9
471
8
sporting purposes or otherwise, save in exceptional circumstance. It may be desirable to continue to grant licences for sporting arms which have already been manufactured, but the manufacture of these goods is being discontinued.
I am to add that Lord Enimoti concurs that an unpublished rule should be laid down that no application for the grant of a licence for the export of arms and ammunition of any description from the United Kingdom to China, Siam, the Dutch East Indies, or Macao, should be considered without a recommen- dation from the British Consular Authorities in the country of destination, except in respect of goods required for personal use or in other special circunstances.
I have, de..
The Under Secretary of State
for India.
ENCLOSURE No. 9:-hudia Ofker to Foreign Office.
Sir,
1. 1703.
A. F. KING,
For Secretary.
India Office,
4th May 1917.
With reference to the correspondence ending with Sir Maurice de Bunsen's letter of the 11th April 1917, I am directed by the Secretary of State for India to enclose, for the information of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, a copy of letters dated the 13th and 25th April, from the War Trade Department, on the subject of the prohibition of the export of arms and ammunition from the United Kingdom to certain neutral destinations in the Far East. A copy of the letter from the Colonial Office, dated the 26th January 1917, on the same subject, has been forwarded direct to the Foreign Office.
It will be observed that it has now been definitely decided that, as a general rule, no export licences will be granted for the export of arms and ammunition from the United Kingdom, whether for sporting purposes or otherwise, save in exceptional cases, and that the War Trade Department concur in the suggestion put forward in the third paragraph of my letter of 20th April, that an unpublished rule should be laid down that no application for permission to export arms or ammunition of any description from the United Kingdom to neutral destinations in the Far East will be considered in the absence of a recommendation from the British Consular authorities concerned.
Mr. Secretary Chamberlain will be glad if instructions can now be issued to Consular officers concerned.
A copy of this letter is being forwarded to the War Office, War Trade Department, Colonial Office, and the Board of Trade,
The Under Secretary of State,
Foreign Office.
ENCLOSURE No. 10:—India Office to Colonial Office,
Sir,
1. 1703.
I am, &e.,
A. HIRTZEL.
India Office, 4th May 1917.
With reference to your letter No. 2484, dated the 26th January 1917, and to my letter of the 20th April to the War Trade Department, I am directed by the Secretary of State for India to forward copy of the marginally cited letters from the War Trade Department,
1 Dated 13th and 25th April 1917. on the subject of the prohibition of the export of arms and ammunition from the United Kingdom to certain neutral destinations in the Far East.
It has now been definitely decided that, as a general cule, no export licences will be granted for the export of arms and ammunition from the United Kingdom, whether for sporting purposes or otherwise, save in
exceptional cases; and the War Trade Department concur in the suggestion put forward in the third paragraph of my letter of the 20th April that an unpublished rule should be laid down that no application for permission to export arms or ammunition of any description from the United Kingdom to neutral destinations in the Far East will be considered in the absence of a recommendation from the British Consular authorities concerned,
Mr. Secretary Chamberlain will be glad if the Secretary of State for the Colonies will now make the necessary communications to the authorities concerned, with regard to the export of arms, &c., to China, Siam, the Dutch East Indies and Portuguese Macao. It will be observed, from Sir A. Hirtzel's letter of the 9th February 1917 to the War Trade Department---of which a copy has been furnished to the Colonial Office-that the Philippines and Portuguese Timor have been omitted from the list of territories to which the new regulations are to apply.
A copy
of this letter is being forwarded to the Foreign Office, War Office, War Trade Department and the Board of Trade.
The Under Secretary of State,
Colonial Office.
I am, &c.,
A. HIRTZEL.