File 2869/1906 Pt 1 'Arms Traffic: Mekran Coast and Baluchistan. (correspondence 1906-7)' [‎50v] (105/576)

No. 768-ConfHlential, dated Ziarat, the 26th (received 30th) July 3 907.
From— The Hon'blr Major Sir Henry McMahon, K.C.I.E., C.S.I., Agent to the
Governor-General in Baluchistan,
To —Sir Louis Dank, K.C.I.E., C.S.I., Secretary to the Government of India in
the Foreign Department, Simla,
I liave the honour to submit, for the consideration of the Government of
India, the following representation on the subject of the traffic in arms from
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
2. I am aware that this question has for many years received the careful
consideration of Government, and there is probably little in the following
remarks that is new. But the consequences of past inaction are becoming so
serious and affect this Province so acutely that 1 feel it my duty, to bring the
subject once more to notice and to urge that effective action should now be
taken, either by His Majesty’s Government in England or failing that by
the Government of India, to suppress the traffic. I am the more forcibly
moved to reopen this question in that certain measures towards the checking
of the traffic which the Government of India look to us to take in Baluchistan,
carry in my opinion little promise of success, while, if they succeed, they are
likely to give rise to new and undesirable evils.
3. In the endeavour to arrive at definite conclusions as to some feasible
method of checking the importation of arms into Baluchistan and Afghanistan,
I recently arranged a meeting between Major VV. G. Grey, 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. of
Maskat, Captain F. MoConaghey, Assistant 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. in Mekran and
myself. I have thus had the opportunity of discussing the whole question of
the arms traffic as now conducted on both shores of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and of
ascertaining many important details regarding it which I had been unable to
elicit even from the very voluminous records on the subject. I failed, to my
regret, to discover any new method of suppressing or checking this trade, but
my failure and the reasons for that failure lend additional strength to the con
clusions propounded many times already by others which at a later stage of
this letter I will venture to urge once more for the consideration of the Govern
ment of India.
4. The necessity for suppressing the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
Major Grey gives me the following figures for 1906-07 : —
arms
traffic has long
been admitted, and
has b ec orne the more
imper a ti ve now that
it has reached such
enormous proportions.
All but ^5,000 rifles
and over seven
million rounds of
ammunition were im
ported into and expor
ted from Maskat dur
ing the past year,
while the value of
the trade showed an
increase of no less
than 56 per cent, over the value of the trade for the previous year. Nor is there
any likelihood of the trade declining in future years if present treaty conditions
continue. On the contrary, a new arms agent has started business in Maskat,
Letter No. 564, dated the 26th November 1906> While tllC United States Consul has inform-
from His uritannnic ccs.i« M.stat. ed Government of the opening offered
at that port for the sale of arms.
—
Rifles.
Revolvers.
Ammunition.
Belgian manufacture ...
24,) 96
316
...
French ,, ...
3,725
616
2,684.000
English „ ... ...
17.C06
...
4,564,000
Total
44,927
932
7,218.000
5. The greater bulk of these arms is, it is true, exported to and sold in
Arabia. The desirability or otherwise of such an influx of arms into that
country lies outside the scope of this letter. I fail to see any possible good to be
derived therefrom.