'File 82/27 III (F 84) APOC: Qatar Oil' [‎77v] (152/638)

The Anglo-Turkish Convention of July 1913.
5. Discussion, ovor tliG yGtirs iqll - lo l )GtvvGGn tlig imlvisli Gov6rDmGn|;
His Majesty's GovernmGnt on tbo various matters in disputo botween them in
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. area culminated in the latter year in tbe signature of two Conventi
defining inter olid tlie eastern limits of lurkisli autlionty m Arabia. llieConvi
of 29th July 1913, which defined the eastern boundary of Nejd, is alone relevant...
the present purpose. Under that Convention, which, though reference is made toil
in the ratified Anglo-Turkish Convention oi 9th March 1914, was never itself ratified,
the eastern boundary of the Turkish Sanjaq of ^ojd was defined by a blue line oi
the map running due south from the head of the bay opposite Zaqnuniyeh Island ii
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. to the 20th parallel of latitude in the Central Arabian Desert. Tk
text of the relevant article is given in section II of the Appendix attached to this Note,
Its wording (" une ligne . . . separera le ISiedjd de la presqu lie d'El Katr. Ij
limites du Nedjd sont indiquees par une ligne bleue . . . ") would justify tl
contention that the blue line was at once the eastern frontier of Nejd and the westei
frontier of Qatar. But there are definite objections to adopting this view. In tb
first place, there is nothing to show that this was, in fact, the intention of i
Majesty's Government at the time when the Convention was concluded, or that tliej
had any object beyond limiting the eastern boundary of the Turkish possessions i
this area. Secondly, there is no evidence of any claim to suzerainty by Qatar
2.99/34. to the west or so far to the south. Thirdly, the Resident's telegram of 11th Janus
1934, T. 19, emphasises the absence of control by the Sheikh of Qatar over the intern
of his State (and a fortiori over regions so remote from Dohah as are now u
consideration). Fourthly (though this by itself is probably not of serious importance)
the position vis-a-vis Ibn Saud is to some extent compromised, as explained bek
at any rate as regards the Barr-al-Qarah, by the line fixed by Sir Percy Cox in
Fifthly, it is arguable that even in a formal document such as the 1913 Conventid,
the fact that the blue line is spoken of separating Nejd from the Qatar Peninsuk
need not be regarded as determining the boundary of Qatar. The Qatar Peninsuli
was the closest prominent geographical feature and the nearest adjoining Arab political
entity on the mainland, and a reference to it for descriptive purposes was not unnatural
finally, there is much to be said for giving no avoidable extensions to the boundaria
of Qatar, even if the consequence is that we have to deal with an area of indeterminate
ownership between those boundaries and the blue line.
180/34.
lire
o.947S.
th Dec.
464/
Line indicated in 1922 by Sir P. Cox to Ibn Saud and Major Holmes as the
Limit of any Oil Concession in respect of Hasa.
6. One more incident of importance should be recorded before coming to
latest evidence as to the view held by the Sheikh of Qatar as to his soutten
boundary. The incident is that referred to in Colonel Dickson's letter of 4th ^
^ i 1 0 ' r) ., ^ ie ^li^ical Resident, copies of which were received under tk
Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. 's express letter of 18th December 1933, No. 1934 S., when
ercy Cox, who was then High Commissioner for Iraq, in a discussion at Oqairin 1^
with Ibn Saud, then Sultan of Nejd, and Major Holmes, warned both the Sultaj
and Major Holmes that the Sultan could grant no concession, and Major Holmes
i eceive none from him^ in respect of the Principality of Qatar, and drew on a ma
a line running from Djau-ed-Dukhan to Dohat-as-Salwa, which, he indicated. m " R
.epiesent the eastern boundary of any concession granted by Ibn Saud in r(
P^m'nqnia ^ vf 6 ' W se6n ^ rom t ^ e ma P' excludes the whole (
.)f X An o-ln T lnc J d ^ ntalI y a substantial area lying to the west of the blue
1 1.!^ f ^ ar A 1 i G ? r riv ® nt ; on )- ft also includes in Hasa an area to the east of tlie
it oons/ftutll Turkish Conyention. ]t should, howeyer, be noted that wlw
hound s f i i 6 ." 1 . 6 m ' atl on ot the High Commissioner's view as to the east®
far as OatL mTJht h^ Way , s f cificall y defined the boundaries o£ Qatar sare B"
regarded liavin 1 6 re ^ an - as marching with Hasa and Nejd, or might '
I 'jj 3 Convention ^ ^ lan ' a western frontier bounded by the blue line of tl*
t L °° vent1011 at time when that Convention was concluded *
+ Qi-r. J
printed as Appendix IV to this Memorandum^ 61 ^ are Contained t ^ e dated 27tli February
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