IOR/L/PS/10/235

The volume contains telegrams, despatches, correspondence, memoranda, notes, printed reports and a press cutting relating to the arms traffic in Muscat and arrangements for its regulation.

Issues discussed include:

• negotiations between the Foreign Office, India Office and the Sultan of Muscat for supervision of arms exports from Muscat by creation of a bonded warehouse;
• the Sultan of Muscat's proposed arrangements for regulating the sale of arms;
• the Foreign Office's approval of the Sultan of Muscat's draft notifications and conditions and a proposal on communicating these notifications to the Press;
• the 1844 Franco-Muscat Treaty and the 1862 Anglo-French declaration which guaranteed France's right to trade with Muscat;
• Anglo-French diplomacy on the matter involving the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• correspondence between the French Consul, Muscat and the Sultan of Muscat;
• Authorisation for British naval ships to board dhows flying the French flag if requested by the Sultan of Muscat;
• implementation of the new rules involving the removal of arms and ammunition to a warehouse;
• formal protests by French subjects against the regulations.

The file includes two press cuttings: from the Times (f 182) and a French newspaper (f 178).

The principal correspondents in the volume include: the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Percy Zachariah Cox;the Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf; the Political Agent at Muscat; the Viceroy; the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Sir Edward Grey; the Under Secretary of State, Foreign Office; the Ambassador to France, Sir Francis Bertie; the Lord Commissioners of the Admiralty; the Commander-in-Chief, East Indies.

The volume is part 1 of 7. The part includes a divider which gives the subject and part numbers, year the subject file was opened, subject heading, and list of correspondence references contained in that part by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence (f 2).