48
Sir E. Grey would be glad to be informed whether Mr. Harcourt would still desire that the German, Italian, and Belgian Governments should be approached as to their willingness to co-operate with His Majesty's Government in raising the limit for tusks.
!
In the event of it being thought desirable to adopt this course, I am to enquire whether, in Mr. Harcourt's opiniou, it would not also be advisable at the same time to approach the French Government on the subject, inasmuch as the port of Jibouti might well become a favourite outlet for ivory which could no longer be exported -
I am, &c.,
elsewhere.
W. LANGLEY.
49
I am, therefore, strongly of opinion that the desired result will be attained, not so much by raising the limit as by securing the co-operation of those Powers interested in this traffic in loyally carrying out the provisions of the Brussels (? London) Act and other similar conventions, and in any case I consider that to fix the limit at 20 lbs. would meet the requirements of the case in so far as the Sudan is concerned.
I am forwarding a copy of this despatch to His Britannic Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary in Adis Abeba.
I have, &c.,
REGINALD WINGATE, Governor-General of the Sudan.
His Britannic Majesty's Agent and Consul-General, Cairo.
Enclosure in No. 33.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference:
TPLLC.O.
885
20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-| COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
(No. 5 Africa.) SIR,
Cairo, May 6, 1911. WITH reference to your despatch, No. 13, Africa, of March 17th, I have the honour to transmit here with copy of a despatch from the Governor-General of the Soudan setting forth the views of the Soudan Government on the letter from the Colonial Office of February 25th.
You will observe that Sir R. Wingate considers that to fix the limit of weight at which elephant tusks may be traded in, or exported from, Africa at 20 lbs. would meet the case as far as the Soudan is concerned:
The Right Honourable.
Sir Edward Grey, Bart., M.P.,
&c.,
&c., &c.
I have, &c.,
MILNE CHEETHAM.
Governor-General's Office, Khartoum,
April 28, 1911.
SIR,
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge receipt of copies of correspondence trans- mitted to you by His Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs under cover of Foreign Office despatch, No. 13, Africa, dated 17th March, 1911, on the subject of raising the limit of weight at which elephant tusks may be traded in, or exported from, Africa to twenty-five or thirty pounds.
There would be no difficulty as regards the Sudan in drafting legislation to give legal sanction to such limit as may be agreed upon in concert with other Governments concerned. Such legislation would have to provide that ivory under the stipulated weight should be "rejected for transport " (not confiscated) unless accompanied by a valid certificate stating that the ivory is contraband and sold by Government auction; also that merchants forwarding the ivory shall sign a certificate at the frontier place of entry stating that no part of the consignment consists of cow or immature tusks except as provided above and that he understands that the tusks are subjected to further examination at Khartoum when any contraband ivory, unaccompanied by the valid certificate referred to, will be confiscated. In this con- nection, however, I am convinced that any increase in the limit will quite fail in its object unless the loyal co-operation of other Governments concerned is secured.' From the figures quoted in the letter dated 30th December, 1910, of the Secretary of the Society for the Preservation of the Wild Fauna of the Empire, it appears that, had the present limit of 10 lbs. in force in the Sudan been strictly adhered to, a consid- erable effect would have been produced on the amount of ivory put up for sale. As an illustration of my argument I may mention that I recently received a communi- cation from His Britannic Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Pleni- potentiary at Adis Abeba pointing out that the prohibition of the importation of female and immature ivory into the Sudan has no protective influence at all as regards the slaughter of female and immature elephants, whether in Abyssinia itself or by raids over the frontiers, its only effect is to divert the whole of this trade from the Sudan to Adis Abeba and Jibuti.
13224
(No. 96.)
No. 34.
GAMBIA.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR. [Copy to Foreign Office, 3 August, 1911. L.F.] [Answered by No. 40.]
SIR,
Downing Street, 26 May, 1911. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 52, of the 28th of March,* transmitting copies of Ordinance No. 6, of 1911, entitled "An Ordinance to amend the Wild Animals, Birds, and Fish Preservation Ordinance, 1901."
2. His Majesty will not be advised to exercise his power of disallowance in respect of this Ordinance, but, before any rules are brought into force under it, I should be glad to learn whether, in your opinion, there is any reason to fear that the fixing of a limit of weight below which elephants' tusks may not be dealt in will have the effect of causing the ivory to be exported through French ports, instead of stopping the destruction of elephants.
3. I should also be glad to be informed whether you consider that it would be possible for you to arrange with the local French authorities to proceed pari possu with the Government of the Gambia in this matter.
16910
SIR,
No. 35.
I have, &c..
L. HARCOURT.
COLONIAL OFFICE to FOREIGN OFFICE.
[Copy to Governors, East Africa Protectorate and Uganda, 5 June, 1911. Confidential. L.F.]
Downing Street, 2 June, 1911.
I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 23rd of May,t and to request that you will inform Secretary Sir E. Grey that he still desires that the German, Italian, and Belgian Governments should be approached as to their willingness to co-operate with His Majesty's Government in raising the limit of weight at which elephant tusks may be traded in or exported from Africa.
2. Mr. Harcourt concurs in thinking that it would also be desirable to approach the French Government on the subject at the same time.
I am, &c..
• No. 30,
29746
G. V. FIDDES.
↑ No. 33.
G