§ Captain Pluggeasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the announcement of greater measures for the defence of our Colonies overseas and the relatively small forces these bring 1297W into existence, he will consider forming a foreign legion or legions for each Colony which might desire to obtain methods of defence of this kind?
Mr. M. MacDonaldI have considered my hon. and gallant Friend's suggestion but I do not think that it is necessary to adopt it. The military forces maintained by Colonial Governments for defence can be recruited without difficulty from the inhabitants of the Colonial Dependencies themselves. Similarly if it were desired to expand those forces the requisite recruits could be obtained from the Colonial Dependencies; the limiting factor would be one of finance.