§ 63. Viscount SANDONasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether there is any organised system whereby seaboard Colonies can have direct appeal to the naval Commander-in-Chief of the area for immediate assistance in the ease of emergency; and why it was necessary in the case of the recent disaster in the Bahamas for the Secretary of State to appeal himself to the Admiralty for assistance?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for COLONIAL AFFAIAS (Mr. Amery)Yes. Sir; the Commander-in-Chief of a station or the senior officer resent at a port is instructed in King's Regulations for the Navy to pay due regard to such requisitions as he may receive from the Governor of a British Colony or other dependency in case of emergency As regards the second part of the question, I asked the Admiralty to arrange for a naval vessel to proceed to Nassau from the North America and West Indies Station, as I had no information as to whether or not the Governor had been able to communicate direct with the British naval authorities in the area.