§ Mr. STEPHEN GWYNNasked whether the friendly natives in the recently evacuated Somaliland territory had been supplied with the means of defence by the British Government?
§ Colonel SEELYSuch arrangements as are possible have been made for the issue of arms and ammunition to the friendly natives, with a view to enabling them to provide for their defence.
§ Mr. GWYNNAm I to understand that the Government is preparing to abrogate the Brussels Convention which prohibits the supplying of arms to natives in Africa?
§ Colonel SEELYI do not think that the action we have taken, which is a continuance of the action taken by His Majesty's 598 previous advisers from 1904–5, in issuing arms to friendly natives is in contravention of the Brussels Convention. I think it was a necessary step to take then as now.
§ Mr. GWYNNIs the House to understand that the friendly tribes have been put in a position to defend themselves against the Mullah, and that they are doing so with any prospect of success?
§ Colonel SEELYYes. I am glad to say that we received a telegram only an hour or two ago saying that the natives of the friendly tribes are in a position to defend themselves. So far from being driven to the coast, as has been suggested, they are now in a very strong position more than 100 miles from the coast, and, in the view of the Commissioner, they are in a better position to defend themselves than they were when we occupied the isolated post of Bulhar.
§ Mr. W. REDMONDIs it not a fact that the recent disturbances, and loss of life in this part of the world were caused by an attack upon the Mullah by the so-called friendlies?
§ Colonel SEELYThat hardly arises out of the question.
§ Mr. W. REDMONDI will try to make it legitimately arise next week.
§ Lord ALEXANDER THYNNEIs the right hon. Gentleman now in a position to give any information as to the number of friendly natives who have been slaughtered during the last two or three months?
§ Colonel SEELYIn the telegram to which I have referred—from which I cannot quote because it contains military dispositions which it might be unwise to communicate at the moment—it states that the number of friendlies reported to be killed was 200, or less, instead of 800, as stated, and that a great number of dervishes also were killed. In fact, it appears quite certain that the information upon which a Debate took place yesterday in another place was based on a rumour to which I should have thought no reasonable man would have attached credence.
§ Mr. W. REDMONDWho began these disturbances?
§ Colonel SEELYThere have been faction fights going on for many years. It is very hard to say when they began.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it is a fact that the Mullah objected to the trade methods of what are called the friendly tribes, and that the whole trouble springs from the fact that the Mullah is a Tariff Reformer?