CO885-(21-23) — Page 531

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

mwimmin C.O. 885

22 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

11925

44

No. 25.

COLONIAL OFFICE to FOREIGN OFFICE.

[Copies to Governors, East Africa Protectorate, No. 318, Uganda, No. 199,

26 April, 1913. L.F.]

Downing Street, 25 April, 1913.

SIR,

I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of April 10th, 1913.* forwarding for observations a copy of a despatch, dated March 21st, 1913, from His Majesty's Agent and Consul-General at Cairo, enclosing a memorandum by Mr. A. L. Butler on the subject of regulations for the prevention of illicit trade in ivory.

2. On the question of weight of tusks, Mr. Harcourt desires to draw the attention of Secretary Sir E. Grey to the importance of securing the active co-opera- tion of the Belgian and French Governments in the matter. He observes from your letter of March 31st, 1913,† that the Belgian Government, which had recently sanctioned the shooting of elephants in the Belgian Congo with tusks of a minimum weight of two kilogrammes, have not replied to Sir Edward Grey's representations on the matter. It appears, moreover, from the enclosures to your letter of October 29th, 1912, that the French Government must defer their reply to Sir Edward Grey's representations until the Comité de la Chasse Coloniale has formulated its views on the preservation of game in Africa.

3. In the circumstances Mr. Harcourt trusts that it may shortly be possible to get these two Governments to agree to the principle of the prohibition of the killing of elephants having tusks of less than a minimum weight, such weight to he subsequently arranged. I am to state that the limit in the East Africa Protec- torate is now 30 lbs. and this weight is also being imposed in the case of Uganda.

4. The proposals which Mr. Butler has put forward on subjects other than the weight limit of tusks will be brought to the notice of the Governors of the East Africa and Uganda Protectorates.

I am, &c.,

15071

No. 26.

HENRY LAMBERT,

for the Under-Secretary of State.

45

4. There are considerable numbers of hartebeest and zebra in most parts of the plateau, and a certain proportion of these could be thinned off with advantage. This the farmers have power to do if they choose, as the only descriptions of game which they are debarred from killing under the authority of a landowner's licence are those included in the first schedule to the Game Ordinance.

5. In some instances complaint is made against the eland, both on account of alleged damage to crops and of the fact that it is one of the hosts of the so-called eland tick, a parasite which is alleged by some to be the means of spreading lymphan- gitis. The indictment against this animal, of which there are probably not more than two herds on the plateau, is, however, by no means unanimous, and I am of opinion that the desire of those who wish them no longer protected is prompted rather by a knowledge of the value of the skins than by any genuine belief that their presence is detrimental. The Game Warden and I have informed the assembled farmers that we are prepared to consider the removal of the protection now accorded to the eland on the plateau if any representation expressive of a unanimous desire to that effect is received, but I am convinced that there is no likelihood of such being made, as many of those concerned are sceptical as to their harmfulness, and are anxious for their continued preservation.

6. In no part of the district did I meet any individual who was prepared to express a definite wish that the game on the plateau should be exterminated. To the poorer class of settlers the hartebeest and antelopes are a material means of support, while those of better class and more ample means consider the game an attraction with which they would most unwillingly dispense.

7. So far, therefore, as the Uasin Gishu Plateau is concerned, the extermina- tion of the game is neither desirable nor desired, and I have no hesitation in express- ing a strong opinion that the policy of extermination, in this area at all events, should not for the present be entertained. The question is one regarding which there must always be substantial difference of opinion, and it is undoubtedly the duty of the Government to give to the settler reasonable facilities for protecting his property. This has been effected by the provisions of the Game Ordinance, and if real cause is shown it may be possible to further extend those facilities, but wholesale extermi- nation is not only unnecessary, but would be a reckless proceeding which would deprive the country of one of its greatest assets and attractions.

8. The object which your correspondents have in view is the establishment of a trade in hides a most profitable undertaking for themselves and for those who provide the skins, but one which should on no account be entertained. The export of game hides for trade purposes is strictly prohibited, and were that restriction relaxed, unless under carefully considered conditions, the country would be flooded with individuals shooting for profit, and the preservation of game even on Crown lands would become little short of impracticable.

SIR,

(No. 207.)

EAST AFRICA PROTECTORATE.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 5th May, 1913.)

Government House, Nairobi, British East Africa,

March 29th, 1913. In reply to your despatch of December 21st, 1912, No. 884,§ on the subject of destruction of game in certain parts of the Protectorate, and in continuation of my despatch, No. 40, of January 23rd, 1913,|| I have the honour to offer the following

observations.

2. No specific complaint regarding damage effected by game has been presented to me during the period of my tenure of office, neither has any request been made to me that the game in any given area should be exterminated. It is the fact that for some years past the Game Warden has from time to time received communications from farmers urging that their crops should be protected from the depredations of wild animals, but no representation has been made to me which can be taken as evidence of a general desire on the part of the community of district

any that the game in such area should be exterminated.

3. As many of the complaints above referred to have emanated from Dutch and South African farmers on the Uasin Gishu Plateau, I was at pains during my recent visit to ascertain, by all-round inquiry, as well as by personal observation, what are the conditions at present prevailing.

• No. 20.

† 10756: not printed.

34276: not printed.

§39472 not printed.

6354: not printed.

16222

I have, &c..

H. CONWAY BELFIELD,

No. 27. NYASALAND.

MR. LE G. W. BEVAN to DR. BAGSHAWE. (Received in Colonial Office, 13 May, 1913.)

Governor.

82, Edith Road, West Kensington, May 6th, 1913.

express

DEAR DR. BAGSHAW,

I HAVE received your letter conveying Mr. Read's request that I should my views on certain matters in connection with the trypanosomiasis of man and animals in Central and South Africa.

I must explain that I have only had a cursory view of Surgeon-General Sir David Bruce's recommendations and have had no personal experience of the disease in the country in which his work has been carried out.

As far as Rhodesia is concerned, I am of opinion that the gravity of the situa- tion has been greatly exaggerated. In spite of the statements of certain experts that a very high percentage of game act as reservoirs of a virus-admittedly an exceptionally virulent one-which can be transmitted with ease by the common

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