"الملف 35/85 III A 10 مسألة الأعلام الفرنسية" [ظ‎‎٣‎٨] (٦١٠/٨٧)

the Slave Trade. M. Ottavi himself gives an instance of the importation of
slaves into Siir (" Contre-Memoire," p. 265). It has already been stated in
the British Counter-Case that over 100 of these Siiris were in 1902 captured
in Mozambique while engaged in shipping slaves, and this capture is referred
to in M. Kiesel's report of the 13th June,
Contre-M^moire, p. 273. 1902, The statement of M. Ottavi that
Siiris have been offered the British flag (" Contre-Memoire," pp. 2cl-267 i is
wholly unfounded. The Siiris do not love the British flag, because they have
experience of the vigilance of British cruisers for the suppression of their
slaving on the high seas and in territorial waters under the Treaty of 1873.
The interest which Prance has in Siir appears to be the protection of the
residents of that place who have French flags, and whose status is the chief
matter of controversy before the Tribunal.
It is unfortunate that there is a* direct conflict between the reports of
British naval officers and Consuls and the officers and Consuls of France, as to
whether the Erench flag is used to cover the carriage of slaves into Oman or the
Persian Gulf. Each Party naturally believes its own officers, and it is for the
Tribunal to decide between the two in any points of divergence which are rele
vant to this inquiry.
The Prench reports (" Contre-Memoire," pp. 245—251) made in 1895
strongly contest the allegations of Major Sadler, the British Consul at Muscat
(British Case, p. 58). But His Majesty's Government venture to submit that
it will be impossible seriously to dispute the facts stated in the British Counter-
Case (Appendix VII, p. 47) as to the running of slaves by one Salim-ul-Badi
under French colours, and it is certainly indisputable that two Omani vessels
under the French flag were captured by a British cruiser in 1898 near the coast
of Oman with slaves on board, and were tried and condemned by a French Court.
There are other instances of condemnation in the French " Contre-Memoire *'
"Oontre-M^moire, ** هذه التواريخ تقريبية pp. 65,278» et seq. which, while they eTidence the activity
'• Contre-Memoire," p. 272. and loyalty of French officials, also
Appends 6, p. 47. demonstrate that Arab slavers do cover
the Slave Trade with the French flag; and the note of M. Kies?l indicates
that at a period after 1890, when Madagascar was occupied, the French naval
police was relaxed, and that even in 1902 only three vessels were employed
to police the ocean between Africa and Arabia. His Majesty's Government
would add that in 18981one Salim-bin-Seif was caught shipping slaves in vessels
flying the French flag at Pemba or Zanzibar, and was claimed by M.
Laronce, the French Consul, as a French protege, and the fact that he was
tried in Zanzibar and convicted and his claim to French protection overruled
by the Courts, led to considerable discussion between His Majesty's Govern
ment and that of the French Bepublic. Into the merits of the controversy it
is needless to enter. The important fact is that S dim was in 1898 running
slaves under the French flag, and was stated by France to be of Siiri descent.
There is clearly a great desire to get Arab vessels under the French flag.
It is stated in the French Counter-Case, p. 14, that if all applications made
had been granted,' there would be hundreds of Omani vessels under the
French flag, and that but for strict administration many more flags would be
granted in French Somaliland (p. 107).
The statement at p. 60 of the " Contre-Memoire " that the International
Bureau at Zanzibar has often had to register slave trading by vessels belonging
to Arab proteges of Great Britain must be based on some mistake. Examina
tion of the Reports of the Bureau discloses only one case of slave-running
under the British flag. The vessel in question was captured by a British
cruiser, and the number and activity of the British public vessels employed
to prevent slave-running make it very dangerous to attempt to carry on the
trade.under the British flag.
It is to be noted that the Report of the International Bureau for 1899
states that there had been during the year a real recrudescence of attempts to
carry on the Slave Trade with the object of meeting the demand for slaves
14