2. After an exhaustive discussion the
representatives of the Departments concerned
expressed their general concurrence in the views
expressed in the Report of the Inter-Departmental
Conference which was held at the Colonial Office
in the autumn of 1924, copies of which were
transmitted to your Government with Mr. Ormsby
Gore's despatch No. 112 of the 26th of March 1925.
3. In particular, the representatives of
the Admiralty have made it quite clear that (apart
from the question whether it would be possible to
organise such an extensive system of naval patrols
as would render vessels plying in the Danger Zone
safe from piratical attacks) the Admiralty is
quite unable to accept the contention put forward
in the "Minority Report" of the unofficial members
of the Committee appointed by Sir E. Stubbs in
December, 1924, that the Navy should assume
practically entire responsibility for the protection
of commerce in these waters. They have pointed out
that even on the High Seas there are limits to the
affords
protection that the Navy can give to trade or that
could
traders een reasonably demand from the Navy.
(52373/24)
(59907/24)
(13123/25)
They