ملف رقم ٣٢٠٨ لسنة ١٩٠٨، جزء ٤، "الخليج الفارسي: أعمال قرصنة قام بها أحمد بن سلمان بالقرب من القطيف [الإهانة التركية تجاه قائد السفينة الملكية "لابوينج" في القطيف]" [و‎‎١‎٥‎٥] (٣٥٨/٣٠٥)

4. We venture to submit the following observations on the incidents
winch are reci ed above The offenders in all the cases appear to have come
from the mainland. \Y here they have been residents of territories which are
nominally subject to the Ottoman Porte endeavours have been made to enlist
the co operation of the Turh^h authorities, but only in those cases detailed as
(2) and (5), were punishments awarded to the offenders and partial restoration
of property obtained In the case cited as (9), the only one in which Turkish
subjects apparently lost anything prompt action was taken in securing the
recovery of most of the property of the Turkish subjects, but not of that
belonging to the Bahrein owners. Again, when the base of operations has
been m El katr, it has been found possible, in the cases noted as (3)
- d , W ’ A1 t0 P 1 1 ’? Cur ® rG ? tlt ution by bringing pressure to bear through
Sheikh Ahmed-bin-Thani the leading Chief of that peninsula. The piracfes
lepoited recently are of a three-fold nature : inasmuch as Ahmad-bin-Selman
and companions first seized a boat at Safvva, near Katif, which belonged to a
Bahrein subject, then plundered another boat, the property of a resident
of Katr, and eventually committed an act of piracy on a Persian sailing
boat crossing with melons from the Persian coast of the Gulf. The printing
a . ct 0t p V: ac y ls , ^ at the , Katr boat ’ which appears to be the first of its kind
since 1900, and it will be observed from this case that Sheikh Ahmed-bin-Thani
has taken the opportunity of pointing out that it is the duty of His Maiestv’s
io\eminent to grant protection to vessels against piracy in view of the fact
that they prohibit the Arab Chiefs from themselves patrolling the sea.
t mi' Th * ^ coacl,1 ! ie a P rot ectorate treaty with Sheikh Ahmed-
bin-lhani of El Katr has already been referred to, and the remarks contained
m y our Secret despatch No. 41, dated the 9th September 1904, on the subiect
are receiving our careful consideration, and our views on the subiect will be
submitted to His Majesty’s Government in due course. It is acknowledged in
that despatch that the absence of any agreement with the Sheikh mar in
certain contingencies, prove a hindrance to the proper exercise by His Maiestv’s
ships of their duties in the suppression of piracy and the maintenance of the
peace of the Gulf. Moreover, the continuance of these acts of piracy brin^ into
prominence the unsatisfactory character of Turkish administration in A1 Hassa
and the apathy shown by the local officials in dealing with repeated representa
tions wdiich have been made with respect to losses sustained by subjects of the
Chief of Bahrein. But whatever course of action may ultimately be decided on as
regards the political status of El Katr, we take advantage of the present com
plaint received from Sheikh Ahmed-bin-Thani, through the Chief of Bahrein
to urge that a strong representation should be made to the Sublime Porte with
a view to the arrest of the pirate Ahmad-bin-Selman and the restitution of
property plundered by him. The heavy loss inflicted on the Katr subiect
affects the interests of British Indian and Bahrein subjects to whom the owner
of the boat is indebted, and it is the third year in succession that Ahmad-bin-
Selman has committed these depredations.
M e have the honour to be,
Sir,
^ our most obedient, humble servants,