'File 10/16 (10/21) BAPCO's proposal to act as shipping agents: complaints against Gray Mackenzie & Co' [‎83r] (161/209)

}£2 9 ^eadwuuu.1 Ji^reet 9
liondoa 9 ^•0«3«
?Oth Avigumt t ^%■5^
Dear 3ir Cecil,
v
Further to qj r letter of 2^ith instant, I nof enclose two abridfiec oopiea of the
report niede b Mr. Gregor # o t General Manager *.t ilusreh, w}to wwb specially sent
dewn to Bahrain to investigate the coct^iainti) whloa harl bee*; sade. I l^r-J merely
oiBitt*^. certain parts of the report wxiioh deal with pural;' daacatic mattcm and
«vhi.oh have no b«ari .ng on tiic pointw at iasufc. The Mr* illuard refejrea to in ths
report is our Manager at Bahrein.
The report fully confirms nhftt I said at the meeting on 3th July, that our
difficulties harc ar^en alcost ^uel^ tiirough our inability to obtain suitable
personnel to deal with the largely 'norcased volume of traffic, but I hops, now that
the war is over, we shall be able - j .robably with your kind assistance - to get
the men we require* v
With regard tu the que at ion of charges , you will appreciate that tlie tiaintenance
of a lighterage plant in >m area like the eisiiu. Gulf ia an expensive business
but nevertheless our Baiireir. Mt*r-a^er is £ I oln& tlosoljr into figures and 1 **ope it will
be possible to make sase reduction.
As already informed you, now that full3r lafeMMitinn nas beex; f^mis^ied regard
ing alleged defactw in he heodltag of pe^&tr^eiu, the wtter is bein ; fully
investigated, and I will advise you the result in due courts*
KffiSIT O IL O O^iPAhY Ife liave arranged 1c tjiciiSfer four barges from Ras Tanura to
Koweit to deal with the inoreaain^ quantities eargo ther« # aud we ure proposing
to cojT-vract ori a tonnage basis. Tou will ruuauber that at the meeting on $tii July
Mr. Ca^bell enquired of tir 'ieoi^roy Prior wnethsr Witioipatca s^v ou^eoti-n^
being raised ly the 2hcikh, and bo oald hs di& not think then woulc? be any difficulty
We have, liowevor, reocdvod a trlegrom froa> Busreh stating that they unoerstand both
the Sheikh and the Political Atfrfnt are op oftO<: to our undertaking the lauding.
Perhaps you would be good enough to have a telegram sent 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.
with the object of seeing that whatever objections therr may be can be overcome. In
the (oeantine, we are trying to en ^elalish c ontact with Mr. £oott of the Konreit Oil
Company whe is reported to be ia this counti:;.
With thanks in anticipation of your assistance.
Yoiors sincerely,
(Sgd.) Q*#* iiotblack
Sir Cecil Kisoh, K.C.Iȣ.,
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. ,
Whitehall, S.wr.1.
P.3. I have taken the liberty of passing a copy of the report and ay letter to
you to sir Geoffrey mor, which I hope meets with your approval#