‏"ملخص الأحداث والتدابير الرئيسية التي اتخذها سمو نائب الملك اللورد كرزون من كيدلستون، نائب الملك والحاكم العام للهند في إدارة الخارجية. ‏I‏. يناير ١٨٩٩-أبريل ١٩٠٤. ‏II‏. ديسمبر ١٩٠٤-نوفمبر ١٩٠٥. المجلد IV. بلاد فارس والخليج الفارسي." [ظ‎‎١‎٦‎٤] (٣٨٦/٣٣٣)

70
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Zanzibar, and inform him that the assertion of French protection oyer Suri
boats in Oman waters would be a contravention of that Dec•laration. ,, The
correspondence was reported to the Secretary of State in Secret despatch
Ko 160 (External), dated the 4th September 1894, and the instructions issued
by the Government of India were approved by Her Majesty’s Government in
Mr. Fowler's despatch No. 48 (Secret), dated the 9th October 1894 ; which,
it is to be noted, was written after consultation with the E'oreign Office.
In the meanwhile a circumstantial report was received from Major Sadler
* Secret desp«tch No. 218 (External), dated the at Maskat to the effect that the import*
26 th December 1894. ation of slaves to Oman by Suri dhows
carrying the French flag was still actively carried on, and Her Majesty’s
Government were informed* accordingly.
In April 1895, however, it v r as stated on the authority of the Commander
of a French war vessel (the “ Troude ”) that the practice of granting the
French flag and papers to these dhows had been discontinued.
Whatever value may have been attached to this statement was minimised
by the events of the succeeding year, when the Political Agent reported the
seizure of two Suri dhows, flying the French flag, with a cargo of slaves on
hoard. M. Ottavi, the French Vice-Consul, protested against the detention of
these vessels; and although the dhows were captured in the territorial waters
of the Sultan, and the owners were known to be Bis Highness’s subjects, the
jurisdiction of the French Vice-Consul over them was not questioned, and the
vessels, together with the owners and the slaves, were handed over to M. Ottavi-
for disposal. The matter was reported to the Secretary of State in Secret
despatch No. 15 (External), dated the 27th January 1897.
In the meantime a report of these seizures and of the attitude of the
French Vice-Consul had been submitted to Her Majesty’s Government through
the Admiralty, and Lord Salisbury
directedt the British Ambassador in Paris
to address the French Government on the subject. “ Her Majesty’s Government
feel sure,” the Ambassador was directed to say, “ that the Government of the
Republic will agree with them iu wishing that persons guilty of so gross an
abuse of the French flag as the owner and master of the dhow should have
been brought to justice, and that the slaves, who were sheltered by the flag,
should have been rescued from their fate”: and he was also instructed to
enquire whether the iustructions discontinuing the grant of French fla^s and
papers to Suri dhows were still in force.
The only result ot this reference was a disclaimer} on the part of the French
t Secret despatch from Secretary of state, No. 12 , Ambassador that there had ever been any
dat.d the 2 nd April intention of discontinuing the practice.
In July 1897, an opportunity was taken to repeat the instructions con-
tained in Sir H. M. Durand’s letter of 4th August 1891.
t Africa No. 283, dated the 22nd December 1896.
In August 1897, the Government of India again referred the matter to
Her Majesty’s Government [Secret despatch No. 117 (External), dated the
4th August 189/], and suggested that the attitude now adopted by the French
Government (namely, their intention to continue the practice of grantin°-
Erench flags <md papers to Maskat subjects) was inconsistent with their
pie^ious admission that the action of their Vice-Consul at Aden in granting
such papers was incorrect. ° 5
On receipt of this communication, Her Majesty's Government § directec
vide despatch from Secretary of state, No. 36 Her Majesty's Ambassador fct Paris b
(Secret), dated the 29th October 1897. plaoe the matter again bef()re ^
Government. The reply of the French Ambassador was to the effect that tb
admission in the case of the A ioc-Consul at Aden was not of general application
In the meanvhile a suggestion, emanating from the Foreign Office, was put
forward to the elfect that the Sultan should be advised to institute a distinctive
flag for the \essels of his subjects, and to “ issue orders prohibiting the Jlying
of any other on their ships”. ' This suggestion was put to the Political Agent
at Maskat, who gave his opinion that, so long as the French flag continued to bo
granted to Maskat subjects, the prescription by the Sultan of a special flag for