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'Arms traffic (outside Persian Gulf)' [5r] (9/20)
The record is made up of 1 file (10 folios). It was created in 10 Mar 1904. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
9
Pol. 1^06/03.
Pol. 1573/03.
* See Pol. 1,112/03, India letter No. 112
of 30th July 1903, summarising the measures
taken from 1897-1903, at Muscat, and in the
Gulf.
{Annex 2, Enclosure 7 to Despatch to India
(Secret), No. 2, of 15th January igOl,.)
Aden Protectorate ports.
In a letter to the Naval Commander-in-Chief of
21st March 1903, Major Cox repeats his opinion that
Sari dhows carrying arms for Somaliland obtain
them from Jibuti, and not from Muscat. In any
case it is certain that the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
, and not
the Gulf of Aden, is the main field of Muscat
activity.
In this connection it may be observed that the
recent case of a seizure of arms in Muscat harbour
and their release upon their being declared as under
shipment to Sur, shows that, in spite of the
“ assistance ” rendered by the Sultan (in the way
of notifications &c.,)* a loophole has been left.
The export of arms to Sur is permitted, and this,
as the naval authorities pointed out, protects a
dhow
A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean.
until she passes “ the Quoins,’’ i.e. until “ all chance
“ of identifying her as carrying arms will have
“ been lost.”
There remain as ports of supply the ports ol the
Aden Protectorate. In view of the repeated
requests preferred upon this Office to obtain
assistance from the Resident, and since it is only
with the ports under Aden jurisdiction that the
Resident is directly concerned, it will be as
well to examine closely the evidence implicating
these ports.
Evidence impUcating Aden ports. During 1901 the Italian Government took up
the question of the arms traffic, and on the 17th
July 1901 the Foreign Office sent over, to be laid
before the Secretary of State, a note from the
Italian Ambassador, suggesting that a stricter
supervision should be exercised over Somali sam-
bouks, said to be engaged in the contraband traffic
between Aden and Bombay and Somaliland.
On this suggestion the views of Consul-General
Hayes Sadler and the Resident were obtained.
Enclosure to India letter No. 166, dated Lieutenant-Colonel Hayes Sadler, in Despatch
17th October 1901. dated 12th August 1901, said My information
Arms Traffic Print, Section 56. “ in no way points to the trade being carried on
“ by the lines indicated by the Italian Ambas-
“ sador . . . The arms are obtained at Jibuti,
“ and they are taken to the Mijjertein coast, either
“ direct from «1 ibuti or irom ports on the Red
“ Sea, or South Arabia, by buggalows belonging to
“ the Mijjertein, or to Arabs plying between the
“ south coast of Arabia and the north African
“ shore .... Such buggalows would have
“ every reason to avoid the British ports named
“ (Aden, Bombay, and Zanzibar), and the ports of
“ this (the British Somali) Protectorate, where all
“ possible preventive measures are taken.”
India, 17th October 1901. On the strength of this the Government of India
saw no advantage to be gained by stricter super-
vision at Aden.
The Resident, in his report of 26th September
1901, said: “ there is reason to believe that
“ the importation of arms and ammunition is
“ carried on at Ras-el-Arah (the extreme western
S. 39. C
About this item
- Content
This file concerns arms traffic outside of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . Specifically, the document discusses what it refers to as the 'spasmodic' illicit traffic of arms (as opposed to 'systematic' traffic) which has been carried out by masters of dhows carrying other merchandise. Most of the file is concerned with the traffic of arms from Jibuti [Djibouti] – which is referred to as ' the distributing centre [original italics]' for the arms trade outside of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. – to ports in the Gulf of Aden.
The document provides a brief history (from a British perspective) of traffic from Jibuti in the years since the signing of the Brussels Convention in 1890. It summarises, and provides references to, letters and despatches from a number of British authorities, which discuss various issues relating to the arms trade out of Jibuti, including: the extent to which traffic at Jibuti has been regulated; the possible threat that the traffic poses to the Aden garrison; the effects of measures taken by the French to curtail the traffic from Jibuti; other possible ports of supply, such as Zanzibar, Muscat and the Aden Protectorate ports.
Also discussed are the attitudes of the maritime chiefs to the arms traffic, the various preventive measures available to the Resident at Aden for dealing with the effects of the traffic at Aden, an account of measures taken both by the British Somaliland authorities and by the Italian authorities, and an evaluation of the naval measures taken by the British since 1901. The file concludes by noting that one possible solution to the problem could be the deployment of armed dhows, a measure which previously has been advocated by the naval authorities, the Viceroy and the Resident at Aden.
The document is attributed to P H D [P H Dumbell, Reading Clerk to the Council, India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. ].
- Extent and format
- 1 file (10 folios)
- Arrangement
The file consists of a single document which retains its original order, as evidenced by an original pagination sequence.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the first folio and terminates at the last folio; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.
Pagination: the file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/18/D171
- Title
- 'Arms traffic (outside Persian Gulf)'
- Pages
- 1r:10v
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence