'Proposed Transfers of Aden and Somali Coast to Imperial Government; and of Persian Legation to India' [‎8v] (8/14)

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7. It appears that the chief raison d etre
of our control over the Somali Coast, so far as
India is concerned, is to provide Aden with its
meat supply and also with camel transport if
necessary. If Aden remains under the Gov
ernment of India, there would perhaps he not
very strong objection to the transfer of the
Somali Coast to the Home Government as long
as we could rest tolerably assured that under no
circumstances would the ports of Bulbar and
Berbera he transferred to a foreign power.
On the other hand India is more likely to have
a consistent policy on that coast; there
seems every prospect of our Protectorate
paying its v T ay in course of time; and, if we
were more active in securing trade routes
and pushing our influence into the interior,
we should not improbably find that the coast
would produce a surplus. Experience has
shown that, notwithstanding the efforts of the
French, Jibuti is not likely to pay its way or
to seriously affect the trade of Zaila. That
Zaila is hankered after by the French and
Italians is not improbable, and if the result
of handing over the Somali Coast to the
Home Government is to run the risk of losing
Zaila, and allowing it to fall into the hands
of a foreign Power, it would he better to leave
things as they are. It seems perhaps rather
absurd to a casual observer that this small
stretch of territory on the African coast should
he under the control of the Indian Govern
ment when such an infinitely larger stretch
of the same coast is under the Home
Government; but on the other hand, when it
is considered that Socotra and the whole of
the Arabian coast on the opposite shore of
the Gulf of Aden, are under our protectorate,
it seems fit and natural that the influence of
the Government of India should be extended
to the Somali Coast as well.
RED SEA.
8. The only connection that the Govern
ment of India has in this direction is with the
Consulate at Jeddah and the Vice-Consulate
at Hodeida and Kamaran. In the former case
the Consul belongs to the English Consular
service and India pays half the charges. In
the latter case the Vice-Consul is nominated
by India, and the expense is borne jointly by
the Imperial and Indian Governments.
F. D. Presa-No. 217—12.6.90—54.