File 869/1904 Pt 2 'Arms Traffic: - Red Sea, Africa and Aden' [‎91v] (191/540)

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more convenient still, as I have already implied, if the Italian Somali Coast
were just included in our Regulation and the security was furnished to us.
There would then be no legal difficulty about forfeiting the bond if necessary,
which there might otherwise be. And we could further prosecute under our
Regulation III and give really practical eifect to the desire of tlie Italian
Consul to oo-operate with us in the suppression of the illicit traffic in arms and
of smuggling generally.
We could go further and add a clause in the Regulation providing, under
certain circumstances, to prohibit visits to certain ports or places under penalty
of forfeiture of bond or prosecution. And we have recently been given to
understand that the British and Italian Commissioners of Somaliland desire
action to be occasionally taken in this direction.
Our understanding with the Italian Consul should, if possible, clearly
include some provision in regard to Italian Somaliland similar to those contained
in sect : on 4 (2) (5) of Regulation III. In the absence of written permission
from Bunder Kasim, dhows should be liable to penalty for departure from that
or other ports.
R. de B. HANCOCK, Captairii
Acting First Assistant Resident.
Aden,
The 20th Decemler 1905.
f
I
Notes of Interview.
Commendatore Pestalozza called on me this morning to discuss the case
of Makhuda Mahood Arrlay, and also my Minute dated 20th instant.
2. As to Nakhuda Mahmood, he stated that papers were furnished to him
on the 13th June last, but that he had not been called upon to furnish any
security to first visit any particular prescribed port. He said that for some
time past the practice of taking security in accordance with the understanding
arrived at in 1002 to generally conform with our rules on the subject had been
discontinued. He was inclined to urge that the undertaking to conform
with our rules had lapsed when Bander Kassim was established as the prescribed
port for Italian Somaliland. But 1 pointed out that there seemed to be no
good reason to presume this. And he did not press the point.
3. On the other hand, he said that just lately the practice of taking
security had been revived. But it transpired that the security demanded was
not based upon our local rule of Bs. 10 per ton, subject to a minimum charge
Rs. 100, but did not in any case exceed Rs. 100. Further, either the Rs. 100 itself
was taken as security or else one single surety was taken. In reply to
my questions the Commendatore said that this surety was generally a British
subject, and 'some individual more or less guaranteed by the police. I further
gathered that the security was, as often as not, not taken at all.
4. Commendatore Pestalozza agreed that there might be difficulties about
enforcing forfeiture of the bond.. He had never had to do so yet. The bonds
were taken more by way of a show of restraint than with any actual ultimate
intention of forfeiting them, if the terms were infringed.
5. He was inclined to agree that it would he better if the bonds were
taken by me as other bonds, and if the Italian Coast were covered by our
regulation altogether. But this, he said, was a matter which he would have
to carefully consider and to refer to Rome.
6. It transpired in the course of the interview that the control actually
exercised by the Italian Government at Bander Kassim was slight and that at
times when the dhows, whose officers were the only representatives of the
Italian Government on the Somali Coast, were elsewhere engaged, actually
non-existent. Commendatore Pestalozza hoped that in due course a more
effectual control would be established, includiug a regular place of official
residence for himself, the Commissioner of Italian Somaliland. He hoped that
this would be established also over Ras Alula as well as Bander Kassim.
7. Meanwhile, he was inclined tothink that too drastic enforcement of
our rules might injuriously affect the trade of Aden. Even now, he said, that
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