File 619/1907 Pt 8 'Arms traffic:- Persian Gulf - Seizure of French dhows "Musafa" and "Fath-el-Khair".' [‎84v] (69/219)

77
155
Telegram P., No. 320—S., dated the 19th May 1911.
From—The Foreign Secretary, Simla,
To—The Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
Please refer to your
* Serial Nc. 146.
f Serial No. 131.
X Page 44 of notes.
by Islam Khan, do you
these men ? Government of
money.
letter* No. 1202, dated 7th May. After reading
Gregson’s letterf No. 1 of 23rd April,
posted to you on 15th May, and Craufurd’s
telegramj of 13th May, reporting that
supplies are still furnished to Afghans
still consider it worth while to grant allowances to
India are inclined to think it would be waste of
166
No. 1256, dated Bushire, the 14th (received 22nd) May 1911 (Confidential).
From— Lieutknant-Colonel P. Z. Cox, C.S.I., C.I.E., Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ,
To The Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign Department.
I have the honour to refer to Foreign Department telegram* No. S.—311,
dated the 13th instant, regarding the
• Ssnai No. 137 . Shaikh of Kuwait’s requirements in the
direction of arms and ammunition.
2. The Shaikh has generally pledged himself not to let the arms and
ammunition, which he gets permission to import, find their way into unauthorised
hands. He also expressed verbally, during the recent interview of His Excel
lency the Commander-in-Chief and myself with him, his readiness to allow the
Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. supervisory access to them. That alone would not necessarily
regulate the destination of the munitions once they left the warehouse, but I
suggest that, if before exportation from Maskat the stocks of the rifles were
branded with a special device, which would make them at once identifiable
if ‘found outside their legitimate sphere, and if they were issued in Kuwait
under arrangements subject to the supervision of our Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , a fairly
effective check upon their distribution would be achieved.
As regards cartridges, I can only at present suggest that Shaikh Mubarak
should be required to produce 75 per cent of the empty cases of those last
indented for, each time a fresh indent is presented.
3. I think he could in all probability be got to introduce safeguards on
the above lines, but the Government of India will understand that it would be
inconvenient for the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. or me to discuss them with him now, if
we shall subsequently have to inform him that his indent is considered by the
Government of India to be excessive and must be reduced.
I therefore recommend that the Government of India first decide arbi
trarily what they will consider to be Shaikh Mubarak’s legitimate requirements
and that the latter be informed that we will give him immunity for the
passage of those amounts if, in consultation with the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , he will
devise and agree to adopt such safeguards on the above lines as shall appear
to the Government of India practical and adequate.
4. I presume that the case of the dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. “ Fateh-el-Khair ” referred to in
your telegram under reply is that reported in my letter No. 1297 of 22nd May
1910. The Shaikh’s attitude has a good deal improved since then and in the
recent case concerning a dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. of the same
t serial No. 98. name, referred to in my telegramf No. 370
of 24th April, it has been quite satisfactory.
5. While I fully realise that we should allow political considerations to
influence us as little as possible when dealing with practical issues arising out
of the arms traffic problem, I think we need to bear in mind at the present
juncture that the reports in the vernacular papers regarding Sir Edward Grey’s