HC Deb 13 February 1902 vol 102 cc1234-5
MR. GIBSON BOWLES

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, seeing that the last visit by His Majesty's cruisers of a ship on the high seas, in order to ascertain whether contraband of war was being carried on, took place on 27th June, 1900, His Majesty's Government has rescinded or varied the orders in force previous to that date directing His Majesty's cruisers to visit and detain and bring in for trial vessels suspected of such traffic; What other means His Majesty's Government have adopted of stopping that introduction of foreign recruits and intercourse with Europe of which Lord Kitchener complained in his despatch of 8th November, 1901; and whether, in view of the fact of Lord Kitchener's statement that the measures taken have been ineffectual for their purpose, His Majesty's Government will now consider and adopt other and more effective measures.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

The Foreign Office, on October 6th, 1900, gave orders to Her Majesty's Consuls at European ports to discontinue watching for the shipment and transhipment of arms and ammunition to the Transvaal. In consequence of that order the Department was asked, on October 13th, whether the searching of vessels for contraband of war in South African waters by Her Majesty's ships should be discontinued. The Foreign Office replied, after consultation with the War Office and the Colonial Office, that it was considered that searching might be stopped. Telegraphic orders to discontinue searching were sent to the naval commanders, but the patrol of the coasts was continued, as well as searching in the case of any suspicious landing. The difficulties of searching vessels at sea under the present conditions of shipping cargo are very great.