File 3372/1916 Pt 2 'Arabia: French and Italian policy' [‎90v] (189/498)

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SIR HUGH CLIFFORD.
3 Sir H Clifford stated that there are no modern rifles m the Gold Coast
a „d Asdlanti; but there are some 160,000
converted flint-locks. These gims are regarded as aims ol preci ; .ioi 01
?hrpurposes of the Brussels Act of 1890. The cap-gun is superior to the
flintdock in that it can be relied upon not to miss
the shoulder and admits of reasonably accurate aim. Ihere is no Uilhcufty
in obtoining caps. Officially, only about four boxes of caps have entered
British ports during the last 12 years ; actually, they aie freely smugs ei m,
and can be readily obtained in the Colony. . . . , , r n ,
It would be very difficult to smuggle rifles of precision into the Gold
Coast There are nine ports of entry (besides one, Lome, in logoland), but
none are easy to approach owing to the very heavy surf. Lntry by night is
impracticable, while in the daytime the presence of an European olhcei.m
charge of the Customs is a guarantee against smuggling. No laigc
consignment of rifles could tind its way in .
The cap-guns cause no embarrassment to the authorities m Ihitish
territory. It would not he fair to deprive the natives of these weapons,
which m-e often needed, especially on up-country farms on the edge of the
jungle, for defence against wild animals. It would be very difficult to call
in the guns; and any attempt to do so would be sure to cause trouble.
Increased import, duties would have little effect, 1 he cocoa industry has
brought so much wealth to the Gold Coast that money has little value there.
There would he no objection, however, to increasing import duties on arms,
&c., if only for purposes of revenue. (Sec note below.) But the present
situation gives no cause for anxiety, so far as British tei ritoi } is conceined.
It is true that a certain number of riots—one of them serious —occuired m
1914—15', but these were entirely inter-tribal in character and in no sense
directed against the British Government. Sir II. Clifford expiessed the a eiy
strong opinion, however, that a complete register of all guns in the Colony
should be kept, and kept up to date, and that the supply should be efficiently
regulated—preferably by making the Chiefs the only source of supply to the
people.
Wholly different conditions prevail in the adjoining french districts-
(Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Dahomey). The French have to administer a
large and unwieldy area, and in many places are not on good terms with the
inhabitants. During the war they have had the utmost difficulty in enforcing
military conscription upon the native population, and have only succeeded in
doing so by very arbitrary methods, which have caused acute resentment. A
very critical situation has arisen in some localities, and the French authorities
are anxious to reduce by every possible means the power of the natives to-
resist their administrative measures. For this reason they are unwilling
to see their subjects armed with even the most primitive weapons, while the
restriction of the supply of cap-guns has become a matter of such serious
concern to them that they are likely to press very strongly for our co-operation
in controlling the traffic. Arms for the most part enter the French colonies
via British territory; few are landed at French West African ports where
the provisions of the Brussels General Act are rigorously enforced.
Note .—In connection with the question of import duties, raised in the
course of Sir Hugh Clifford’s evidence, the following tabular statement was
furnished to the Sub-Committee by j\Ir. Read :—
Import Duties on Guns, Ac., in West Africa.
I .—British Colonies.
Trade guns
Gambia
->
(flintlocks).
s. d.
Rifles,
.sc d.
Gold Coast -
_
5 0
20
0
Sierra Leone
-
3 1
25
0
Nigeria
-
-
12 6
10 0