File 869/1904 Pt 3 'Arms traffic: Red Sea, Africa and Aden' [‎61r] (126/444)

jcmaent is the Property of His Britannic Majesty’s Government.]
I .itMS TRAFFIC.
CONFIDENTIAL.
-1 [44257]
Colonial Office to Foreign Office.—(Received December 6.)
Sir, Downing Street, December 5, 1910.
I AM directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to transmit to you, for
the information of Secretary Sir Edward Grey, with reference to the letter from the
Colonial Office of the 20th August, copy of a despatch (with enclosure) to the Admiralty
on the subject of the arms traffic between Somaliland and the Arabian littoral.
I am, &c.
FRANCIS J. S. HOPWOOD.
Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
Colonial Office to Admiralty.
(Immediate and Confidential.)
Sir, Downing Street, November 26, 1910.
I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to transmit to you, for the
consideration of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, the accompanying copy
of a despatch from the officer administering the Government of Somaliland reporting
that there has been a strong revival of the illicit arms trade between the Arabian
littoral and the coast of that protectorate.
2. Mr. Harcourt entirely concurs in what is stated in the first part of the last
paragraph of Mr. Byatt’s despatch, and, in view of the great importance of preventing
as far as possible arms from reaching the Mullah at the present juncture, he trusts
that the Lords Commissioners will see their way to detailing a cruiser, as suggested
by the acting commissioner.
I am, &c.
G. Y. EIDDES.
Enclosure 2 in No. 1.
Acting Commissioner Byatt to the Earl of Creive.
(Confidential.)
My Lord, Commissioner s Office, Berbera, November 4, 1910.
I HAVE the honour to report that during the past two months there has been
a strong revival of the illicit arms trade between the Arabian littoral and the coast of
this protectorate. The seizure of the dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. referred to in paragraph 3 of my confidential
despatch of the 13th July had a temporary effect in discouraging this traffic, but the
example in that instance does not appear to have been sufficient to stop illegal
imports for a very long period.
2. Two or three cases of arms being landed on the coast have latterly come to
my knowledge, but the information was received too late to enable any effective
interference to be made. I am glad, however, to be able to report that within the
past ten days efforts at repression have been more successful. In September I
received news from certain sources that men of the Habr Tunis tribe intended to
procure arms from Arabia. Their movements were closely followed both here and in
Aden, and finally I was informed that arms had been obtained and were to be run
on a certain date in either one or three dhows, and to be landed within 60 miles to
the west of Berbera at a spot not known. The protectorate armed dhows were
therefore sent out to patrol, but unfortunately did not intercept the smugglers, who
successfully landed their cargoes during the night. The largest of the three dhows
was subsequently arrested in Bulhar and sent to Berbera, where the master was
charged with carrying false papers, and the other two shortly visited Berbera in the
ordinary course. These latter vessels, as a result of most praiseworthy efforts by
Mr. H. M. O’Byrne, the chief of customs, were found to have ammunition still
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