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armament contained in Chapter II. This rearrangement is not an important matter, but it would bring the Defence Scheme for Victoria on to the same lines as those that have been drawn up for other parts of the Empire. Chapter IV would then be made to correspond with its title and contain such instructions as the G.O.C. might think fit to give to the Fortress Commander at Port Phillip and the Officers Commanding at Williamstown and the three Western Ports. It should also contain the orders to the two Section Com- manders at Port Phillip, and the action of the Officer Commanding the Field Force and the officer in charge of the Naval Defences (see p. 17 of Scheme). The orders to the Officers Commanding units (as distinct from Staff and Departments) might either be dealt with in this Chapter by a reference to the Mobilization Book, or be embodied in it, or else to bring the arrangement of the Scheme in complete accord with the instructions contained in Colonial Defence Committee's Memorandum, No. 46, dated the 3rd May, 1893, formed into Chapter V, headed "Orders to Corps as to Procedure on Mobilization."

The discussion of the strategic and tactical details now contained in Chapter IV is on the whole satisfactory. It is right that improbable as well as probable forms of attack should receive some general consideration so long as it is clearly understood that the defence arrangements should be based on the latter rather than the former. The analysis of these forms of attack would, it is thought, be somewhat clearer if more condensed, and such sub- division as that of the gun-fire from the batteries into two lines of defence according to whether the ranges are long and medium or close appears scarcely a real one.

. 16. Page 11 (B). An Attack by Torpedo-boats.Torpedo-boat catchers referred to in this paragraph are now termed torpedo-boat destroyers. Such vessels need not be anticipated in Australian waters, and the words, "or small cruisers, such as torpedo-boat catchers" should be omitted.

Under the similar heading on p. 12, the words "and possibly torpedo- boat catchers" should also be expunged.

17. Page 16. Appendix. Regulation of Traffic.-The Regulations of Traffic into Port Phillip are the least satisfactory part of the Scheme There is no clear statement of the system, which was fully gone into in the Colonial Defence Committee's Remarks (No. 134 R), dated the 7th March, 1896, and Memo- randum (No. 67 M), dated the 20th July, 1896, by which the responsibility of vessels being "brought to," outside the Examination Lines laid down, rests in the first instance on the examination vessel or vessels. It is not clear how and whence these vessels are to be furnished, unless the allusion in the 12th paragraph on p. 17 to torpedo-boats taking their turn as "night guard-boats for boarding duties" is intended to imply that the torpedo-boats are to be employed as examination vessels. If this is the intention it is contrary to the principles formulated by the Joint Naval and Military Committee on Defence, and accepted by the Secretary of State for War and Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. They have recommended that the examination of vessels desirous of entering British ports in time of war should be conducted as an unarmed service by the local civil authorities.

The presence of local naval forces at Melbourne makes it convenient to carry out the examination duties under the direction and responsibility of the Naval Commandant there, as proposed on p. 3 of the Scheme. It does not, however, appear advisable to tell off other officers and men or the boats of the Victorian Naval Forces to this work, which could equally well be done by the Civil Port Authorities with unarmed steamers or launches.

With regard to the limits of the examination anchorage laid down in No. 3 Traffic Regulation, attention is called to paragraph 2 of the Colonial Defence Committee's Memorandum (No. 100, M), dated 21st April, 1897.

The system of using rockets, laid down in paragraphs 4 and 5 of the Traffic Regulations, to announce the arrival of all ships at night is not now considered satisfactory. It is practically impossible to tell whence such signals proceed, and confusion is likely to result. The use of rockets should be confined to the examination vessel for purposes of giving the alarm if a sip entering the harbour is to be treated as an enemy.

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