MY SOMALI BOOK 255 



as they were, while our officials are forbidden to go 

 more than three miles inland. We refuse to have 

 anything more to do with administration in the 

 Interior or to have anything to say to inter-tribal 

 quarrels. The result is that the old feuds have all been 

 revived, and owing to the number of fire-arms, are apt 

 to be on a more serious scale than hitherto. The 

 Somalis themselves would gladly see us reoccupy the 

 inland posts and maintain order again ; but we have 

 certainly broken no pledges and owe them little, except 

 in so far as we may be considered to have ignored our 

 moral obligations m withdrawing a measure of civilised 

 administration once established. And it may be for 

 the ultimate good of the Somalis if they are allowed 

 time and opportunity to realise that they did not 

 know when they were well off. 



The weak point of the position is our continued 

 responsibility for a large area over which we exert 

 no control whatever. In view of the position of the 

 Protectorate, its disturbed condition, and the by no 

 means distant possibility of a big explosion in Abyssinia, 

 it would be sanguine indeed to expect any permanence 

 in the present state of affairs, or to hope that we shall 

 not one day have to recognise that responsibilities in- 

 volve obligations, and to make up our minds what we 

 must do. That day may not be yet, and for the present 

 probably the best thing we can do is to wait and see. 



The real problem of the future in this part of the 

 world will arise out of the arms question. The traffic 

 from Jibuti to Abyssinia and thence into the adjacent 

 countries, and in a lesser degree to the ports of Eastern 

 (Italian) Somaliland, goes gaily on ; though the Press 



