"ملف 10/3 V الامتياز النفطي في قطر" [ظ‎‎١‎٨‎٦] (٥٢٧/٣٨٩)

A.
made of the 1913 convention line, it was considered desirable to consult Sir P. Cox
on the subject. In a discussion held at the India Office on the 20 th February, 1934
[E 1302/279/91/1934], Sir P. Cox expressed his conviction that the 1913 con
vention line was never mentioned during the 1922 discussions with Ibn Sand, and
expressed the opinion that any view then expressed by him incidentally and
extempore could not reasonably be regarded as an official pronouncement of the
Hasa-Qatar boundary; he added that in any case he had informed Ibn Sand that
His Majesty’s Government should be consulted before any concession was granted.
8 . No decision has yet been reached regarding the status of the territory
immediately to the east of the 1913 convention line, but the despatch to
Sir P. Loraine mentioned in paragraph 6 above contained a warning as to the
position, and instructed him, should it be found necessary to give the United
States Embassy any oral explanations on the matter, to avoid referring to this
territory as specifically forming part of the State of Qatar itself, but to refer to it
merely as being under British influence.
9. In a despatch of the 11 th April, Sir P. Loraine reported that he had
spoken to the United States Ambassador on the 2nd April in the sense of the
instructions summarised in paragraph 6 of this memorandum [E 2435/1206/91/
1934], but that he had not found it necessary to refer to Qatar. The United States
Embassy in London were also similarly informed on the 24th April of the position
as regards the frontiers laid down in the Anglo-Turkish Conventions of 1913 and
1914, copies of which were sent to them [E 2481/279/91/1934]; here again no
specific reference was made to Qatar, the phrase used being ‘ ‘ the frontier between
Saudi Arabia and the British spheres of influence in South-Eastern Arabia.”
This action was taken in order that the position might be made clear to the
Standard Oil Company of California, who were carrying out aerial surveys which
His Majesty’s Government feared might otherwise be extended over the frontier
laid down in the convention of 1913. In addition, instructions were sent to His
Majesty’s Minister at Jedda on the 21st April [E 2481/279/91/1934] to address
a formal note to the Saudi Arabian Government, informing them of the request
of the United States Embassy at Angora, and of the action taken, enclosing copies
of the conventions of 1913 and 1914, and explaining the view of His Majesty’s
Government as to the validity of the frontiers laid down therein. This explana
tion was to be on the lines laid down in the despatch to Sir P. Loraine summarised
in paragraph 6 of this memorandum, Sir A. Eyan’s attention also being called to
the position as regards Qatar. Sir A. Ryan addressed a note accordingly to the
Saudi Arabian Government on the 28th April FE 2662/279/91/1934], In this
note, with the concurrence of the Foreign Office, he used the expression “for
convenience of reference ’ ’ in communicating copies of the conventions of 1913 and
1914, in order to indicate the assumption that the Saudi Arabian Government
already had knowledge of both.
10 . An explanatory map is annexed.
Foreign Office, April 30, 1934.
HUGH K. GREY.