File 869/1904 Pt 2 'Arms Traffic: - Red Sea, Africa and Aden' [‎60r] (128/540)

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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty’s Government.!,
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ARMS TRAFFIC.
W 28 FFg igos j
[January 21.]
CONFIDENTIAL.
Suction 2.
[2302]
No. 1.
Admiralty to Foreign Office.—(Received January 21.)
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gir^ ^ Admiralty, January 20, 1908.
I AM commanded by my Lords Commissioners of tbe Admiralty to request tbat
you will inform tbe Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs tbat they bave bad under
consideration your letter of tbe*28tb October, 1907, forwarding copy of correspondence
witb tbe India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. , and requesting tbeir Lordships’ observations witb regard to tbe
class of vessel wbicb should be employed in the unsurveyed waters of tbe Red Sea for
tbe suppression of piracy.
In reply, I am to request tbat you will inform tbe Secretary of State tbat, owing to
tbe strong winds blowing up and down tbe Red Sea, it is desirable tbat a vessel for
this service should be capable of steaming from 12 to 14 knots.
As tbe waters of tbe Red Sea are imperfectly surveyed, tbe vessel should be either
composite built or of steel and sheathed witb wood. She should be of light draught,
10 to 12 feet, witb twin screws, and of a length not exceeding 200 feet. Her coal
capacity should be from 150 to 200 tons.
I As regards tbe possibility of employing armed dhows, I am to state tbat in tbeir
Lordships’ opinion these vessels would not be effective for tbe purpose in view.
They were first used in connection witb tbe suppression of the arms traffic in
Somaliland, but service in them was found to exercise a demoralizing effect upon tbeir
crews, while they proved of little use in repressing tbe traffic.
Tbeir Lordships’ views on this subject will be found in tbe letters, extracts from
wbicb are inclosed for convenience of reference.
I am, &c.
(Signed) C. I. THOMAS.
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Admiralty to Foreign Office.—(Received December 14.)
(Extract.) Admiralty, December 14, 1903.
THE value of these vessels for tbe purpose in question is doubtful. Although
several captures of arms were made when those now employed were first equipped,
they are now easily distinguished by tbe Arab smugglers, who possess better vessels
than tbe (Somaliland) Protectorate has been able to purchase, and bave little difficulty
in outsailing and evading tbe patrolling dhows.
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Admiralty to Foreign Office.—(Received August 9.)
(Extract.) Admiralty, August 9, 1904.
WITH reference to your letter of the 8th ultimo, relative to tbe remarks of tbe
Commander-in-chief on the East Indies Station as to tbe inadequacy of the Protectoiate
dhows to check tbe arms traffic on the Somali Coast, I am commanded by my Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty to request tbat you will represent to tbe Marquess o
Lansdowne that they are of opinion tbat the failure of these vessels is due to the ac
tbat the native gun-running dhows are specially built for tbe work in which they aie
engaged, and are faster than any wbicb tbe Protectorate could purchase. Ibey nave
tbe further advantage of being sailed by men who bave bad a lifelong experience o
this traffic, and who are excellent sailors in tbe management of this class oi vesse , an
are aided by a most complete and efficient system of intelligence throughout tbe coast.
[2800 x —2]