'Muscat Dhows Arbitration. In the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague. Grant of the French Flag to Muscat Dhows. The case on behalf of the Government of His Britannic Majesty.' [‎13r] (34/208)

21
" Persia and
Arabia. '*
May 16, Section 1,
inclosure 7 in
No. 1.
No. 2 in tbe same.
No. 3 in tlie same.
No. 4 in the sane.
No. 6 in the same.
Cox, telegraphic,
April 16, 1903.
Inclosure 5 in
No. 1, p. 130, on
file.
May 13,1903,
file, pp. 134,135,
See also May 18,
1903 ; May 19,
1903 ; May 23,
1903; May 25,
1903, file, p. 178 ;
Mav 29,1903.
term of detention. Before their departure, Major
Cox, at the written request of the Sultan, had
taken the statement of all five Arabs.
On the same day the Prench Consul, M. Dor-
ville, wrote to Major C ox complaining of the
imprisonment hy him of three French prot^s
who had contravened the Quarantine Regulations.
Major Cox replied that five Suri subjects of the
Sultan had broken quarantine, and that M. Dor-
ville should address himself to their Sovereign.
M. Dorville, on the same day, claimed from the
Sultan release of three of these Arabs (Nos. 3, 4,
and 5) as being Suris under French protection.
The Sultan replied on the 12th April, stating his
intention to punish the five Arabs for breaking
quarantine, and repeating his protest against
the contention that the French flag covered
any of his subjects while on his territory or
territorial waters and saying that he would be
content to have the question settled by discussion
and decision oO Great Britain and France.
On the 15th April the Sultan tried the five
Arabs for breaking quarantine and sentenced
them to three months' imprisonment.
The Sultan's action was challenged by the
French Consul and the Commander of the French
war-ship " Infernet", and supported by the British
Government; and after discussion between the
British and the French Governments, the
questions raised by the incident were ultimately
referred to the arbitrament of the Tribunal by
the Compromis printed at p. of this Case.
On the 11th April, 1903, the Sultan of Muscat
requested M. Dorville, then French Consul at
Muscat, to furnish him with a list of the names of
those persons whom the French Government
claimed to protect in the Saltan's territories,
explaining in each case upon what the right of
the individuals to be considered under French
protection was based. This request was refused,
but on the 13th May, 1903, at an interview with
Lord Lansdowne, M. Cambon, the French
Ambassador in London, said that the French
Government had been quite ready to fall in with
the British suggestion to the effect that a list of
persons possessing French flags should be pre-
pared, and that such a list had, in fact, been
made out and would have been delivered to the
' Sultan when the quarantine incident arose.
Up to the date of the filing of this Case such
lists have not been delivered, and the British