'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency for the Years 1911-1914' [‎206r] (416/488)

poe the yeafi 1914. ^
It had been known for some time that German ships plyino in th P fi„lf
smuggled arms and ammumtion into Basrah concealed amongst materials for the
construction of the Baghdad Railway. It was suspected also that lar^e consio-n
men ts were transhipped from these vessels into dhows in unfrequented parts
of the Gulf. On the surface these appear to be merely commercial enterprises
without any particular significance, but when the case of the Germ^ S
mmedia arose quite a new construction maybe placed on these transactions
In view of what follows it may be well to state here the details connected
witil tfl6 CclSG.
The following telegram was received from the Admiralty, dated 6th April
1914 :— " ^
Begins—" Information received that German ship Nicomedia leff
Antwerp on ,31st March probable destination Balrah wTth S
cases "Granite" marked:—
K.S P .O. 6892,1-22
and
S.K.O. 168-182
Consigned Bushire by firm Walford and Co. First lots are
known to contain rifles and probably second lots consist of car-
tndges."— Ends.
The Nicomedia arrived at T^ushire, on May 10th, at noon, and she remained
till after sunset on the 11th. On the 13th, the Provisional Director of Customs
at Bushire, whom the Resident had taken into his confidence, reported that
these cases had not been landed at Bushire. It was further ascertained that
they did not appear on the Bushire manifest. The fact that Herr Wassmuss
the German Consul at Bushire, left Bushire in the Nicomedia and proceeded to
Basrah, is regarded with extreme suspicion. Indeed it would almost seem to
point to the fact that German Government officials not only had knowledge of
but actually aided this traffic in arms. In connection with this it may he
noted that reliable information was received to the effect that the Germans
were importing rifles into Baghdad, making use of the railwav as far as possible
in doing so, and further, that these rifles were being sent to the Lur Chiefs to
help them to resist the advance of the British railway survey party in Luristan.
Information was received also from a reliable source that the Germans were
concerning themselves in the trans-Arabian Arms Traffic. Arms were brought
out in German steamers, presumably belonging to the Hamburg-Amerika Line^
and landed at the port of Yanbo, situated on the Arabian coast of the Red Sea
rather south of Al-Madinah in latitude.
I rom this evidence it seems that the German venture was not only confined
to commerce but that it had a political significance, the extent of which, if it
had continued, it is impossible to gauge.
And so the first phase closes with the Arms Traffic in a more or less flouri
shing condition in the northern part of the Gulf, while in the south and on the
Mekran Coast it has become an almost negligible quantity for the first time
in its history.
Second Phase.
As has been enunciated at the beginning of this report, this phase is one
of almost complete collapse.
During this period there has been no Naval blockade and no Arms Traffic
preventive measures whatever have been taken. The coast was clear, the seas
were open to all and sundry who might desire to cross them with their boats
jaden with arms and ammunition without fear of capture or even hindrance,
the same system of intelligence, however, has been maintained and all landings
have been reported as usual. These have been few but with one or two com
paratively large ones, which there is reason to believe have been exaggerated,
fciost of these arms have been brought from Katr, and by Afghans who had
made the journey thither to procure them.