"سلسلة ذات طابع سري، عربستان ولورستان ٨٦ ملف ٨٢/٢٧ - V نفط قطر" [و‎‎١‎٦‎٣] (٤٦٦/٣٣٤)

z. 7118/34.
Britannic House,
Finsbury Circus,
London, E.C.2.
19th November, 1934.
j.G. Laithwaite, Esq.,
India Office,
S.W.l.
Dear Laithwaite ,
Thank you for your letter of the 15th November
regarding Qatar oil, under reference P.2.6792/34.
The information you give as to the limitation
to 5^ ad valorem of the duties which this Shaikh at least may
levy on foodstuffs which we might import entirely alters the
picture. It is not 5 c /o duties that we are frightened of on
food, but the 255^ or more which we have experienced elsewhere.
I see little protection from our point of view
in any provision that customs dues shall not exceed those
levied on Qatar subjects, because our experience elsewhere
again has been that our food and other private requirements
are not those required by the inhabitants of the countries
in which wo work, and it is therefore very simple to introauce
taxation involving no discrimination in principle but an
unbearable burden in practice. If the Shaikh’s Treaty of
1916 is to bind him and his successors during the currency of
a possible concession, we should not ask for reconsideration
of duties on foodstuffs. I hope that you will not make water
similarly dutiable, as I have just hoard from Qatar that
virtually all the springs there are ”straight Epsom salts’”.
I agree with your view as to the likelihood
of the Shaikh being familiar with the provisions of the Kuwait
Agreement. We have ^very reason to believe that he is closely
informed of every step there, and that he has no intention of
any serious negotiations pending the completion of the Kuwait
negotiations.
yi I am glad that such variations as wore effected
in the draft dated 25th October are acceptable to you. I
enclose another six copies of the draft.
Our geological party should by now I think be
in Qatar, and Iviylles v/ill be going there this month to have a look
at them e.nd at the Shaikh, but does not anticipate as I said any
serious discussions, since during Ramadan the Shaikh proposes
to retire to an inaccessible part of the desert and will e
prepared to hold discussions only during the night season.
Yours sincerely,
L. LEFROY.