CO129-445 - Public Offices - 1917 — Page 474

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ENCLOSURE No. 3:--Colonial Ofice to India Office.

No. 2481.

Downing Street, Sir,

26th January 1917. I am directed by Mr. Secretary Long to acknowledge the receipt of your letter P. 62, of the 12th January, enclosing a copy of a letter to the Foreign Office with regard to the exportation of arms and ammunition to China, Siam, the Dutch East Julies, the Philippines, and Portuguese Timor and Macao.

2. As regards the self-governing Dominions, Mr. Long is prepared, on learning what procedure is to be adopted in the case of exports from the United Kingdom, to inform the Dominion Governments of the arrangements and ask them to bear them in mind, should it be necessary to consider proposals to make such shipments from Dominion ports.

B. As regards the Colonies not possessing responsible government and protectorates, licences for the exportation of prohibited goods are not granted by the Colonial Governments without reference to the Secretary of State, and the question world, therefore, arise only in the case of arms and ammunition transhipped in the Straits Settlements and Hong Kong for the countries in question.

1. The present position as regards transhipments in the ports of these two 'olonies is as follows:-

(a) The Governors of both Colonies have instructions not to allow the

traushipment of any arms and ammunition to Siam.

b) The Governors of both Colonies have instructions to detain all arms and ammunition traushipped in or in transit through the Colonies for the Dutch East Indies pending inquiry of the British Consul- General at Batavia,

(e) The question of arms and ammunition intended for the Philippines has been discussed with the Foreign Office, and it was decided that it would suffice if all suspicious shipments were reported to the British Consul-General at Mauila. Under the general instructions applying to the transhipment in the Straits Settlements and Hong Kong of goods obtained from foreign countries and destined for foreign countries in Asia, the Governors of the Colonies consult the British Consular Officer at the port of destination where necessary before allowing the goods to proceed. Mr. Long is prepared to instruct the Governors of both Colonies to detain all arme and ammunition transhipped for the Philippines pending consultation with the British Consul-General at Manila, if it is desired, bearing in mind that there is the probability of representations by the Government of the United States of America, if arms and ammunition on the way from the United States to the Philippines are delayed unduly on transhipment in the Colonies.

(d) As regards China, in addition to the general arrangements as to transhipped goods described under (c), there are special arrange- ments by which anns transhipped at Hong Kong are released only at the request of the Chinese Minister of War through the British Legation.

(e) The case of transhipments for Portuguese Timor and Macao has not been discussed previously, but if necessary Mr. Long is prepared to instruct the Governors of the Straits Settlements and Hong Kong to detain all arms and ammunition transhipped for those countries pending inquiry of the appropriate British Consular Officer,

5. Mr. Long will be glad to learn in due course whether it is desired that further instructions should be sent to the Governors of the Straits Settlements and Hong Kong as suggested in the preceding paragraplı.

C. A copy of this letter is being sent to the Foreign Office.

The Under Secretary of State

for India.

I am, &c.,

G. GRINDLE.

ENCLOSURE No. 4: -India Office to War Trade Department.

P. 309.

India Office. 9th February 1917.

Sir,

In continuation of my letter of the 12th January 1917, No. P. 62, regarding the export of firearms. dc., to certain neutral destinations in the Far East, 1 am directed by the Secretary of State for India to enclose, for the information of the War Trade Department, ↑ No. 91×0 19 A.. dated 24th Jannary copy of letters received from the Foreign No 2484, dated 26th January 1917.

Office and Colonial Office, intimating their readiness to send instructions, in the sense desired by this Office, to the officers and administrations under their super- intendence.

1917.

I am to request that, if there is no objection on the

part of ment, steps may now be taken to notify to all concerned that on and after a

your Depart prescribed date (say the 1st April 1917) every application for permission to export arms and ammunition of any description from the United Kingdom to China, Siam, the Dutch East Indies, or Macao, must be accompanied by a recommendation from the British Consular authorities in the country of destination; and that, in the absence of such recommendation, no application will be even considered. Portuguese Timor has been omitted from the list of territories to which the new regulation is to apply, as it has been ascertained from the Foreign Oflice, since my letter of the 12th January was written, that the locality does not fall within the jurisdiction of aux British Consular authority. The l'hilippines bare also been omitted for the time being in view of the present uncertainty as to the future attitude of the United States of America in regard to the war.

Mr. Secretary Chamberlain will be glad to be informed as soon as action on the above lines has been taken, in order that he may address the necessary communications to the Foreign Office, the Colonial Office, and the Government of India, with a view to Consular officers being furnished with the requisite instructions, and to similar arrangements being introduced in other parts of His Majesty's dominions. As regards British overseas possessions other thun India, the measures proposed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies appear to Mr. Chamberlain to be sufficient for the object in view. The question raised in paragraph 1 (e) of the Colonial Office letter, as to the detention of consignments ander transhipment for the Philippines, need not be considered for the present.

A copy of this letter is being communicated to the Foreign Office, Colonial Office, War Office and Board of Trade.

I am, &c.,

The Secretary,

War Trade Department.

ENCLOSURE No. 5-Foreign Ofive to India Ofice,

No. 67880,45 A.

Sir,

A. HINTZEL.

Foreign Office, 11th April 1917.

With reference to your letter, P. 369, of the 18th of February last, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Balfour to transmit herewith for the information of

No. 16.

the Secretary of State for India, copy of a despatch from His Majesty's Consul-General at Batavia respecting the import of fire-arms and ammunition into the Netherlands East Indies.

I am to observe that the suggestion contained in the third paragraph of Mr. Beckett's despatch would appear to be met by the proposals dealt with in the India Office letter under reference.

The Under Secretary of State

for India.

I am, &c.,

MAURICE DE BUNSEN,

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