§ 3. Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many slave dhows have been captured in the Red Sea area during the 1184 last three years; how many of these had slaves on board; where had these slaves been embarked; under whose control is this territory or territories; through what territories do the Abyssinian slave traders pass to reach the coast with the slaves; and under whose control is this territory?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINNo slave dhows have been captured by His Majesty's ships in the Red Sea since 1922 nor, so far as I am aware, by the warships of any other Power.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYCan the right hon. Gentleman give me any information with regard to the last part of the question? I have asked the First Lord of the Admiralty about it already. Does the right hon. Gentleman know through what territory these slaves pass to the coast?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINNo, Sir. No slaves have been captured, therefore there are no routes by which any captured slaves came through to the coast.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the First Lord of the Admiralty is keeping vessels there to prevent this unholy traffic; and has he any information as to how slaves get to the coast from the inland State of Abyssinia? That is the point of the question.
§ Mr. HARRISDoes the right hon. Gentleman suggest that the traffic has ceased?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINThe question was how many slave dhows had been captured, how many of these had slaves on board and under whose control is the territory through which the slave traders pass? I thought the last part of the question referred to slaves who had been captured. As none was captured, I have not prepared myself with further information. If the hon. and gallant Gentleman puts down another question, I will see whether there is any further information available.