Page 129 - The Persian Gulf Historical Summaries (1907-1953) Vol IV_Neat

\ i nib TyflWTTTflTft lH Uld Prbperiy oi in/ 'ISir,amni:. lVluji;:;!,y Government.]

Printed for the use of the Forcitjn Office. Xfarch 1008.

CONFIDENTIAL.
(9102.)

Supplementary Memorandum respecting
British Interests in the Persian
Gulf.

[Sec Confidential Paper No. 9161.]

Taulk ok Co.vtknts.
P.i-rc
1. The Arms Tronic.......................... 1
II. Qunroiilino .. IS
III. Question of Hutisli Consular Representation in El
Ilasa and Kalif 27
IV. Moliamnicruh .. 29

I.—The Arms Traffic.

(Communicated by the India Office.)
THE position in regard to the arms traffic on
the various sections of the Persian Gulf littoral
is briefly as follows
1. Muscat.—Muscat lias for many years been
an emporium for the arms traffic, and the trade has
now attained to such dimensions that in 1906-7
the total value of the imports of arms and
ammunition ainouuted to 112,33S/. The situation
is governed by the fact that, the Sultan of Muscat
has Commercial Treaties with Prance, Holland,
and the United States, under the terms of which
it would bo impossible for him to impose special
restrictions on the importation of arms and
ammunition iuto his dominions without the
consent of the Powers in question.
The result is that arms flow freely into
Muscat, and arc tlienco distributed throughout
Persia, Arabia, and Afghanistan. Prom the
last-named country a considerable proportion of
the arms find their way to the tribesmen of the
[363] B