'Arms traffic (outside Persian Gulf)' [‎7v] (14/20)

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Action taken by the Resident at Aden.
It will be convenient in the first place to recount
what the Resident has done and why, with the
means at his disposal, he can do no more.
The first step was the issue of notifications and
warnings against the triffic. As regards Aden
itself the strict provisions of the Indian Arms Act
were already well-known and enforced. Rut the
following further measures were taken.
Among Lieutenant-Colonel Hayes Sadler’s recom
mendations which were adopted by the Foreign
Office towards the end of 1901, was one that the
Resident should be empowered to order, if necessary,
the stoppage of all trade between Aden and the
offending Somali ports. Our despatch of the 15th
November 1901 requested that t .e necessary
instructions should he given; but the orders at
first sent to the Resident by the Bombay Govern
ment seem to have been simply that the gun-boat
at Aden should stop or capture all dhows, with the
exception of those flying the French flag, suspected
of bringing arms to the Aden Coast. In Alarch
1902, however, the Resident expressed his willing
ness to resort to the extreme measure of stopping
all trade between Aden and any Somali ports which
might be named by the Somali Coast authorities.
Shortly afterwards, owing to a serious recrudescence
of the traffic, the Resident was called upon by
Colonel Swayne to fulfil this undertaking and to
take steps for diverting Aden trade from the
Eastern ports of Somaliland to Berbera and the
more westerly ports, where more complete control
could be exercised. He accordingly issued a set of
rules requiring that all ships leaving Aden for ports
on either side of the Gulf of Aden should take out
a port-clearance and that the masters should
execute a joint and several bond before leaving.
Penalties, of fine or imprisonment, or both, were
prescribed against vessels which migiit be found
not to have proceeded direct to their destination
(except under stress of weather, &c.) or which
should be found to have engaged in the arms traffic
after clearing from Aden.
These rules, which the Resident explained were
intended to meet an acute, though temporary
emergency and which he was subsequently autho
rised lo relax at his discretion, were found to have
been ultra vires, and steps were taken in India to
legalise them by the issue of a notification under
Cap. 3 Viet. 33. Even the amended Regulation,
however, which was entitled the Aden Sea Iraific
in Arms Regulation, 1902,” does not appear to have
contemplated the case of the trade with the Red
Sea ports; it was aRo feared that the rules were
evaded by vessels sailing for the Mijjertein ports,
and thence sending their cargoes overland. Steps
to remedy this defect were taken by the Italian
Consul-General who required that masters of such
vessels should execute a bond first to touch at
r
Notifications at Aden itself.
Indian Arms Act.
“Aden Sea Traffic in Arms Regula
tion, 1902.”
Pol. TOS/OZ.
Enclosure 1, of India letter, 135, dated
7th August 1902.
India letter No. 135, 7th August 1902,
Enclosure 7.
Approved by Legislative Despatch to
India, No. 35, 28th November 1902.