§ MR. ERNEST BECKETT (York, W.R., Whitby)I beg to ask the Under 53 Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether restrictions prohibiting the passage of British caravans or British traders through the northern portion of the German sphere of influence in East Africa have been issued and put in force; whether such restrictions are in contravention of Article 5 of the Berlin Act of 1885; and whether the Government propose to take any action to relieve British traders from these restrictions, if illegal, and to secure the observance of the Berlin Act for the future?
§ SIR J. FERGUSSONA decree was recently issued by Major Wissmann forbidding the ingress of caravans into the German sphere behind Tanga and Pangani, on grounds connected with military operations which were then being executed; but, on the personal representation of Colonel Enan Smith, it was shortly afterwards unconditionally withdrawn.