'Italian Proceedings on the African Coast of the Red Sea.' [‎31v] (14/32)

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The Chief in question was no doubt Sultan Bur-
han, of Raheita, who, General Menabrea informed
Lord Granville at an interview early in Marcdi 1881,
had offered to become a tributary of the Italian
Government. The Ambassador added, that the
Italian Government had declined the offer, hut had
promised to give protection to the Sultan in case of
his being attacked.*
The Foreign Office having asked whether Lord
Hartington would wish any observation to be made
to the Italian Government on the subject, were
informed :f “ Without being favoured with some
“ indication of the views of Her Majesty’s Secretary
“ of State for Foreign Affairs on the general ques-
“ tion which is involved, and in the absence of any
“ information as to the light in which the proceed-
“ ings of the Italian Government are regarded by
“ the Khedive, whose rights are infringed, Lord
“ Hartington feels it difficult to express any decided
“ opinion as to the course which should he taken in
“ the matter.
“ It appears, however, to His Lordship to he
“ obvious that if Count Menabrea’s communication
“ be passed over in silence, the result would be
“ gravely to compromise the position taken up in
“ Earl Granville’s Note to M. dc Ressmann, of the
“ 26th January last, in which it was stated, as the
“ deliberate conclusion of Her Majesty’s Govern-
“ ment, that to the Forte directly, and to the
“ Khedive, under the Forte’s suzerainty, the territory
“ of Assab must belong.”
At this time a report appeared in the public press
that a Royal Italian Commissioner had taken pos
session of Assab in the name of the Italian Govern
ment. This was denied by General Menabrea, who,
on the 21st March, informed Lord Granville that
the Commissioner had refused to do the very thing
alleged, and that his sole duty was to maintain
order amongst those who had established themselves
at Assab.}
A few days previously, General Menabrea had
communicated to Lord Granville an extract of the
instructions which had been furnished to Signor
Bianchi, the lately appointed Italian Commissioner^
They were as follows :—
“ Nous tenons avant tout a declarer que nous
“ n’avons pas la moindre intention de fonder a
“ Assab quoi que ce soit que puisse ressembler a un
“ etablissement militaire ou h un etablissement
“ destine a 1’usage de la marine militaire. II nous
tient d autant plus a coeur de ne laisser sur^ir
aucune doute a cet egard que nous avons d6ja fait
“ au Gouvernement Britannique des declarations
“ formelles et explicites dans ce sens. Ceci n’im-
“ plique naturellement pas que des navires de la
“ Marine Royale ne puissent continuer de stationner
“ a Assab soit pour co-operer a satisfaire les pre
miers besoins de la colonie, soit pour prot^ger les
“ personnes et les proprietes contre tout danger
“ d’mcursions ou de depredations.
* From Foreign Office, 17th March
No. 197.
f To Foreign Office, 24th March
No. 197.
1881 ;
1881
} From Foreign Office, 30th March
No. 208.
§ See ante, p. 3.
1881 r