Page 164 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

60 ADMINISTRATION’ RETORT OP THE PERSIAN GULF

in advance on account of duty for which they will become liable subsequently
upon the arrival of merchandize. This may be regarded as a sort of standing ad-
vance, as sums paid off are as a rule speedily required again before lone and the
total amount is of course liable to be exceeded in the event of sudden calls upon His
Highness’s exchequer. Roughly $70,000 of debts are said to have been settled
during the year under review, the greater portion during the latter part thereof.
IV.—ARMS AND AMMUNITION’.
During 1906-1007 the following rifles, etc., were imported into Maskat and
almost the whole quantity was re-exported before the end of the year:—
Rifles. Revolvers. Cartridjes.
Of Belgian manufacture . 24,196 316
Of French „ 3,723 616 2.681,000
Of English „ . 17,006 4,564,000
The French rifles are very inferior being of an old military pattern, and arc
sold at a few dollars a piece.
The total value of arms and ammunition imported is given at Rs. 16,83.075
against Rs. 10,74.380 for 1905-1906, an increase of Rs. 6,10,695, or about 56 per cent.,
but the local selling value has fallen by about 17 per cent, on each rifle, so that the
increase in demand has been even greater than appears from these figures.
Belgian rifles were in demand early in the official year, but in 1907 the tide
turned in favour of British weapons, on account of their greater reliability.
His Majesty’s ships of war have been employed since November in efforts
to stop the smuggling of arms by Afghans and Baluchis over to the Mekran Coast
by searching suspected dhows coming from Oman : but although at first the smug­
glers found it difficult to engage vessels owing to the presence of men of war, after
one had succeeded in landing her cargo others had courage to follow, and His
Majesty’s ships were attended with no fortune up to the end of March, the smugglers
having very narrowly escaped capture on two or three occasions.
It is said that between six and seven thousand rifles with 100 rounds of
ammunition to each were landed in Mekran between November and April. The
majority of the export was to Bahrein and Koweit, a considerable amount being
carried by British India steamers, the commanders of which scarcely seem to
be sufficiently on the alert in this connection.
During the year under report Monsieur P. Caracalla of Paris has instituted
in Maskat a business to be known as the “ Bazar Fran9ais.” Among other things
he proposes to join in the Arms traffic.

V.—FRENCH FLAG.
The result of the reference to the Hague Arbitration Tribunal of the trouble­
some question of the French flag in Oman was given in last year’s report, and
the initial negociations for settlement in accordance with the judgmen w i
had taken place between the Political Agent and the French Consul were a.so> r
ferred to. The officers mentioned were unable to agree as to the number o i
owners and dhows which were qualified to continue to fly French Hags,
chief points upon which they differed were—
(1) M. Laronce held that authorisation to fly the French flag was given for
each and every owner once for all, that is to say, for every (
which he might subsequently become the possessor; whereas uaj
Grey maintained that authorisation was given in regard to nun
dhows only. . . *
(2) JI. Laronce represented that his Government would be obliged to in-
upon their view given in (1) being accepted and also that each nM
rised dhow owner should he allowed to replace am c > diJLsses-
in his possession of which he might subsequently become <1>»P°S
sed bv sale or by loss. ..
(3) M. Laronce desired not only that all the owners named in tnc 11^
sentad by him to Major Urey on the 4th March 1606. should ^ ^
authorisation to fly French flags, but that all the dhows fc