'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf for the Year 1937' [‎32r] (63/72)

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Japan continued to hold the chief place as an importer of piece-goods.
The cheapness and serviceable qualities of Japanese goods fill the wants of
the poverty stricken inhabitants of the country.
It will be seen that while exports show a very slight decrease compared
with the previous year imports are up by over Rs. 3,00,000. This increase is
chiefly due to larger imports of sugar, cement and piece-goods, the last two of
which were almost entirely of Japanese manufacture.
8. Royal Navy. —Visits of His Majesty's ships and Royal Air Force air
craft to Muscat are detailed in Appendix " A " to this report.
9. Boyal Air Force.—{a) The establishment of the Royal A r Force
in Muscat, consisting of a Rest House and wireless station, wh ch is in direct
communication with Shaiba (Basra) and Dhiban ( Iraq), was maintained in
charge of three operators up to June, and thereafter increased to four.
(b) A tragic event which caused the loss of three lives of members of the
Royal Air Force occurred in the first week of November when a machine of a
detachment of 84 squadrons from Basra on a reconnaissance flight of the
landing grounds between Basra and Aden crashed at Khur Gharim some
400 miles south of Muscat and all 3 occupants were killed. One of these was
Wing Commander Richards, O.B.E., who had recently been appointed the
first Liaison Officer between the Royal Air Force and the Political authorities
in the Gulf. This Officer in addition to having had a distinguished record in
his own profession had become well known in Muscat during numerous visits
in previous years in connection with Royal Air Force affairs and by his tact,
ability and sympathetic understanding of Arab ways had become universally
liked and respected by all with whom he had come in contact in the State.
The news of his death was received with genuine regret.
A noteworthy feature arising out of this sad accident was the attitude of
the local inhabitants during the period the other machines of the Flight were
standing by until relief aircraft arrived. The neighbourhood of Khur Gharim
is in perhaps one of the wildest and most lawless districts of the State where
the authority of the Muscat Government is treated with scanty respect.
Though the behaviour of some of the tribesmen who appeared quickly on the
scene after the disaster when faced with such a wonderful opportunity of Icot
was not blameless, and, in fact, but for the marked tact and skilful handling
of what at times must have been a delicate situation by the two Non-Com
missioned Officers of the remaining machines of the Flight, the general atti
tude of the local Bedu was not unfriendly and their conduct certainly not as
dangerous as their reputation would lead to suspect.
10. Aviation General. —The annual special authorisation for aircraft to
land and fly over Muscat and Oman required by the Civil Air Agreement
entered into between His Majesty's Government and the Sultan in 1934 was
renewed on the 2nd January. The Civil aerodrome at Gwadur continued to
be used throughout the year by the bi-weekly East and West services main
tained by Imperial Airways. 14 machines of Air France and 3 of the Dutch
K.L.M. laiided for refuelling under the special authorisation for these com
panies granted annually by the Sultan. A number of private aircraft also
landed here in the course of the year and a few machines of the Royal Air
Force on flights between Iraq and India and vice versa. In September one
land plane service was withdrawn and its place taken by one of the new
Flying Boats of the type to be employed under the proposed Empire Air Mail
Scheme.
11. Foreign Interests. —(a) The French Consulate remained closed
throughout the year.
At the request of the Consul for France at Bombay a few repairs to the
Consulate building were carried out by the Supervisor, Public Works
Department, attached to this Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. .
(6) American interests remained in the hands of 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. during
the year.
12. Missionary Work. —The Missionary side of the activities of the
American South Arabian Mission (The Dutch Reformed Church of the United
States of America) were carried out by the Reverend and Mrs. Dykstra.
63(C) ExAffaireDept