Correspondents include: Sir Charles Ottley [Secretary to Committee of Imperial Defence], on the cession of the island of Heligoland to Germany in 1890, the advantage a base on the island would be against Germany, the annual mobilization of German troops, the report on the military needs of the empire, the security of the naval magazines at Marchwood [Hampshire] and Chattenden [Kent], the risks of aircraft development, forming a Naval War Staff, combining a naval and military school of aviation, and indemnifying merchant shipping bringing food supplies to Britain in wartime (8); an extract from Hansard quoting from the German press on the importance of Heligoland; Sir Edward Henry [Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police] on the protection of the magazines at Marchwood and Selby [Yorkshire]; the Home Ports Defence Committee interim report on the magazines at Chattenden and Lodge Hill [Kent]; Sir Graham Greene [Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty] on the magazines; Sir John French [later 1st Lord Ypres], Inspector-General of the Forces, on his conversation with the Kaiser [Wilhelm II] at Alton Grabow [Germany]; notes of French's conversation with the Kaiser, on tension between Germany and France over Agadir [Morocco], the German army, and relations between Britain and Germany; [the 1st Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Francis Bridgeman] on the Admiralty's view of the possible closing of the Thames to merchant shipping in wartime.Also includes: WSC [Home Secretary, later First Lord of the Admiralty] on subjects including: how improved naval communications had reduced Ireland's vulnerability to attack from the sea; maintaining the wartime food supply by paying compensation for sunk merchant shipping; on keeping order by supplying staple foods; getting food to London by rail if the Thames should be closed to merchant shipping; Germany's claims on Morocco and the necessity of supporting France there.