"الملف 82/1 III (‏ F 64) تراخيص التنقيب للكويت والبحرين ونجد والساحل المتصالح وعمان" [و‎‎١‎٣‎٦] (٦٥١/٢٨٦)

LONDON, GLASGOW
AND NIOHAMMERAH.
TE leqraphio address i
" ANQLOPERS."
COOES USED S
BENTLEY'8 AND
MCNEILL'S CODS.
!*>
ALL COMMUNICATIONS TO BE ADDRESSED TO THE COMPANY.
7 t
Reg. No. /tf
Date 7-:£
j confioenti/ O ecords. J
ohamivierah.
P ersian G ulf.
OUR RSPLY PLEAS®
Z ...9..
.. ZITD... . JA1IXJAHT ,..1.9 2 5
My dear Colonel Prideaux,
Many thanks for your letter ITo. D.O. 68l/S of the Jlst
of Deoemher. I have duly made the correction in your telegram
1192 of the 21st ultimo.
I am much obliged to you for the copies of telegrams
exchanged between yourself, the Secretary of State for the
Colonies, London, and the High Commissioner, Baghdad. In spite
of Major Holmes 1 assurance, I am convinced that he would not
have undertaken to contract with the Sheilch of Bahrain to sink
the two Artesian Wells for water if he had not had ^an Oil Con
cession as an ulterior motive. I suggest that if Major Holmes
is allowed to carry out his contract with the Sheikh, of Bahrain,
he wall not fail to make use of the opportunity to conduct
propaganda calculated to cause the Sheikh of Bahrain to refuse
to negotiate with this Company. I feel, therefore, that Major
Holmes, subject to your concurrence, should he asked to suspend
operations in connection with the Artesian Wells, at any rate
until after the 31st of March. You will recollect that the
Sheikh of Bahrain has already refused to allow the Company to
make even a surface examination of the oil potentialities of
the islands, and even although Major Holmes adheres strictly
to the terms of his telegram despatched to you "by the High
Commissioner on the Becemher, the fact that he was
■permitted to drill two Artesian Wells would undoubtedly provide
him with valuable geological information. I trust that it may
be possible for you to take steps to prevent Major Holmes from
commencing operations as indicated above in such a manner as
will not afford him an opportunity of making capital with the
Sheikh of Bahrain which will induce the latter to delay negotia
tions for an Oil Concession with the Company.
I am despatching Mackie in the course of the next few