'Proposed Transfers of Aden and Somali Coast to Imperial Government; and of Persian Legation to India' [‎9r] (9/14)

SUMMARY.
Aden.
With regard to Aden. Although it is of
much importance as an imperial coaling sta
tion, it is of even more vital consequence to
India. It must always he held partly, at all
events, by Indian troops; and in view of the
indifference which recurrently creeps over the
British public, and the great difficulty of
obtaining money from Parliament for defences,
there is strong reason to believe that India
will always have a more direct interest in
maintaining the efficiency of its garrison and
armament than England. In the event of
transfer, it is not probable that England would
accept the burden of expenditure at Aden and
its dependencies, and if India is to pay, there
seems no reason why she should not continue
to control. If the Indian Government hands
over Aden and the Somali Coast to the Imperial
Government, there would be a greater risk
than there now is of their fate being made
dependent upon the transitory requirements of
home and European politics.
Somali Coast.
Within the last few years, there has been
a growing interest manifested by Italy, Ger
many and France, in the Somali Coast and the
adjacent portions of Africa. The Egyptian
garrisons of Ilarrar, Zaila, Berbera, and Bulhar
were finally withdrawn in 1881-85. We then
occupied these places, but subsequently left
Harrar to take care of itself, and did not inter
fere when it fell into the hands of Shoa and
subsequently became a portion of the Italian
protectorate.
Italy.
Italy is now r firmly established in Assab
Bay on the Eanakil Coast, and at Massowah,
and she has obtained by treaty a certain right
of protectorate and exclusive control over
what she designates as Ethiopia (which practi
cally means Abyssinia, Shoa, and Harrar),
through engagements made with the ruler of
Shoa before he succeeded to the Abyssinian
throne, or occupied Harrar.
Italy is aggressively active in this region,
and, notwithstanding our very friendly attitude
to her, has given rise for suspicion and re
monstrance in the direction of Souakin, lokar,
and Kassala; and is supposed to harbour a
design to obtain a footing on the Upper Nile.
She is stretching inland from Massowah as
far as she can, and will there have healthy
highlands, in which Europeans can live. At
Assab she is hemmed in by the ferocious
Danakils, who as yet have had the best of it