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had to keep more troops in the neighbourhood. He made the point made by Antoine (paragraph 4 in my telegram No. 504). I pointed out that if Italy did not see any advantage in reducing garrison they would not have demanded it and that with apparently fair stocks of essential commodities and warlike stores such as petrol other carburants and guns in Jibuti there was always a temptation to Italy to enter the place and that that would be increased with a smaller garrison. That led us on to petrol and he seemed to think that there was a very good chance of getting it back or hav- ing it destroyed. We discussed the question of the Consulate. He had come with an alternative proposal that we should have an unofficial agent there, but thought it possible for the matter to be regulated as we desire. I said that I thought that if some of these things were arranged to our satisfaction the supply question could probably be put on a satisfactory basis but that it must be so arranged that there was no temptation to those in Jibuti who had been trading with them. He said that he could give me the Governor's word that nothing would go to Italy, to which I replied that I was sure that Monsieur Nouailhetas would do his best but that we could not rely on any engage- ments of Italy and that in fact sugar among other things had got over the border. There was no need for large stocks in Jibuti because stocks could be held in Aden and we both desired regular communications so that replenishment would be easy. He admitted that sugar had been smuggled
but said that they had already had 40? tons back which was more than had gone. This supply of sugar is a considerable surprise as Grey confirms that? Italy are known to be very short of it.
As regards Esperance he asked what was the use of stopping demoblised and sick persons returning to Madagascar. I said that conditions changed from day to day and a man demobilised to-day could be mobilised to-morrow. As regards the sick I said that all I could say was that His Majesty's Government had decided that at present no one should leave, but that I would be prepared to represent the case again if I saw a reasonable chance of agreement on points of interest to His Majesty's Government. Grey tells me that there is in fact no possible reason for keeping the sick and some other capitalists such as retired officials amount- ing in all to perhaps 300 persons, We discussed communications and it seemed likely (? that they are) as anxious as we are locally to see the cable restored. said that he could not say more officially but if it were there would be no practical difficulty about secret com- munications what ever the Armistice terms and informed me that Monsieur Nouailhotas was anxious to have it so that he could communicate with his Government without Italy knowing everything he said. The provision regarding deposit of codes and cyphers applies equally to the French. Monsieur Gros was not able to explain exactly how Italian control would be avoided; he thought that it was some- what technical but he was quite sure that the Government have some satisfactory arrangement in view.
He
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