Page 286 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

2 PERSIAN GTLF ADMINISTRATION REPORT
Tlio Afghans coming down into Mekran, of whom there have been 1
numbers than has been the case during recent years, had to get rifles
over from tho Arab Coast by advancing money to Baluchis, who knew ft
Batinch well, and then sending them over to collect them. From early in
year, however, Nahlmdas only agreed to carry arms under tho understand*
that, if their dhows were hold up by a Naval ship, every rifle on hoard would?**
promptly jettisoned. The result was that tho Baluchis always came back w’H
the same story that they had met a man-of-war (which was very often tr* \
and had been obliged to throw all the rifles overboard. The Afghans, tired f
their losses, had to abandon this plan, and a certain number set out to °*
visit
Maskat and exploit the Arms Warehouse there. They travelled by a vc
roundabout route and arrived there safely, but before they had had time to 1^
any business, they were captured, relieved of all their money and deported. °
The adventures of these Afghans clearly show how difficult it has become t
obtain even the smallest number of rifles of the right sort from the Batineh Coast
The north of the Gulf now became more and more evident as the sceno of
operations, or rather the centre of distribution, notably Kuwait and Zubair.
The question now arises, what was the source of supply to these centres?
It has been remarked that the Maskat Arms Warehouse was working
“ more or less satisfactorily.” This has been said advisedly, as large consign!
ments of arms and ammunition were allotted by the Sultan of Mask a? to
various Shaikhs and Chiefs, principally on the Trucial Coast of Oman, also
large consignments were drawn from the Warehouse by the Shaikhs of Kuwait
and Mohamraerah. None ot these allotments appear in the Warehouse returns.
As a result of certain investigations into the Arms Traffic at Kuwait, it was
reported that certain leading men of tho district were engaged actively in the
trade. They made it their business to find out what kind of arms and am­
munition wore most marketable locally, and they then ordered them from
Maskat. Generally speaking, Arms Traffic in Kuwait was impossible except
through Shaikh Sir Mubarak, who formerly, there is reason to believe, winked
at one or two irregularities. Arms were sent from Kuwait to Zubair and
Basrah, whence a few went to Baghdad and others to Mohannnerah.
Persian gun-runners, who used to import arms from Maskat into Persian
ports, now made Kuwait the emporium for their trade. They were reported
to be in the habit of bringing arms to Hud Hilleh, the most "convenient port,
and thence distributing them to outlying parts.
Apart from this leakage from the Warehouse in Maskat, there is a suspicion
that Jibuti had, to a very small extent, taken the place of Maskat as a distri­
buting centre. No confirmation was received of a report to the effect that
Jibuti dhows occasionally found their way up the Gulf, except perhaps in a
report received from Maskat that a dhow flying the French flag was suspected
of having landed arms on the Mekran Coast near Charbar. Information wa?
received, however, from two independent sources that arms were being sent from
Jibuti to Yanbo aud other Hedjaz ports, whence they were sent to Al-Madinah.
From there they were taken northwards by the Hedjaz Bail way to some point
which could not be ascertained and thence across the desert to Kuwait and
Zubair. In this connection it may be noted that 20 cases of rifles and am­
munition are said to have been despatched from Al-Madinah for Ajaymi,
Shaikh of the Muntafik Arabs. Whilst the consignment was en route it was
captured by Ibn Rashid’s men, but was subsequently allowed to proceed owing
to an understanding having been arrived at between Ibn Rashid and Ajaymi.
It was further stated that 13 M. H. rifles were imported into Zubair from
Al-Madinah by one Bin Gadaan of Majm’ah.
This evidence would seem to point to the fact that unprecedented^ effort®
were being made by those interested to import arms and ammunition into * 0
Persian Gulf regardless of cost
The French tinders in Maskat had been compensated by the Indian G
ernment and bad left the Gulf. Practically au tho native dealers of l
standing had thrown up the business. Still there remained evidence of $L‘js
and increasing activity in Arms Traffic, in the* north of the Gulf especially- x
petiyity was undoubtedly due to German influence and interest,