'14/115 VIII B 17 Abu Musa Red Oxide' [‎9r] (25/521)

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
ASIATIC TURKEY AND ARABIA. [January 13/
CONFIDENTIAL. Section 1.
[1837] No. 1.
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 Foreign Offi — 13.)
THE Under-Secretary of State for India presents his compliments to the Under-
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and forwards herewith, for the information of
the Secretary of State, copy of enclosures in a letter from the Foreign Secretary to the
Government of India, dated the 12th December, 1912, relative to Abu Musa oxide.
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. , January 11, 1913.
Enclosure I in No. 1.
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Percy Cox to Government of India.
(Confidential.)
Sir, Bushire, November 3, 1912.
WITH reference to the letter dated the 15th December from His Majesty's
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to Count Metternich, in which was intimated His
Majesty's Government's consent to Messrs. Wonckhaus shipping all the oxide lying
already mined at Abu Musa, provided that the final shipment was made before the
31st December, 1912, I have the honour to attach a copy of a report received from the
residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. agent at Lingah, showing that Messrs. Wonckhaus and Co. are doing their
best to get away all the oxide before the year expires.
2. 1 venture to enquire what the position is as regards the second memorandum of
His Majesty's Government, dated the 6th December, 1911. It would seem that if the
German Government have not yet replied to it, and if in the meanwhile Messrs.
Wonckhaus have been permitted to possess themselves of all the available oxide by the
end of the year, the latter will be in a strong position for assuming an uncompromising
attitude in their negotiations with His Majesty's Government. •
I have, &c.
P. Z. COX,
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. .
Enclosure 2 in No. 1.
Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. Agent, Lingah, to Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Percy Cox.
Lingah, October 26, 1912.
I BEG to state that I inspected the two heaps of oxide near the mine in the Abu
Musa Island on the 23rd October, 1912. Most of them have been taken to the sea
shore by the labourers of Hassan-bin-Someieh, and all the two heaps will be brought
to the shore by the end of October. The heap of oxide near the mine called Hadhra,
which was near the sea, has also been removed and placed in bags. The quantity
placed in bags up to now comes up to 9,000 (nine thousand) bags and the rest
remains loose, and they (the labourers) are awaiting more empty bags, which Hassan-
bin-Someieh has promised to send at an early date. According to the information
given to me by Hassan-bin-Someieh, he has arranged to ship 5,000 bags of oxide to
Bombay by the sailing vessel " Shah Jahun," and proposes that the vessel should call
at the island in the beginning of November to ship the 5,000 bags. He is also
negotiating to arrange for a steamer of the Bombay and Persia Company to ship the
remainder of the oxide.
[2759 n—1]