ملف رقم ٣٣٧٢ لسنة ١٩١٦ الجزء ٢ "الجزيرة العربية: السياسات الفرنسية والإيطالية" [و‎‎٨‎٩] (٤٩٨/١٨٦)

ter r nank r i , T,,e
as a high moral issim oT tL uZ^ be / aiSed at tlie 1W Conference
The remarks made in para graph 5 as p 1<( '. '? C1 ^. lllsatl .°?i m general,
agreements apply with equal force to thp ' i l ' lu | te( utility of international
present paragraph. Hut its effect Imu ,IQ< or a In ^ contern P^ted in the
still be considerable ; and^as tn^dh t, ated U alIn F ^ ^u\d
the general ,*,M , m
II. lo sum up, the Sub-Committee agreed to recommend—
(I) that all the belligerent Powers should he invited at the Peace
InnsX^X; ^ " ,Kle,taki, ' g ” 0t ' l — -hi-
f2) tllAt , ;l separate understanding should he arrived at with the French
Government, based upon community of interests and the need
lor a combmed policy m dealing with the question of the supply
01 arms to native races ; and ^
(3) should provide for the cession of
liench bomaldand to Great Britain; or, if this is not found
practicable, lor the suppression of the arms traffic at Jibuti, or at
■| n T la \!r i-!’ 1 ll ? < f Utr0 , 011 llneti ?lll,iIar to those of the Brussels
draft Additional Act of 190s. It should also provide for the
prohibition of the coasting trade in arms, &c„ within certain
specified areas.
PERSIA.
12. The Sub-Committee then proceeded to consider Major Paddon’s
Memorandum of the 14th January 1917 regarding the control of the arms
traiiic on the 1 erso-Balucli frontier. Major Paddon considered it essential
that the present force of levies (or some similar organisation) should be
maintained in the Sarhad district after the war, or, alternatively that the
sphere of activity of the recently-formed South Persia Rifles should be
extended to this district; he also recommended the permanent retention of
a half battalion of regular infantry (or two squadrons of cavalry) in the
neighbourhood of Robat, ie., at the point of junction of British, Afghan
and Persian territory. Sir II. McMahon, who agreed, pointed out that
we must depend in the future on the South Persia Rifles to prevent the
conveyance of arms along the South Persian trade routes into Afghanistan ;
the northern routes will present no danger so long as it remains the policy of
Russia, as in the past, to prevent arms, &c., from reaching her own Muham
madan subjects. The Sub-Committee endorsed the view that the prevention
of gun-running in Persia will depend in future on the strength and
organisation of the South Persia Rifles, whose sphere of action should, in
their opinion, be extended so as to link up with British Baluchistan.
(These Minutes were approved by the Sub-Committee on the '29th Januara
1917.) J
J. E. SlIUCKBl UGH,
Secretarv.
P9th Januarv 1917.