'File 10/10 II Bahrain Additional Area' [‎15r] (29/104)

Mr. Brown, Chief Local Representative, The Bahrain
petroleum Company, and Mr. Witherspoon, Vice—President,
Operations, came to see me this morning. The main subject
discussed was the restriction on the Company's drilling
operations in the Hawar area and the related correspondence
concerning the dividing line limiting the rights in the bed
of the sea lying between Bahrain and Qatar. Mr. Brown gave,
as he had done on another occasion before, Viis point of
view on the correspondence between myself and himself on
this subject. He said that neither he nor his people in
London considered that their comments were called for when
the decision was conveyed by me to him. I said that it did
not strike us to ask for their comments, but that I naturally
expected that he would let us have these in a matter so
closely affecting the Company's interests if he had any to
make. I said further that I had not considered that the
communication of the decision on the dividing line cancelled
the restriction placed by H.M.G. on the Company's drilling
activity. Mr. Brown countered this by stating that we had
informed him (he did not quote a specific letter and ^he
point is not very important) that the restriction was only
to be enforced until h.m.g. gave a decision on the dividing
line, and after that decision had been reached he took it as
cancelling the restriction. He professed to be puzzled as to
why the letter of which I sent p .R. a draft with s.35
( Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. Express Letter No.C/215 dated 18.2.'48) and a previous
demi -official letter to him in the nature of a reminder, asking
him fof the Company^ comments on the delimitation decision,
were demi -official; and said that his people (presumably,
this time he referred to the local staff in charge of opera
tions) thought he was merely acting on a demi-official
arrangement between himself and myself, and that he would,
/therefore....