with the extinguishing of fires.

50. Maps.-Advanced copies of a map of Kingston and the surrounding district, recently prepared at the War Office, have been bound up with the present revision of the Defence Scheme. The next revision submitted from the station should be accom- panied by a copy of this map, with all defence details enfaced in red. Care should be taken that every name mentioned in the Scheme is shown on the map.

(Signed)

M. NATHAN, Secretary,

'December 13, 1898.

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Colonial Defence Committee.

PRINTED AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE BY J. W. HARRISON.-15/12/98.

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Page 284This Document is the Property of Her Britannic Majesty's Government 84 of 290

Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. December 30, 1898.

BIA

SECRET.

No. 202 R.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

C.O. No. 23954, Secret.

Defence Scheme, July 1898.

Remarks by the Colonial Defence Committee.

THE Defence Scheme of Western Australia, which accompanied the Governor's despatch of the 24th September, 1898, is the first document received from the Colony since the Report of the Local Defence Committee, dated the 2nd July, 1887, which deals with the utilization of its resources in personnel and materiel against the form of attack to which Western Australia is actually liable. Though it differs considerably from the Defence Schemes of Colonies, in which this subject has for some years received detailed consideration, in giving only the main outlines of a scheme and in dealing with prospective as well as actual conditions, the Report under consideration is a valuable one as furnishing a ground work on which the future military policy of the Local Government in peace and the action of the Military Commandant in war can be advantageously based.

2. The strategic conditions as set forth on page 1 of the Scheme are generally correct, but the facts, on which the strategic importance of Albany rests, might be stated more fully in some such terms as follow:-

Albany, the township of King George's Sound, is situated on the north shore of Princess Royal Harbour, 260 miles south-east of Perth. By far the greater portion of the trade to Australia passes round Cape Leeuwin, and as the protection of that trade in time of war is of great importance, the value of King George's Sound as a base and coaling station for our cruisers and a harbour of refuge for our merchantmen cannot be over-estimated. Our commerce in time of war will be attacked not on widely divergent ocean tracks, but at the points of concentration of these tracks, and it is there that adequate protection is needed.

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Cape Leeuwin is such a point, the approximate annual value of British trade converging on it being over 38,000,0007.

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It is for this reason, therefore, that Albany has been given permanent defences.

"The Sound itself is about 41⁄2 miles from north to south, and the same distance from east to west. The entrance to Princess Royal Harbour is about 600 yards from shore to shore, and 1,000 yards long, the navigable channel being 600 feet wide."

The defences and their tactical environs, possible landing places, &c., should then be described.

Similarly, the entrance into the port of Freemantle and its tactical environs might with advantage be dealt with in the same manner.

3. From pages 2 and 3 it is observed that it is proposed to increase gradually, as circumstances permit, the present peace establishment of 797 of all ranks to an establishment of 1,133. In war the present peace establishment would be supple- mented by enrolling 241 men, of whom as many as possible shall have previously

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