ملف ٢١\١٩١١ الجزء ١ "محمية عدن:- تجنيد وتوظيف الإيطاليين والفرنسيين للعرب." [ظ‎‎١‎٦‎٧] (٢٧٠/١٢٨)

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although not referred to in the 1888 treaty. Thus the Resident was absolutely
within his treaty rights in giving the answer which he did to the Italian Consul
General.
5 . In the third case the same Consul General wished to visit Lahej. Now
if the official representatives of foreign powers are to he at liberty to establish
themselves at the capitals of the South Arabian Chiefs, the latter will be on
exactly the same footing as independent States. There will in fact be an
abrogation of the protectorate. It is further obvious that the Consul General’s
intention was to secure concessions. He had already tried to do so in MoKalla;
and Lahej has no attraction for the ordinary sightseer. Now a concession to
the official representative of a foreign power is of course a concession to the
power itself. But attention is invited to Article 2 of the Abdali treaty at page
91, Volume XIII of Aitchison’s Treaties. Thereby the Sultan is expressly
prohibited from entering into any agreement or treaty with any State other
than the British Government, for the sale, mortgage, lease or hire or gift of
any portion of his territories. A concession involves one at least of the above.
Thus the object of the Consul General’s visit was to violate the Abdali treaty
and the Political Resident, Aden, was right in forbidding it.
6 . There remains the communication made on the 24th March 1910 by
the Resident to the Radthli Sultan. One Sheikh Saleh Balaxa wished to work
a coal mine in the Sultan's State. It is not clear whether the Arab was a
British .subject or not. If he was a British subject the action of Government
in preventing him was, as I have shown, supported by existing practice. If he
was not, then attention is invited to the case of Lewis Massot. He was a
Frenchman employed in 1901 on certain salt works in the Fadthli State. The
•Govemmentof India, letter No. 687 -e.a., dated Government of India authorised* the
soth April 1901. Governor in Council to advise the Eadthli
Sultan to cause him to withdraw from his territory if any political inconvenience
was apprehended from his continued employment. Now it is certain that had
the coal mine been leased to Sheikh Saleh Balaxa he could not have worked
it without importing Europeans in such numbers as to have caused political
inconvenience. Thus no matter what the nationality of Sheikh Saleh Balaxa,
the action of the Governor in Council was justified by precedent.
7. In conclusion I am to state that the Governor in Council is of opinion
that it would be perilous to allow, as suggested by the Secretary of State, the
Chiefs of South Arabia to take after discussion with the Resident the responsi
bility of admitting foreign prospectors. It is impossible to dissociate the
individual from his Government. If one subject of a foreign power be
admitted, it is impossible to refuse admittance to an unlimited number of others.
Their welfare or ill-treatment cannot be disregarded by their Government and
the ingress of a single foreigner may easily lead to a demand for intervention
on his behalf by a foreign Government. On the other hand if it is thought
that the existing treaties with the majority of the protected States do not
empower Government to refuse the demands of isolated foreign prospectors,
the remedy lies in correcting the wording. All of the treaties contain a clause
which prohibits the protected States from corresponding or making treaties or
agreements with foreign nations or powers. The Governor in Council holds
the view that this clause should be deemed to prohibit likewise a corres
pondence, agreement or treaty with a member of a foreign nation or a subject
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*