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File 869/1904 Pt 1 'Arms Traffic: - Red Sea, Africa & Aden' [‎265r] (534/580)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (286 folios). It was created in 2 Jul 1902-22 Dec 1906. It was written in English and French. The original is part of the British Library: 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. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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Customs offices was 25,000, while in 1901-1902 it was 17,000, and these figures,
together with the valuation statements, neither of which is likely to be overstated,
while they support the view that since 1900 the trade has received a check, indicate
that the entries in the return of arms exported from the United Kingdom represent
only a little more than half of the total traffic. It is evident, therefore, that the
dimensions of the trade are still formidable. The ultimate destination of the arms
^landed at Muscat is in a measure conjectural. Beliefs have from time to time been
^expressed that large numbers are transhipped to the Somali Coast. But the existence
of anv considerable traffic with the African seaboard has not been established, and it
seems* probable that the consignments eventually find their way into the interior of
Oman, to the Arab and Turkish coasts of the Gulf, and to the Persian seaboard,
whence it is certain that a proportion reach the tribes on the north-western frontier of
India, with results that constitute a grave menace to the peace of our border.
4.. We now proceed to the consideration of further measures for the repression ot
the traffic. In our Secret despatch dated the 6th March, 1902, we suggested
that the Sultan should be advised to introduce a system of passes for the exporta
tion of arms from his territories. In reply, however, your Lordship expressed the
opinion that, in view of the then existing relations with Prance m regard to Muscat,
the moment was inopportune for the proposed step. Later m our Secret despatch dated
the 29th January last, we recommended that the French Government should be asked
to a^ree to the prohibition by the Sultan of Muscat of all importation of arms and am
munition into his dominions. To this communication we have not yet received a
reply • but, in view of the conciliatory attitude adopted by His Majesty s Goiernment
in P connection with the recent French flag incident at Muscat, and of the presem
cordial relations with France, we hope that His Majesty’s Govemme^t may now be
prepared to approach the French Government on the subject, ihe Customs h 0 &
in the annexed statement show clearly that the suppression ot the traffic would lead
to a loss to British trade far greater than the damage which would result to i reach
commercial interests, and this should suffice to prove to the French Governmen
that our object is not to interfere with legitimate French trading at Muscat, but
merely to take measures in self-defence to prevent arms falling into the hands ot the
tribes on our borders. We can hardly believe that the French Government could
declfne to agree to our proposal, and your Lordship will recollect t^t this view was
held bv M Laronce, the late Acting Vice-Consul for France at Muscat. inc
principal Bepresentative at Muscat of French interests in the traffic is M Goguyer, an
1 'ctArl K-wl character reuardiii"' whose removal from Oman we have addressed you
“hm ?n a "eparate d S *h,t and whose cause we cannot imagine that the
French Government could seriously desire to champion. They could hardly defenn as
a^act 1 of International comity the introduction of arms among the tribes surrounding
the Gulf- and they could not pretend that the weapons were required lor any purpose
ot their own l/might, however, be necessary for the Government of India o
compensate the Sultan of Muscat for the loss of his ^“^"^fUear'for the
existing trade, which amounted on the average to about 4,0,000 dollars a-year
thiee^years endtn^iso ^ ^rther measul . e y-pigh we would urge. The importation of
mTethe^rde 6 of 1 the GafTmple^ap^very dLirableJo arrive^
onh^fth Amnlst! Soa ^om^ltdiaOffice to the Fo^Soffi it wouid appear
an" there appeared to be no pressing ne^ss.tyfo^ Lt
^ carrying the Turkish flag, which
• Vide letter dated October 11, 1902, from Major Cox (Inclosure 17 to our Secret despatch dated
Januar}- 29, 1903).
t to y^ur Lordship’s Secret despatch dated November 9. 1900.

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Content

This volume is the first of three successive volumes of correspondence (IOR/L/PS/10/32-34), relating to the British prohibition and suppression of arms traffic between ports in Aden, the Red Sea and the coast of East Africa. The several correspondents include officials at the Foreign Office, the 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 the Admiralty in London, as well as officials in the Government of India Foreign and Political Department and in the Government of Bombay From c. 1668-1858, the East India Company’s administration in the city of Bombay [Mumbai] and western India. From 1858-1947, a subdivision of the British Raj. It was responsible for British relations with the Gulf and Red Sea regions. Political Department. Other notable correspondents are the Commander-in-Chief for the East Indies Station and the Senior Naval Officer for the Aden Division, 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. and the First Assistant Resident at Aden, and the British Commissioner for the Somaliland Protectorate. Included in the correspondence between officials are: a petition from the people of Zeyla [Zeila] to the Deputy Commissioner of British Somaliland in 1905, representations made by British Indian merchants to the 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. at Muscat in 1903, a witness statement made by an Arab boat captain to the Harbour Police at Aden in 1905, and an arms traffic intelligence report received from a Reuter’s agent in about 1903. There are a few nineteenth century enclosures to the correspondence between officials, including two letters written in 1891, from Ras Makunan [Makonnen] the Governor of Harrar [Harar, Ethiopia], to the 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 Consul for the Somali Coast.

The volume contains a small amount of correspondence in French, in the form of an exchange of notes between the French Minister and the British and Italian Ambassadors in Paris and London, 1905-1906, as well as a copy in French of the Arms Traffic Agreement between France, Italy and Great Britain that was signed in London on 13 December 1906. The diplomatic correspondence also includes an English translation of a document entitled ‘Instructions for the Suppression of the Traffic in Arms in Somaliland’, compiled in about 1904 by the Italian Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs and the Italian Minister of Marine.

The file includes a divider which gives the subject number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 volume (286 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume. The subject 869 (Arms Traffic: - Red Sea, Africa and Aden) consists of three volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/32-34. The volumes are divided into three parts, with each part comprising one volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 288; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. Two additional foliation sequences are also present in parallel between ff 67-85, and ff 97-169; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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File 869/1904 Pt 1 'Arms Traffic: - Red Sea, Africa & Aden' [‎265r] (534/580), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/32, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100048399912.0x000087> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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