File 868/1912 Pt 7 'Arms Traffic: Muscat Arms. - Disposal of. Sample Arms from Muscat. French stocks at Muscat.' [‎91r] (188/508)

f
1,4
TV* 0 }
r
1 • 230 ' ^
No. 143, dated Maskafc, the 10th August 1913 (Confidential).
A From Major S. G. Knox., C.I.E., 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. and His Britannic Maiesty^s
Consul, Maskat,
To^The Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign Department.
I have the honour to submit herewith the copy 0 f a letter, No. 142, dated
the 10th August 1913, with enclosure, which I have addressed to the Political
Resident and His Britannic Majesty’s Consul-General in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ,
Bushire.
Enclvturr*
* *ier 'fr' y,T i T
fl ft 'A
G‘xr«tt*ry, !*<$*-
No. 142, dated Maskat, the 10th August 1913 (Confidential).
From— Major S. G. Knox, C.I.E., 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. and His Britannic Majesty's
Consul, Maskat,
To— Lieutenant-Colon kl Sir P. Z. Cox, K.C.I E., C.S.I., 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. and
His Britannic Majesty's Consul-General in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Bushire.
With reference to Secretary of State’s telegram,* repeated in telegramf
* Serial No. 184. No. 278 S., dated the 5th August 1913, from
t Serial No. 192 . Foreign to your address and repeated to
Maskat, I have the honour to forward herewith a statement showing the first
portion of the inventory, namely, that portion which concerns itself with
the property of Messrs. Louis Dieu (Maskat local agent Andre Menasche).
2. I give the prices named both by the proprietor and by Inspector
Hazrat Shah with all reserve, and I consider that the French especially have
enormously overvalued the stocks left to them. I wdll give one instance only.
This morning I took the opportunity of an interview with His Highness to
ask him if he had any explanation to offer in reply to the query contained in
t Serial No. 198. J 1 '? laSt De Pf‘“W®*
telegram; No. 282 S. to the address of
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. . His Highness replied that he was
aware that Ali Khan had ordered for him 400 Martini-Henry rifles and five
lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees rounds of Martini-Henry ammunition. His Highness showed me the
terms of the contract. The goods were to be supplied by the Societe Fran9aise
des Munitions, and the prices w r ere named therein : Rs. 25 per rifle and Rs. 60
per 1,000 rounds ammunition. A comparison of these with the prices, invoice
value Rs. 45 and Fr. 90, and Rs. 65 and Rs. 150 Maskat value according to
proprietor, will show that Menasche is trying to get cent, per cent, and even
more profit in some cases on Maskat prices. In fact, as I pointed out to him,
while he is, on the one hand, complaining loudly against the Warehouse and
demanding compensation, he is at the same time hoisting his prices to and above
the famine prices caused by the establishment of the very Warehouse of which
he complains. The fact is that the past twelve months have been, as the French
Consul admitted to me in conversation, a practical monopoly for the French
traders, and they have been enabled to get rid of large quantities of what was
practically scrap-iron at ridiculous prices.
3. The details of the statement call for little further remark. There is a
“ Mitrailleuse ” unpriced. It must have been brought here as a curiosity and
did not find a purchaser. I see no reason why compensation should be allowed
for it. Similarly, there are ten thousand buck-shot cartridges which I was
inclined to rule out, as the Warehouse does not concern itself with shot
cartridges. Monsieur Menasche argued that the breaking up of his business
made it impossible for him to sell the buck-shot cartridges alone, to which I
replied that, by a simple extension of this argument, the French might put
in claims for bags of rice and dates on the plea that such merchandise were
merely a side-issue with them, and would not provide them with a living were
it not for their trade in arms and ammunition.
4. In conclusion, I would point out that, in round figures, £ 10,000
represents the total value, according to his own prices, of Monsieur Menasche’s
stocks in the whole of Oman territory, exclusive of those actually detained in
the State Warehouse. In my opinion, Inspector Hazrat Shah’s estimate, in
round figures £ 7,500, errs on the side of liberality.
5. A copy of this letter, with its enclosure, is being forwarded to the
Hon’ble the Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign Department.