FLOURISHING SLAVE TRADE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 449, 21 January 1909, Page 4

FLOURISHING SLAVE TRADE.

Aided by Withdrawal of British Strips The slave trade is becoming increasingly active in the southern part of the Red Sea and in Hast African waters. This is attributed entirely to the reduction of the British squadrons in these waters. From Aden to the Mozambique the British flag is nowadays very seldom seen at all. On the other hand, the German cruisers are increasing in number in these waters, and pay frequent visits to ports where the White Ensign was formerly the only familiar naval flag. The secretary of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society recently informed a London newspaper representative that there was no doubt that slavery was on the increase despite the fact that Mr McKenna in the House of Commons declared that after making enquiries he was led to believe that there had been no increase in the slave trade. “Just about the time that Mr McKenna made this statement,” he continued, “ I received news from our Aden correspondent that there had been a great increase in the slave trade, owing to the fact that the guardship now stationed at Aden, H.M.S. Philomel, is absolutely out of dale, slow, and useless. “While the Philomel can only do about leu knots the slaves dhows, which race in and out of the ports, can do nearly fifteen. “There is another useless guardship at Berbsra, on the Somaliland coast, yvhich communicates with ’ the. by wireless telegraphy. The movement of these ships are known to all the slave dealers, who pursue their trade with impunity.”