Coll 34/7 'Slavery: Slave Traffic and Gun-running: Right of search by H. M. ships in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf' [‎78r] (155/576)

stojkot msnsim of It so ska skctxon of HsortwitmAX
r OTASTION UfiDiiiH BOOK.
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M^X)ITKHitAKKAK STATION, at Malta.
?rom
39th toetcembar, 1930. Ho. $069/123/24.
Date
Seoretar./ of the Admiralty.
To
(Copy to Senior officer, Hed sea Sloops).
With reference to Admiralty letters M.01318/30 of
8th December and M.0343/30 of 31et Octobex*, 1^30, i iu ve
little to add to the views expressed by Their Lordships in
Admiralty letter M.02122/30 of 11th Jul^ r , 1930, with which
I am in entire agreement. The following remarks are
forwarded in amplification.
(a) It appears from experience in searching dhows that
there is little chance of protect from the dhows themselves.
The captains are accustomed to it and cases have
been known where dhows have shortened sail and closed without
orders, talcing examination as a matter of course.
(b) The nationality of a dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. can seldom be recognised
from her flag. A plain red flag (the old Turkish flag with
star and crescent unpicked) is worn by nearly every native
craft except those under French or Italian coloursu. A
boarding or interrogation muit therefore be made even if
Nejdi dhows are to be exempt from search.
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(o) With reference to dhows carrying arms, it is
considered that if aims are found obviously concealed, they
should be confiscated, and it is almost certain no protest
would be received.
further it is submitted that if the existing state
of affairs, whereby all dhows in the Red Sea of under LOO
tons are seerched for slaves or illicit arms both on the
high seas and in Arabian territorial waters, but excluding
French and Italian territorial waters, is allowed to
continue, no protest or incident is likely to arise.
(d) It is considered that the position can well be
maintained -
(1) By long established custom.
(2) As far as the hedjas is concerned by Article
7 of the Hsdjax Treaty.
(3) By public opinion which would strongly condemn
any action bj a young power, only recently
endowed with full sovereign rights, which
interfered with the suppression of trading in
slaves or illicit arms.
It is fully realised, however, that the search of
dhows must be carried out with tact and due regard to the
feelings of a young state.
No arrests, detention or confiscation of arms should
be made without a clear case of irregularity having been made oat,
(bd.) Krnle Chatfield.
ADMIRAL