Page 285 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

ANNUAL

ADMINISTRATION REPORT

OP THE

PERSIAN GULP POLITICAL RESIDENCY

FOB THE YEAR
1914.

The Arms Traffic in the Persian Gulf during 1914.

During the year under report, the Arms Traffic in the Persian Gulf, on the
whole, may be said to have passed through two distinct phases. The first of
these, which lasted until the outbreak of the European War, was brisk and
flourishing; and the second, which marked the closing months of the year,
almost complete collapse.

First Phase.
During this period the Naval blockade was still in force more strictly in
the Gulf of Oman than in the Persian Gulf, and, as far as the Mekran Coast
is concerned, during the half-year ending 30th June 1914, only 975 rifles and
102,100 rounds of ammunition were landed. It is gratifying to be able to
state that, in comparison with the statistics for the corresponding periods for
previous years, these figures not only show a remarkable decrease, hut are the
lowest on record. It must be remembered that reports cf landings almost in­
variably emanate from native informers and that, if they err at all, it is on the
side of exaggeration. Nearly every consignment of arms which has been
successfully landed in Mekran since the beginning of 1914 has consisted
partially, and in some cases almost entirely, of obsolete weapons. If therefore,
from the already small total of rifles landed, deductions be made on these two l
counts, the balance immediately shrinks to a negligible quantity, and conse­
quently, for the first time in the history of the Arms Traffic in the Persian Gulf,
it can be said that the dhow-borne trade in arms to the Mekran Coast is of no
real account.
The reason for this satisfactory state of affairs is that Maskat has ceased to
be a harbour for traders, large and small, owing to the more or less satisfactory
forking of the Arms Warehouse. Moreover, with the deportation of the
notorious Ali Khan-bia-Musa Khan, all the small brokers who were carrying
a secret trade with numerous Baluchis from tlie Mokran Coast, fled further
Tvest to the Batinch Coast and endeavoured to form small Depots in that
district. 1
During the latter half of'1913, when it transpired that they were being
deplenished by some means or other, these Dopdts hogan to cause some anxiety.
However, it is now olear that the majority of those along the coast have
*otirely ceased to exist and that if any still remain in the highlands of Oman
*hey only contain rusted and unmarketable weapons.
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