§ LORD REAYrose "To call attention to the necessity for deepening the harbour of Aden, and to the demarcation between the Aden Protectorate and Yemen; and to move for Papers." The noble Lord said: My Lords, I am indebted to the courtesy of the noble Marquess who placed at my disposal the recent correspondence on the deepening of the harbour of Aden, and who authorised me to quote from that correspondence, which is very interesting. In August, 1901, the Bombay Government appointed a Commission to inquire into the necessity for deepening the harbour, and that Commission was presided over by the Chairman of the Bombay Port Trust, Mr. Hughes, than whom no more expert administrator of ports could have been appointed. Great weight attaches to the Report of a Commission presided over by so able an official and it should be very carefully considered, and I should be inclined to adopt the proposals of that Report with regard to the deepening of the harbour.
The Commission point out that the port of Aden is the natural coaling station for the whole trade through the Suez Canal with India, Ceylon, China, and the Australian Colonies, and that any further deepening of the harbour is mainly, if not entirely, necessary to enable vessels of practically any draught to coal and transfer mails and passengers in the shelter of the port. The Commission further recommend that application should be made for a grant-in-aid of £80,000, on the ground that this is; more than a work of local importance and is a work of Imperial importance, in which not only British shipping but the shipping of all parts of the world is interested. The Commission also proposed a scheme for a public wharf by reclaiming Tawahi Bay. On that question I admit there has been some difference of opinion, and I do not want to complicate my advocacy of the necessity and importance of deepening the harbour by dwelling on that part of the Report. I therefore put it aside, with only one I reservation—that I think it would be prudent to take measures to prevent the alienation of land which may hereafter be required in case the public wharf should be considered necessary.
230 With regard to the deepening of the harbour, I may say that there is in India among those interested in the matter complete unanimity. The Indian chambers of Commerce, when they were consulted by the Government, all reported in favour of the deepening of the harbour, and the steamship companies whose ships use the port of Aden, have, in a letter to the Government, stated I that in consequence of the increased size and draught of steamships it is necessary for the harbour to be dredged to a depth of thirty feet at low water ordinary springtides; also, that a large mooring basin of this depth should be made to afford the space required for manœuvring vessels when approaching and leaving their moorings, and that at least three more mooring buoys should be included in the deep-water area. The Bombay Government have always insisted on the necessity of this work, and; in February, 1904, in one of the last documents on the subject, for the perusal of which I am indebted to the courtesy of the noble Marquess, they asked for the loan of one or two dredgers from Gibraltar, which, however, the Admiralty could not supply. I am quite aware that the Aden Port Trust are engaged in deepening and extending the mooring basin, but, according to their own admission, it will take fifteen years to complete the work with the Trust's own unaided resources.
It seems clear that Aden will remain. useless as a coaling station for ships of greater tonnage than second-class cruisers until the entrance channel and moorings and swinging basin are dredged and widened. We cannot lose sight of the fact that Aden is the only port between Suez and Bombay—a distance of 3,000 miles—which could afford safe accommodation for ships of greater tonnage. The Commission are satisfied that if Aden is to maintain its position as a trading centre active measures are desirable, besides the improvement of the port in order to develop trade, and they urge the improvement of communications with the interior on the Arabian side. They recommend a railway from Aden carried as far as practicable in the direction of Sana. I understand—perhaps the noble Marquess will give us 231 information on the point—that a concession has been applied for in order to make a railway from Aden to Nobat Dakin via Lahej. That, of course, would involve the co-operation of the Sultan of Lahej, which no doubt could be obtained.
The Commission also attached great importance to a railway from Berbera to Harrar—a railway which would connect our Somali coast ports with Harrar, and therefore make us independent of the line from Jibuti to Harrar. On this railway there would be considerable traffic with Ogaden as well as with Abyssinia. The Commission further express the hope—and this point seems to me to be one of importance—that the duties levied on imports and exports in our Somali coast ports should be considered with a view to a reduction, because the existence of those duties tends to put a premium on trade by other available routes which are free from duties.
I suppose there will be no objection to publishing the Report of the Aden Commission. I think it is very important that its contents should be more widely known, and it has already, as I have said, been communicated to the chambers of commerce in India. I would further ask the noble Marquess, in order to show the importance of the trade of Aden, to give us the figures of that trade for 1902–3, 1903–4, 1904–5, as regards three categories—foreign trade of Aden, local trade of Aden, Indian trade of Aden. The figures are given in this correspondence for the previous years, and they are very interesting.
I shall only say a word about the demarcation of the boundary line. On that question I understand that there will be no objection to give us such information as is absolutely necessary in order to form an opinion on the subject. I believe I am right in stating that the Government have been successful in getting the boundary line between our protectorate and the Turkish province of Yemen demarcated. When the Papers are given I hope they will include a map on the subject, so that we may be able to find out which of the tribes are under British influence and which of the tribes are under Turkish influence—I say under Turkish influence, although 232 there seems to be some doubt how far at present Turkish influence extends in Yemen.
I would also ask the noble Marquess whether he has received information that negotiations are going on between the Turkish Government and the Arab Imam of Yemen, who has already captured Sana, his dynastic capital, and, besides, has also occupied Mocha. These negotiations, I understand, are on the basis that the Imam shall pay tribute to Turkey as a feudatory and receive a giant of internal autonomy over upper Yemen and Sana. Perhaps the noble Marquess can inform us what the prospect is of order being maintained in Yemen, when the Imam obtains this autonomy, and whether in the arrangement which is contemplated Turkish troops will still be located on that side of the border, or whether the internal autonomy involves that the Turkish troops will no longer occupy that territory. Is it intended to take any steps in order to secure that the now boundary line will be respected? I believe the noble Marquess will allow me to move for the Report, for the trade statistics, and also for such Papers as the Government can communicate with regard to the demarcation of the boundary line.
Moved, "That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty for—1. Report on Aden Harbour by the Aden Commission, appointed in August, 1901. 2. Figures of the recent trade of Aden; foreign, local and Indian. 3. Papers on the boundary line between Yemen and the Aden Protectorate."—(The Lord Reay.)
§ LORD BRASSEYMy Lords, as a member of the Commission on the Defences of the Coaling Stations, I feel it my duty to say a few words in support of the Motion of my noble friend. Many of your Lordships are familiar with the port of Aden and know its external aspect. The charts show how Circumscribed is the anchorage. That defect should have been remedied long ago. The Government have dealt with the question of the defences. They have been strengthened and brought 233 thoroughly up-to-date, but the port has been neglected. My noble friend has pointed out that the coaling facilities are not as satisfactory as could be wished. Then there are considerations with regard to defence. A limited number of ships assembled in the anchorage would seriously impede the action of the batteries, and those ships would be imperfectly protected. If the harbour were deepened the ships would be well protected and would not lie in the line of fire of the batteries. The cost of the work which is necessary is inconsiderable; it is simply a work of dredging, and it has been strongly recommended by every Committee of experts which has had under consideration the defences of Aden and the improvement of the port for the purpose of trade. Action has no doubt been delayed owing to the difficulty of the apportionment of the expenditure. It would seem but fair that the expenditure should be divided between the Home Government and the Government of India. It is quite unnecessary to enlarge on the importance of the position of Aden both as a naval and commercial port, and I hope the step which my noble friend has taken this afternoon may have the effect of inducing that action which has been far too long delayed.
*THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (The Marquess of BATH)My Lords, I have to thank the noble Lord who has raised this question for his courtesy in supplying me with the headings of the Questions which he proposed to ask, and which cover a wide extent of country as well as a considerable number of subjects. The first Question asked by the noble Lord was with regard to the intentions of the Government as to the Report of the Commission on the improvement of Aden Harbour. The noble Lord passed by deliberately that portion of the Report which recommended in very strong terms the building of wharfage with a number of landing piers to accommodate the largest vessels and men-of-war. It was a proposal the cost of which the Commission themselves placed at eighteen lakhs of rupees. I am bound to allude to it because I contend that the Report of the Commission must be dealt with as a whole, and that all their recommendations 234 must be taken into consideration. The other part of the Report recommended the dredging of the inner harbour to a uniform depth of thirty feet. The estimated cost of this part of the scheme they fixed at twelve lakhs of rupees, or, as the noble Lord said, £80,000.
It is perfectly correct, as the noble Lord stated, that the whole of the chambers of commerce in India were strongly in favour of this portion of the Report, provided that the Imperial Government bore the cost. They were, equally unanimous, I think I am correct in saying, in strongly condemning the first portion of the Report with regard to the wharfage, because they declared that it was not required and that the estimates of the Commission were wrong. In forwarding the recommendation the Commissioners urged that the Port Trust could repay the first loan of eighteen lakhs for the wharfage scheme from the increased receipts obtainable from the harbour if the Government of India would lend the money, but they were opposed, as I think all are opposed, to an increase in the harbour dues. The Commissioners also urged that the dredging of the harbour was an Imperial question, especially on account of the fact that Aden was a fortress and a naval station. I do not want to labour the point, but, as the noble Lord stated, the Port Trust are at this moment engaged in deepening the harbour, though it will take some fifteen or sixteen years, as they only have about a lakh a year to play with.
With regard to the strategic question, the Admiralty, when they were consulted two or three years back, expressed the opinion that there were other matters of much greater need which required to be dealt with, and said that, so far as they were concerned, they could not recommend the adoption of these proposals. That is still the opinion of the Admiralty, who consider that there are far more important requirements than the deepening of Aden Harbour. Perim, on the line of route, affords every facility for the coaling of the largest ships of war, and the Admiralty do not consider the deepening of Aden Harbour a matter of strategic importance. I regret, as I am sure your Lordships must 235 do, the causes that prevent my noble friend the First Lord of the Admiralty from being in his place to-day; but, of course, in this matter I could only consult the naval authorities, and this I understand to be their opinion now as strongly as it was when they were last consulted. They were also asked to lend two dredgers free of cost to the Port Trust in order that the work of dredging might be got on with rather more quickly, but the Aden people seem to have been misinformed on the subject. The dredgers were not lying idle at Gibraltar as they were supposed to be.
To come to the decision which was arrived at, the Government of Bombay and the Government of India agreed that the wharfage scheme was financially unsound and that the Port Trust would not be able to repay the loan from its revenue. The Government of India have expressed their desire to consider the practicability of any scheme that may be placed before them, but they are not prepared, as at present advised, to provide money for the immediate deepening of the harbour. I hope the noble Lord will understand that I do not for a moment deny that the further deepening of Aden Harbour is an important matter, or that the Port Trust can do any more than they are doing with their present income. The figures which I am authorised to supply to the noble Lord in answer to his Question, and which will be laid upon the Table of the House, show a material increase in the trade of the port. We have not got the figures up to last year but have telegraphed for them, and we have every reason to believe that they are satisfactory. I am also able to assent to the Motion which the noble Lord makes that the Report of the Commission shall be laid on the Table, and, although I cannot say exactly when that will take place, or whether or not we shall wait till we have had an answer from the Government of India with regard to the question we have put to them as to when we may expect a revised scheme, still the Papers shall be laid upon the Table of the House.
I would only say, before parting with this portion of the noble Lord's Question, 236 that the decision which has been arrived at is so far not a final one. The Government of India are perfectly prepared to consider any practicable scheme that may be placed before them, but at present no such scheme is forthcoming. I am bound to add that the Report to which the noble Lord has drawn attention has not yet been before the Secretary of State, although he does actually know of its existence, but I trust that the inquiries we are making of the Governments of India and of Bombay will enable us to give a further Answer to the noble Lord.
There are no schemes at present under consideration with regard to railways from Harrar to Berbera, or from Aden in the direction of Sana. A concession for a railway in the territory of Lahej had been in a fair way of settlement, but the Abdali Sultan had omitted to refer to the British authorities, as bound by the Treaty of 1849, which required him to refer all things relating to the peace, progress, and prosperity of Aden, and when our representatives looked into the scheme it was found that there were several grave objections to it. There was a provision boycotting Jews and Europeans, and the scheme was not worked out in sufficient detail. Another scheme is being awaited, none yet submitted having recommended itself to the approval of the authorities. I am unable to supplement the information in the public Press with regard to what is going on in Yemen, or to predict the result of the negotiations now going on, but it is hoped that, either by these negotiations or by the more energetic measures which it is understood the Turkish Government are preparing to take, some sort of order will be restored among the tribes throughout the district.
As to the Aden Hinterland, a line has been demarcated from Sheikh Murahd, on the coast opposite Perim, to the River Bana, embracing the Subaihi, the Haushabi, and the Amiri tribes. From the Bana it is agreed that the line should go in a north-easterly direction as far as the desert, but it has not been considered necessary by the two Governments actually to demarcate this line. In this demarcation we have followed the representations made as far back as 1873 237 by Lord Granville to the Turkish Government. No tribes have been transferred from one sphere of influence to another on either side, and our liabilities and responsibilities remain unaltered. Direct British administration has never been established over these tribes, and is not established now. They are under a protectorate, and the policy of the Government always has been to refrain from intervention in their tribal affairs.
We have, however, recognised that there are certain duties which the tribes ought to perform. The representations of 1873 were based upon treaties with sections of the tribes. Arrangements; have been made with other sections of the same tribes on the same lines as formerly, with the exception of one in the case of the Amir of Dthala. We on our side give protection and a small subsidy to the tribes. On their side they permit no foreign interference, undertake that there will be no alienation of territory except with the consent of; the British Government, and maintain the trade routes. The country of the Amir of Dthala was that in which we had trouble some time ago, and the two Governments have now been able to come to an agreement with regard to delimitation, but it has always been exposed to difficulties from the Turkish side of the frontier. In his treaty, therefore, special provision has been added that he should protect the boundary pillars, keep order within his own boundary, and keep a small force of not more than fifty men to enforce his authority. His subsidy has been increased for that purpose. While we have not in any way extended our liabilities, we have reduced the chance of trouble by having a clear and definite understanding as to the boundary and the obligations of the tribes on each side of the frontier.
§ THE MARQUESS OF RIPONMy Lords, I entirely agree with my noble friends behind me as to the commercial importance of the harbour of Aden, and anything that can be done for the improvement of that harbour for commercial purposes would be of very great advantage. I understand from the noble Marquess the Under-Secretary of State for India that the matter is still under 238 the consideration of His Majesty's Government. I believe that the Report of the Commission is dated 1901. We have now arrived at 1905, and the noble Marquess tells us that the Report has not yet been regularly before the Secretary of State. I should hope, after four years delay, that no further delay may take place in considering the matter. This question is undoubtedly one of great importance and one in which, as the noble Marquess knows very well, much interest is felt at Bombay by those engaged in commercial enterprise. But I confess that in this, as in all other things connected with India, when they involve anything in the nature of a charge on Indian revenues, I find myself in a difficulty. The object may be very important, very necessary, but the financial resources of India are so limited that when appeals of this kind are made and the Government of India say they cannot do what is asked, I am not very much inclined to press for the expenditure. I see vast proposals for military expenditure to be charged, I imagine, upon the revenues of India. In those circumstances, I am well aware that the civil and commercial interests of India will inevitably suffer; but at the same time, when the opportunity offers and the Secretary of State can find leisure to read this Report, I hope he will acknowledge that it is very desirable to improve the harbour of Aden, which is a very important port of call for commercial purposes.
§ *LORD REAYI understand that there is no objection to my Motion for the Aden Report, for the figures of recent trade, and for Papers on the boundary line?
§ *THE MARQUESS OF BATHNone.
§ *LORD REAYThere is only one point on which I wish to make a further observation. The noble Marquess the Under-Secretary will have noticed that I did not press for the deepening of the harbour of Aden on account of any strategic reasons.
§ *THE MARQUESS OF BATHI referred to that matter because the chambers of commerce rather made a point of it.
§ *LOED REAYI urged the deepening of the harbour on account of the commercial importance of the port, and I need not say that I heard with pleasure from the noble Marquess that the Government of India are prepared to consider any further scheme which may be placed before them. I think their eyes are so completely turned to the North-West that there is some risk that other parts of the Empire under their control are liable to be neglected; and it was for that reason that I thought it right to offer the few observations I addressed to your Lordships this evening. I may add that I also heard with satisfaction that it is not intended to interfere more directly in the administration of the internal affairs of the tribes, and that the policy of leaving them in an autonomous condition, subject to the reservations the noble Marquess referred to, will be maintained.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to; and ordered accordingly.