File 3372/1916 Pt 2 'Arabia: French and Italian policy' [‎91v] (191/498)

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7. An attempt was made at the Brussels Arms Conference of 1908 to
stiffen up the regulations by substituting (in the (halt Additional Act
laid before the Conference by the Italian delegate) the “ Head of the State ”
for the “ Government ” as the authority m the inland state whose
certificate is required before arms are allowed to pass. The object of this
amendment, which was aimed specially at Abyssinia, was to fix personal
responsibility on the then ruler of the country (King Menelek), to the
exclusion of the numerous officials, Ac., who might be held (and were held
by the Trench) to answer the description of the Gov eminent. the
Conference of 1908 broke up without reaching any agreement, French
opposition preventing the acceptance of the dmft Additional Act, to
which all the other Powers represented at the Conference Were prepared to
agree in principle. Subsidiary proposals for dealing with the situation in
Abyssinia were also under consideration in 1907 - 08 . 4 hese proposals,
known from their author (Count Colli, Italian Charge d’Affaires at Adis
Ababa) as the “ Colli Scheme,” contemplated the absolute prohibition of the
import into Abyssinia of all arms and ammunition other than those consigned
to King Menelek himself, and covered by a personal certificate from him.
private dealers were to be entirely eliminated. The scheme was never
brought into operation.
8 . The position, therefore, is still governed by the “ General Act of 1890,
which experience lias proved to be a wholly inadequate instrument for the
suppression of the arms traffic. France has undertaken, for the 'period of
the tear, to prohibit the import of arms, Ac., into Abyssinia via Jibuti, but in
violation of the arrangement arrived at between the British, French and
Italian representatives at Adis Ababa, a considerable consignment of arms and
ammunition was recently sent from Jibuti to the Abyssinian Government.
Both the French Minister at Adis Ababa and the French authorities at Jibuti
profess ignorance of the matter ; but it is difficult to believe that the consign
ment could have gone through without their knowledge. Directly the war
is over, as Mr. Thesiger pointed out in a memorandum written in March
1916, “ the existing prohibition will be raised, and the trade m arms will
“ recommence on a scale such as we have never known before', and we shall
“ be powerless to stop it m the future as we were in the past.’ The results
are likely to be most prejudicial, not only to the internal situation in
Abyssinia itself, but to the tranquillity of the adjoining British territory
(Soudan, British Somaliland, Ac.), and of the Italian Colony of Eritrea.
'There is also the danger that Jibuti will replace Maskat (where we have
stopped the traffic) as the distributing centre from which arms and ammuni
tion will find their way by sailing craft to the Arabian and Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
littorals, thus neutralising the effect of our settlement of the Maskat question
with France (which cost us 64,000L in hard cash) and obliging us to
maintain indefinitely after the war the very expensive arrangements intro
duced in 1910 for patrolling the Gulf waters.
9. Mr. Thesiger’s present proposals are on much the same lines as the
“Colli scheme ’ of 1907. They are only in the nature of a palliative.
What is required, if permanent results are to be achieved, is a comprehensive
agreement with the French Government for the control of the traffic.
Brussels Draft Additional Act.
10 . 1 he Sub-Committee decided to examine the question whether the terms
of the Draft Additional Act, in their present form, afford adequate machinery
for the control of the arms traffic after the war ; and if not, in what direction
i lie Act requires amendment. 1 Admiral Slade undertook to prepare a
memorandum on this subject.
II. I he Minutes of the second meeting were approved.
(These minutes were approved by the Sub-Committee on the
\2th February 1917.)
J. E. Sill OKBl RGII.
12 th Februarv 1917.