MR. HERBERT BOBERTS (Denbighshire, W.)1 beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he will state what was the composition and numbers of the several corps under the command of Colonel Swayne in Somaliland and in other parts of East Africa, including transport and commissariat followers; whether any of the troops of the Indian Government were included in these forces; whether he will say what is the composition and armament of the troops ordered from India to reinforce Colonel Swayne; and whether an assurance will be given that all the charges incurred in the transport of these forces, together with current rates of pay, allowances for foreign service, and debits due to pension accounts arising from this expedition, will be borne by the British Treasury.
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Lord CRANBORNE, Rochester)On October 6th there were in Somaliland under the 947 command of Colonel Swayne 300 men 2nd Battalion King's African Rifles, 500 men 6th Battalion King's African Rifles, sixty Sikhs from the Sikh contingent in British Central Africa, and also local levies 1,500 strong. Besides these troops there were two 7-pounders and six 9-pounder R.M.L. No troops of the Government of India were then in Somaliland. Since that date 270 men and four officers of the 1st Bombay Grenadiers, forming part of the Aden garrison, have already landed in Somaliland. The 2nd Bombay Grenadiers and 400 men of the 23rd Bombay Rifles, with six additional officers and two maxims and one half of a field hospital, left Bombay on the 23rd, and no doubt arrived at Aden this morning. The second half of the field hospital is under orders, and is due at Aden on the 30th instant. Besides these a further reinforcement is under orders consisting of 100 Soudanese of the 3rd Battalion King's African Rides with two maxims, 100 men of the 5th Battaion, with one maxim, due at Berbera November 11th, and 300 men of the 2nd Battalion, and 390 men of the 1st Battalion, King's African Rifles with one maxim—due between the end of November and middle of December. The total force at our disposal will be 4,920 men. The transport and commissariat are arranged locally. The Indian troops are armed with the Lee-Metford rifle, the 1st, 2nd, and 6th Battalions of the King's African Rifles with the Martini-Enfield rifle, and the 3rd Battalion with the Martini-Henry. The expenses connected with these troops will be borne by the British Treasury.
MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)With reference to the orders to which the noble Lord has alluded, may I ask whether they are issued directly through the Foreign Office or through the intermediary of the Commander-in-Chief, and also whether, in the conduct of these operations, the Foreign Office proposes to or does consult the War Office.
§ LORD CRANBORNEYes, we do consult the War Office. All orders for troops under the Foreign Office, such as the King's African Rifles, are issued by 948 the Foreign Office, and orders for the Indian troops are issued by the India Office.