"التحكيم في قضية مراكب الداو الشراعية في مسقط. محكمة التحكيم الدائمة في لاهاي. السماح برفع الأعلام الفرنسية على مراكب الداو الشراعية في مسقط. القضية بالنيابة عن الحكومة البريطانية". [و‎‎٢‎٥] (٢٠٨/٥٨)

11
It is unfortanate that tliere is a direct conflict
between the reports of British naval officers and
Consuls and the officers and Consuls of France,
as to whether the French 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 re
relevant to this inquiry.
The French 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 Countei^Case (AppendixVII,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 ] 89G 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
"Contre- the French u Contre-Memoire" which, while
278, 1 65 ' they evidence the activity and loyalty of French
officials, also demonstrate that Arab slavers do
cover the Slave Trade with the French flag; and
''Contre- the note of M. Kiesel indicates that at a period
Mdmoire, p. 2^2. a f^ er 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 1898
one Salim-bin-Seif was caught shipping slaves in
Appendix G, vessels flying the French flag at Pemba or Zanzi
bar, 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
Government and that of the French Republic.
Into the merits of the controversy it is needless
to enter. The important fact is that Salim 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 appli
cations made had been granted, there would be
hundreds of Omani vessels under the French
flag, and that but for strict administration many