Page 19 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

RESIDENCY FOR THE TEAR 1906-1906. g
Balaries and as a rule aro anxious to keep in the good books of the British
authorities as far as their predatory habits allow them.
The two most sorious questions connected with Persian Mekran at present
are, firstly, the trade in contraband arms
Traffic In A no* an<l Slaves.
from Maskat, and, secondly, the prevalence
of the slave traffic among the people themselves.
The Persian Government seem to bo impotent as well as disinclined to
take any effective steps to cope with either of these evils, and the result is that
it is loft to the Government of India and its officers to take such measures ao
they can for their suppression or mitigation, in the former case in their own
interests, and in the latter, in the cause of humanity.
The traffic in arms by gangs of Afghans and frontier tribesmen, which
has been so brisk for the last throe years, must be regarded rather as a
recrudescence than as any new departure of the industry. Considerable
numbers of Afghans used to visit Maskat in similar gangs ten years ago,
but it is probable that at that time their modus operands was not so
deliberate and well organised as it is now, and the seizure of the S.S.
Baluchistan cargo by H.M.S. Lapicing in 1899 seems to have caused a panio
among these gentry, which for two or three years kept them away. During
the last threewyears, however, they have been gradually resuming their opera­
tions and these have been much facilitated by the appearance in Maskat of
French and Russian merchants who have embarked largely on this trade in
arms and whose operations are the bolder in that they do not labour under
the restrictions which are imposed upon British subjects in regard to the sale
of arms in Maskat territory.
In the suppression of this traffic, which is of mpeh importance to the
Government of India, the Persian Government have undertaken to co-operate,
and in pursuance of the arrangement Captain P. McConagbcy, Assistant
Political Agent at Panicur. was deputed on special duty in March 1906 to
meet a Persian representative, and in consultation with him to devise measures
foe the concerted action against the smugglers.
The question of the Mekrani slave
Urkrftni Slave Traffic.
traffic has been dealt with sufficiently in
the body of the report.
In April 1905 a joint meeting was convened at Charbar for the settlement of
the claims both of the Telegraph Depart­
Char bar neeiirgv.
ment and Mekran Coast Ports as well as
of the Kalat Agency against Persian subjects. The Persian Government was
represented by the Governor of Bampur and the Government of India by the
Hazim of Mckran. About half a lakh of outstandings were found to exist
and claims to the value of 6omc Rs. 20,000 were subsequently settled.
Again in the spring of 1906 the two meetings were combined and a joint
Court held at Charbar at which Captain McConaghey, on deputation in
connection with the arms traffic, was able to be present. As far as the
labours of the Committee were concerned, the work done was eminently
satisfactory, but it remains to he seen how far the Persian Government will
insist on the execution of the Awards given.
The chief event of the year was the delivery, on the 8th August 1906, VII.—Kaskat.
of the Award of the Tribunal assembled
french Flag Caac.
at the permanent Court of Arbitration at
the Hague m virtue of the compromise between Great Britain and Prance on
15th October 1904 for the settlement of the French Flag question.
. ft is Do1 necessary to go into the details of the Award here, as the
Political Agent has dealt with them fully; suffice it to say that on the whole
they were considered satisfactory both to the 8ultan and ourselves. In fact
according to the evidence obtained by the Political Agent it would not arnmar
i&rsfiyjownen and 18 dhows °tisfy 1116 °°nditionfl “e

It is probable, however, that the exigencies of general politics and the
entente cordxale with Prance will prompt Hib Majesty’s Government to advise
O