Coll 35/41 'Persian Gulf: radio telephone communication between Bahrain, and the mainland of Saudi Arabia (Dhahran) for the use of Californian Standard Oil Company' [‎161r] (323/982)

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The Chairman recalled that at the meeting of the 10th February, 1912, .
an application by the California Arabian Standard Oil Company and the Bahrein
Petroleum Company for direct radio telephone facilities had been approved, in
the interests of increased oil production for the war effort, provided the
security risks involved were fully recognised.
Strict conditions had been imposed at the time and agreed to by the
California Arabian Standard Oil Company; the Chairman read relevant ertracto
from a telegram* from the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. to the 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. in the
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and a letter dated 19th April, 1942 from the Oil Company to the
Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. in Bahrein.
It had now come to light that the service then authorized was being used
for purposes quite outside the scope of the agreement. Suspicion had first
been aroused by a wireless message of 2nd February, 1943, intercepted in
transmission to a Mr. Davies in San Francisco. Enquiry made through the
Foreign Office as to the origin of this message had elicited that it was
sent by Mr. Owen of the California Arabian Standard Oil Company at Jedda and
that the system of transmission between Jedda and San Francisco for
messages to be sent by radio telephone from Jedda to Dahran, the message being
"scrambled’' and then for one of the Oil Company's vessels in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
to transmit direct to the United States beyond territorial waters. further
more the subject matter of the intercepted message which had led to the^in
vestigation was not in accordance with the agreement and was quite unsuitable
for transmission by wireless. Thus both the spirit and the letter of the
agreement had been broken.
After discussion, it was decided that the Foreign Oifice should agree
with Censorship Secretariat, Mr. Silver and Mr. Knight the draft of a ^
telegram to the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. in Bahrein requesting him to war n the Oil. .
Company that if any further irregular transmissions tooh place £Ke authority
for the Radio Telephone service would be withdrawn.