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ENCLOSURES.
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ENCLOSURE No. 1:-India Office to Foreign Office.
1. 62,17. Sir.
India Office, 11th January 1917.
I am directed by the Secretary of State for India to invite reference to the correspondence ending with my letter to the War Office of the 20th January 1916, No. P. 99, copy of which was communicated to your Department on the 21st idem, regarding the export of firearms, &c., to certain neutral destinations in the Far East.
The experience of the past year has shown that the task of dealing on their merits with applications from British exporters presents considerable difficulty ; and Mr. Secretary Chamberlain is led to the conclusion that some further safeguard of a general character might usefully be imposed. He would accordingly suggest that it should be made a rule in future that any individual or firm in China, Siam, the Dutch East Indies, or the Philippines, who may desire to import arms or ammunition of any description from any part of His Majesty's dominions must obtain a recommendation from the local Consular authorities before placing the order. The Consular recommendation would not of course relieve the British exporter from the necessity of obtaining a permit for the exportation of his goods; nor would it involve any relaxation of the careful scrutiny to which all applications for permits are already subjected, But it would be treated as an indispensable preliminary in default of which no such application can even be considered.
A similar arrangement would be desirable, if practicable, as regards Macao and Portuguese Timor,
On
If Mr. Secretary Balfour concurs, and is prepared to issue the necessary instructions to the Consular authorities concerned, Mr. Chamberlain will ask the War Trade Department, if they see no objection, to make it generally known that the new regulation will be enforced after a prescribed date. learning that this has been done, he will instruct the Government of Jadia accordingly, and will request the Secretary of State for the Colonies to send instructions in the same sense to the Crown Colonies and Protectorates, and to invite His Majesty's self-governing Dominions to apply a similar regulation within their respective territories.
A copy of this letter is being communicated to the War Office, War Trade Department, Colonial Office and Board of Trade.
The Under Secretary of State,
Foreign Office.
—Foreign Office to India Office.
ENCLOSURE No. :-.
No. 9180 45/A. Sir,
1 am, &c.,
A. Diurze..
Foreign Office, 24th January 1917.
With reference to your letter, P. 62, of the 11th instant, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Balfour to state that the necessary instructions will be issued to the Consular officers concerned regarding the export of firearms to certain neutral destinations in the Far East as well as to Macao and Portuguese Timor as soon as the concurrence of the other Departments concerned has been obtained.
I have, &c.,
MAURICE DE BUNSEN.
The Under Secretary of State
for India.
8.937.
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