مجموعة ٢٩/ ٧٧ "تعيين ضابط ارتباط بسلاح الجو الملكي في الخليج الفارسي، مع مقر القيادة في البحرين" [و‎‎٢‎٥] (٥٨/٤٩)

I enclose copies of certain demi-official
correspondence which has taken place "between me and Air Commodore
Burnett, the Chief Staff Officer at Baghdad.
I thought you would like to know about the
proposal to appoint a Royal Air fforce Liaison officer in the
Gulf and my objections to it.
. Air
A junior Royal/Force officer,probably with no
experience of the East, could not help interfering in political
affairs and sooner or later he would rouse every Political
Agent in the Gulf and cause the Air Ministry and India Office to
have diametrically opposed Gulf policies.
Already the Senior Naval Officer v/rites long
reports to the Admiralty, in which he occasionally criticises the
Resident’s policy*
In 1926, Colonel Prideaux had to write to the
Senior Naval Officer, Captain Parry, to reprove him for
acknowledging the succession of a Shaikh of Abu Dhabi, without
reference to the Residency.
Last April the Commander of the M Lupin M is said to
have fined the Shaikh of Shargah Bs. 2000/- for a misdemeanour.
The fine was levied by order of Sir Frederick Johnston, but
comment shows how, since the Political Resident became
immobilised through lack of a despatch vessel, the Navy have
elbowed the Political service out of the Trucial Coast in general
estimation.
The Royal Air Force are very helpful when they
stick to their job, but I do not welcome the idea of loot turning
them loose in the Gulf. We would probably have demands for the
bombing of Abu Dhabi or Ras al Khaimah, in fact another incident
such as the Navy’s escapade at Dubai in 1912.
J.G.Acheson, Esquire, C.I.E.,
Deputy Secretary (Foreign)
to the Government of India,Simla.
Yours sincerely,
Sd. C*C.J.Barrett*