‏"ملخص الأحداث والتدابير الرئيسية التي اتخذها سمو نائب الملك اللورد كرزون من كيدلستون، نائب الملك والحاكم العام للهند في إدارة الخارجية. ‏I‏. يناير ١٨٩٩-أبريل ١٩٠٤. ‏II‏. ديسمبر ١٩٠٤-نوفمبر ١٩٠٥. المجلد IV. بلاد فارس والخليج الفارسي." [و‎‎١‎٦‎٤] (٣٨٤/٣٣٢)

60
put forward by the French Consul ns hoinw r>rm+^v. * -r^ i
We feel confident that in any sub^mi^n^Z ! ^ °, ' e 1)ech, ' atlon of 186 2-
ments, which may result from this protest His 10 MnT*!'““p ' 61 "'° GoFern '
give full consideration to the Sul inn’s riAts . j' la l e ® t y s , Gorernment will
that the danger of permitt'n<" the establish 3 r''r "^^bes m the matter, and
w ill be duly borne in™ establlshmeat of a F-’ench colony in Oman
Enclosure to 31.
MEMORANDUM ON THE USE OF TEE FRENCH FM.G BY
SUBJECTS OF THE SULTAN OF MAS EAT.
,, ^ l 891 /epwts were reoeived from the Government of Bombay and from
t l e Resnlent in the Persmn Gulf that the French Consular officers at Aden
Obokh and Z .nz.barhad, on numerous occasions, given French papers and the
French to Native vessels beloniiini? to Sur and other places within the
territory ot the Sultan of Maskat. In passing on these reports to the Secretary
9 ,* J ^ e 1 t *T”* tch N< >- 92 ^ ‘i"> of S^te, * the Government of India
f (Tho ec'ion alleged to have been taken by the GXpressed tllC Opinion that the action of
ficatioi*) 8t Ubokh aul ;v,aii:4 K a8t:ar required verb the French Consul at Adeuf amounted
i xi i ii r. i to an assertion of protection over Oman
proceedings Government should be requested to put a stop to his
portly after the matter had been referred to Her Majesty’s Government
H ^ ! ei V 18 reoeived from the Resident at Bushire to the effect that
the bul,an of Mashat proposed himself to address a representation to the
French Government, protesting against the issue of French flags and papers to
vesse s ^longing to his subjects. His Highness represented that the sole
object of the dhow-owners m assuming French protection was to obtain a cloak
for slave-dealing operations. The Government of India, while holding that
it was undesirable that the Sultan should address a protest direct to the French
Government, informed the Resident that the use of the French fla* by Maskat
subjects could have no effect as against His Highness. The Sultan, it was
averred, “has full authority to punish any of his subjects who mav infringe
the laws of Ins country, whatever flag or papers they ma'y have accepted; and
he may safely take any steps he pleases to uphold his jurisdiction in his own
waters over such of his subjects as have got French fla?s.” A copy of the
Resident s report and of the reply from the Government of India was forwarded
to the Secretary of State with Secret despatch Ko. 117 (External), dated the
25th August 1891.
In replying to these two despatches, the Secretary of State forwardedf a
be^isoi^ desiutch N °’ 44,,, datedthe 4th Deceui * copy of correspondence with the Foreign
\ 1 ’ Office, from which it appeared that the
French Government had repud : ated the action of the French Consul at Aden
in granting French papers and flags to the Suri dhows, and had given an
assurance that it would not be repeated.
It appeared, however, from further reports received from Bombay and
Bushire that the statement regarding the grant of flags and papers at Mada
gascar and Obokh was not without foundation. These reports were forwarded
to London with Secret despatches Nos. 46, 66 and 98 (External), dated,
respectively, the 25rd March, 4th May and 7th June 1892.
The subject was again brought to the notice of the Government of India in
1894 in connection with the appointment of a French Vice-Consul at Maskat.
The Sultan, having reason to believe that this appointment was likely to be
made, was considerably disturbed at the prospect. He anticipated, in fact, that
the only object of sending a F’rench Consular representative to Maskat was to
assert FVeneh protection over the Arabs of Sur wl:o had accepted French flags
and papers. The Resident referred tho matter to the Government of India,
and was informed that, in the event of the French Vice-Consul putting forward
such a claim, the Sultan should be advised to “refer him to the Declaration,
dated the 10th March 1862, respecting the independence of Maskat and