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'British relations with Turkey in the Persian Gulf. Memorandum on Lieutenant-Colonel Cox's telegram reports in Government of India's telegram of 1 December 1910.' [1r] (1/10)
The record is made up of 5 folios. It was created in 7 Dec 1910. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: 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. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
B. 181.
This Document is the property of the Secretary of State for India in Council.
CONFIDENTIAL.
British relations with Turkey in the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
.
Memoraiulum on Lieutenant-Colonel Cox's telegram repeated
in Government of India's Telegram of 1st December 1910.
The immediate question out of which this arises is the desirability of
concluding a treaty with a Sheikh or Sheikhs of the El Katr peninsula as a
bulwark against Turkish aggression. In a Despatch of 22nd August 1910
Mis Majesty's Ambassador at Constantinople had written: "Should His
" Majesty's Government and the Government of India now decide on the
" expediency of making such a treaty, there would seem to me no objection
" from the Constantinople point of view." The Foreign Office referred to
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.
, 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 Government of India, and the
Government of India to Lieutenant-Colonel Cox.
It will be convenient to take Lieutenant-Colonel Cox's telegram piece
meal :—
I.
" At the present juncture l find it di fficult to discuss question apart from
general Anglo-Turkish situation in I he Gulf.
In a letter just received Consul at Basrah writes that new Vali, when
asked what action he had taken regarding Zakhnuniyeh, replied, that
the island is Turkish territory and challenged right of Consul to
discuss it officially or privately, lie added that he was astonished
that Consul did not mind his own business which was trade. It is
thus evident that communications made to Porte regardimj recent
incidents have had no effect, and it seems to me that position has
become impossible and humiliating, and that unless atmosphere is
quickly cleared frequent recurrence of unpleasant incidents is
inevitable. It appears to he generally agreed that temporising
policy, which ice have pursued for years past, will not serve the
purpose with the Young Turk regime, and I submit that their
assertive attitude and recent attempts to upset status quo give us
strong and imperative grounds for settling issues now."
The general position is at present as follows. In their letter of 4th
October last the Foreign Office requested the observations of Viscount
Morley on the terms of a draft despatch which it was proposed to address to
His Majesty's Ambassador at Constantinople, " respecting the vexatious
" treatment of British subjects in Asiatic Turkey, and the number of
" incidents of political aggression which have recently marked the conduct
" of the Ottoman authorities in the region of the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
." The draft
despatch, after enumerating the complaints of His Majesty's Government,
concluded as follows :—
" These occurrences, which individually have been the cause of painful
surprise to His Majesty's Government, have produced in their cumu
lative effect, an unfavourable impression as to the present attitude of
the local Ottoman authorities,—an attitude which appears to be one of
hostility and aggression.
" His Majesty's Government cannot believe that this attitude has the
approval of the Central Government, or is based upon their specific
instructions. I therefore have decided to instruct you to communicate
a translation of this despatch to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, in
order that his Excellency may be fully apprised of the views of His
Majesty's Government and of their causes of complaint; in taking
this step your Excellency should explain that His Majesty's Govern
ment have decided to make friendly representations, believing that
the Ottoman Government will redress the grievances referred to, for
a situation of very considerable gravity would of course arise if they
proved to be the result of deliberate and unfriendly policy."
S. 41.
About this item
- Content
This memorandum concerns British relations with Turkey in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and was written by Frederic Arthur Hirtzel in December 1910. The immediate question it addresses is 'the desirability of concluding a treaty with a Sheikh or Sheikhs of the El Katr [Qatar] peninsula as a bulwark against Turkish aggression' and comments on a telegram by Percy Zachariah Cox. It is divided into three parts; the first part assesses the general Anglo-Turkish situation in the Gulf and examines anti-British and pro-German developments as Constantinople.
The second part concurs that the publication of the secret agreement with Shaikh Mubarak bin Sabah of Koweit [Kuwait] is necessary to clarify matters and lists settlements claimed by the Shaikh of Koweit. The third part argues that having achieved that they should make treaties on the lines of Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. agreements with 'Bin Thani' [Shaikh Jāsim bin Muḥammad Āl Thānī]. The memorandum discusses how such an agreement would be justifiable because by excluding foreign powers it would maintain the status quo.
The memorandum concludes that it was desirable to conclude treaties with the Qatar tribes and that this would require giving them a guarantee against Turkish aggression.
- Extent and format
- 5 folios
- Arrangement
The memorandum is arranged in three sections with an introduction and conclusion.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the first folio, and terminates at the last folio; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. Pagination: An original printed pagination sequence is also present in the booklet.
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- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/18/B181
- Title
- 'British relations with Turkey in the Persian Gulf. Memorandum on Lieutenant-Colonel Cox's telegram reports in Government of India's telegram of 1 December 1910.'
- Pages
- 1r:5v
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence