CO885-24 — Page 76

PUBLIC

RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

MCO 885

24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

188

GIBRALTAR.

was commandeered and resold at a higher price, leaving a profit to the Government

of £431.

In conducting supply arrangements I beg to bring to notice the valuable services rendered by Lieutenant-Colonel Black, Army Service Corps; Major Chat- terton, Army Service Corps; and Mr. Byatt, Colonial Secretary.

V. Joint Naval and Military action.--The closest co-operation has been main- tained since the commencement of the war between the Senior Naval Officer-Vice- Admiral F. E. E. Brock-and myself. We have met almost daily, and the respective staff officers of both services have worked in the same close touch. The importance of such concerted action is obvious in dealing with such matters as the examination service, the service of intelligence, military measures of protection of naval' pro- perty, such as buildings, prizes, magazines, etc., contraband of war, and the watching of agents employed in enemy interests.

The existing Traffic Regulations have worked on the whole well and smoothly, although modifications have been found necessary on some points; for example, in dealing with vessels which may attempt to leave the examination anchorage without permission-Section V., paragraph 19, of the Traffic Regulations provides that any vessel anchored in the examination anchorage which leaves without per- mission from the Examining Officer is to be fired on without further warning.

In some cases the heavy weather experienced at times has caused vessels so anchored to drag their anchors, and it has been necessary for them to put to sea without permission in order to avoid being perhaps driven on to the mole. It was therefore decided to amend the regulations to meet this situation.

Various other minor difficulties have arisen in connexion with this service, such as might have been expected, but these have all been successfully met and regulated. With regard to intelligence, the system which has been adopted has worked well. By far the greater portion of intelligence and secret service work in this fortress concerns the naval authorities, and the Naval Intelligence Officer works in close touch with the General Staff.

Enemy agents have been considerably active in the south of Spain, but their movements and doings are closely watched and are well known to us.

The examination and harbour services were carried out by the Captain of the Port, assisted by and under the instructions of the naval authorities.

The following return of the number of vessels viséd in Straits of Gibraltar and number of vessels sent in for examination for period 5th August, 1914, to 1st April, 1915, is instructive :—

Vessels viséd or boarded in Straits Sent in for examination

8,434

554

Passed into port through examination vessel for pur-

poses of trade

3,262

12,250

This return is exclusive of numbers boarded by His Majesty's ships "Proser- pine." Pelorus." and "Wear," returns from which vessels are not available at present.

Prize Court. Between the outbreak of war and the end of March the Gibraltar

Prize Court dealt with twenty-eight cases. In nine cases the ship itself was pro- ceeded against, and seven ships have been condemned. In nineteen cases proceed- ings were instituted against "part cargo." The total value of the ships and cargoes proceeded against is anything from £1,250,000 to £1,500,000, and the value of ships and cargoes condemned is probably in excess of £250,000.

The work connected with prizes falls into two divisions. The first division comprises the enemy ships sought to be condemned. These cases, following well settled practice, did not present any great legal difficulties. The second division comprises claims to part cargoes claims, that is, to particular items of cargo on enemy, neutral, and British ships. These claims have presented many difficulties in regard to questions of fact and have raised many nice points of law. However. all these claims have been settled in the Attorney-General's and King's Proctor's office, except for about a dozen, which will be brought before the Court for decision.

189

GIBRALTAR.

It

It is unlikely that any Colonial Prize Court has had as many cases as Gibraltar, and it is highly improbable that in any so many claims to cargo have had to be dealt with. These claims have run into several hundreds. Of course, Gibraltar, situated at the neck of the Mediterranean bottle, must inevitably be a very busy Prize Court. Of the many cases dealt with the claims to copper were by far the most important from the Imperial standpoint. Between the 27th October and the 9th December at least 10,000 tons of copper were seized and put in prize. Obviously much was seized that could not be retained, and the greater part has been released under arrangements made between His Majesty's Government and the consignors. would not be unreasonable to conjecture that had the destination of this copper been conspicuously innocent His Majesty's Government might not have been able to make arrangements with the consignors whereby an English destination has been substituted for a destination nominally Italian. After the 9th December no more copper was seized, so it is to be presumed that American shippers were able to satisfy His Majesty's Government of the innocent destination of copper carried after that date and that the activity of the Gibraltar naval authorities had some- what discouraged the activity of the German-American copper broker.

the war.

The Chief Justice, Mr. B. H. T. Frere, acted as President of the Prize Court, which entailed a large increase of work and responsibility, and Mr. J. Discombe, I desire the Registrar of the Supreme Court, discharged the duties of Marshal. specially to bring to your notice the services of Mr. C. J. Griffin, who acted as King's Proctor in addition to his ordinary duties as Attorney-General. These duties were already sufficiently onerous in view of the special legislation rendered necessary by Mr. Griffin's work as King's Proctor was both arduous and exacting, and was handled by him with marked ability and tact.

I also desire to draw attention to the services rendered by Captain J. Harvey, Royal Navy, who was in charge of the examination service, and on whom fell an enormous amount of work in connexion with prize ships and cargoes. In England the management of prize ships and cargoes is in the hands of the Customs officers of the various ports. Here these duties have been performed by Captain Harvey. In addition he has been in charge of the examination of vessels passing through the Straits, and has dealt successfully with many matters which required care and tact. To the King's Proctor his assistance has been invaluable.

VI. Prisoners of war. The internment of enemy subjects, military and civilian, in this fortress was a question which had not received consideration prior to the outbreak of hostilities and for which no provision had been made in the defence scheme.

The prisoners, with few exceptions, have been taken by the naval authorities There was from passing ships, chiefly of Italian nationality, en route to Italy. evidently an idea that enemy reservists on board a neutral ship would escape arrest. The first contingent was taken on 10th August, and was allotted quarters in South Barracks temporarily.

The difficulties entailed in detaining prisoners here soon became apparent. There are no suitable localities from which some of the defences cannot be seen, and few which are not in close proximity to places where damage could be done by evilly disposed persons.

After careful consideration I decided that Windmill Hill offered the fewest disadvantages, and the prisoners were accordingly removed to the barracks there, where they have remained ever since, the officer prisoners being accommodated in Europa Pass Barracks.

The greatest number of prisoners at any one time was reached on 17th Decem- ber, 1914, viz., 765; but the average number for a month previous to this date was 750. Instructions having been received from the War Office to transfer the prisoners to England, advantage was taken of the arrival of an empty transport on the 23rd December, 1914, to send 635 prisoners to the United Kingdom. The prisoners remaining here after that date were those for whom orders for release had been received from the Admiralty, and who were awaiting passage to Genoa, which was effected on '9th January, 1915.

Batches of prisoners are now sent to the United Kingdom as opportunity offers, only those being retained here when special reasons exist for that course being adopted.