OUTPOSTS FOE COAST DEFENCE. 
151 
keep out of sight of land till just off the place meant to be attacked. 
Still there are certain points which a hostile squadron would find difficult 
to evade e.g. Dover, and others in which out-look stations could with ad¬ 
vantage be placed outside the outermost fort and whence an observer 
could send timely notice. 
Coast guard stations already exist at most of such coigns of vantage 
and although in time of war, the coastguardsmen would probably be 
afloat, the buildings could be occupied by trained landsmen. 
Again, Lloyds’ signalling stations could be used to signal the passage 
and approach of friendly and hostile ships, and if these notices were 
passed direct to the forts, the danger of firing on friendly ships would 
be much diminished. Lighthouses and ships from their position, have 
unrivalled opportunities of seeing passing ships, but their use for 
the purpose of conveying intelligence of hostile movements might be 
an infringement of international law. It would certainly appear de¬ 
sirable that certain selected posts should be used for the transmission 
of warnings; that these posts should be connected by wire to the 
nearest fortress, and that a certain number of men should be trained 
in peace time to observe and signal passing ships, to replace the coast¬ 
guard in time of war. These posts would also be posts of communicat- 
tion with our own fleet by means of which they could make known 
their wants with less loss of time than that involved in going into port, 
and by means of which they could transmit any warnings as to hostile 
movements, it might be desirable to send. 
