ملف ٨٦٩\١٩٠٤ الجزء ٢ "الاتجار بالأسلحة: - البحر الأحمر، إفريقيا وعدن" [و‎‎١‎٠‎٨] (٥٤٠/٢٢٤)

No. 70:i5. dated Bombay Castle, the 1st October 1907. " '
From—H. O. Odin, Esq., Acting Secretary to Government, Bombay, Political
Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign Department.
I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of Mr. Holland’s letter
No. 471-E.B., dated the 8th February 1907, relative to the proposed amendment
of the Aden Sea Traffic in Arms Regulation, 1902.
2. As desired in paragraph 3 of that letter, I am to forward, herewith, for
the approval of the Government of India, a revised draft of clause 12 of the
Hegulation which defines at length the subject matter of the rules and provides
for their publication, and to state that in the opinion of the Governor in
Council the definition of the term “ Native Vessel ” should be the same as that
in Article 31 of the General Act of the Brussels Conference which defines a
“Native Vessel ” as a vessel fulfilling one of the following conditions :—
(1) It must present the outward appearance of native build or rig;
(2) It must be manned by a crew of whom the Captain and the majority
of the seamen belong by origin to a country having a sea-coast
on the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, or the Persian Gulf.
The term ct British Protected Port ” might in the opinion of the Governor
in Council be held to mean any port within the British Protectorate of Aden
or Somaliland.
3. With reference to paragraph 4 of Mr. Holland’s letter, I am to observe
that the Government of Bombay fully realise that the force of the proposed
Regulation will be weakened by the omission of a provision requiring a bond
to be executed before the grant of a port clearance. At the same time, how
ever, in the absence of arrangements, made through the co-operation of the
other powers concerned, for security bonds to be taken at all Ports and not at
Aden only, they are unable to modify the view expressed in paragraph 3 of Sir
Steyning W. Edgerley’s letter No. 2149, dated 19th March 1906. Article 34 of
the General Act of the Brussels Conference contemplates the registration of
native vessels, and I am to state that the Governor in Council is of
opinion that, if and when provision has been made for the registration of ;
vessels of this class, there would be no objection to providing that only vessels -
so registered may visit Aden with arms on board.
4. I am to forward herewith, for the information of the Government of
India, copy of a letter from the Political Resident, Aden, No. 3538, dated the
8th June 1907, and of its accopaniments.
8921 F. I)