"14/115 I أبو موسى وطنب. ١٩٠٣-١٩٠٤." [و‎‎١‎٢‎٩] (٢٩٢/٢٦٦)

VCn."
Note on the Tanb Island case.
Both in Minister's Telegram Ko. 54 dated the
20th. May, and in that now under reply,
it is stated on the authority of the Darya
Begi that the Chief of Shargah is erecting
the buildings to which exception is taken
by the Persian G-overnment.
^ yvo^ 1 submit, open to doubt whether
Sh - e Sugger is really building on the
^island, but whether he is doing so or not
faoJCU*** our answer to the complaint would seem to be
i: ' iie same, viz:-that we have always refused
to recognise Persian sovereignty over the
island and that we are not disposed to listen
to complaints regarding the building by
Arabs of huts in which to live on an island
which has always been regarded as the undou-
-bted patrimony of these Arabs.
The Persian G-overnment encouraged by
their former success as regards Sirri Island,
are evidently anxious to try to repeat the
experiment in the case of Tanb, but I venture
to urge that they should be distinctly warned
in the sense of the latter part of Minister's
Telegram Ho. 54(vide flag A, in accompanying
file). Although our case with regard bo Sirri
can hardly be as strong now as formerly,
owing to our delay in urging the Arab claims,
still it would appear that even now we could
make out a strong case on the lines of Res-
-idents letter Ho. 162, dated 11 June l o 04
- (vide flag B. file 668).This letter went to
both Foreign and Minister, and as nothing was
then done in the matter, I venture to think
that Minister might be asked to refer to
that letter and thus toarm himself for a