'14/88 II B 30 Tanb Island' [‎3r] (18/438)

1
(r>v ^ y -.V.
// b
Jo
No. 3314, dated Busliire, the 13th December 1912.
/C
I?). U
p rom — L ieutenant -Colonel Sir Percy Cox, K.C.LE., C.S .I., Political Kesident
in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ,
To— The Hon'ble Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Henry McMahon , G .C .V.O., K.C.I.E.,
C.S.I., Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign Department,
Simla.
I have the honour to address the Government of India on the subject of the
communication if any to be made to Foreign Consular Officials at Bushire of the
establishment of lights at various points in the Gulf.
2. In 1905, the Commander of the E. I. M. S. " Investigator " after readjust
ing the buoys in the Shatt-al-Arab, asked me to notify Foreign Consuls at Mascat,
Bushire and Busreh by telegraph, of the new positions. I required the Govern-
. _ , -p, . , , , ^ A nr ;i iqfvi ment of India to give me instructions
Resident to Foreign, dated 14th April lyuo. o
Foreign to Resident, No. 1642-E.B., dated OU this point, and was mtormed that
2nd May 1905. there seemed to be no objection to copies of
the notice sent to Agents of British Steam Ship Companies, being communi
cated to Foreign Consuls. These instructions, however, did not reach me in time
and accordingly, as explained in my letter No. 285, dated June 18th, 1905, I took
no specific steps to acquaint my Consular colleagues, but the Notice to Mariners
had already been shown informally to the Agent of the Russian Steam Ship Line
and the Director of Customs.
The position has considerably developed since then and it therefore seems
best to ask for fresh instructions.
3. Notices to Mariners regarding the establishment of lights will have to be
issued shortly in respect of the following items of our scheme :—
(1) Tamb light-house.
(2) Bahrein gas buoys.
(3) Shatt-al-Arah gr.s buoys.
(4) Bushire and Bunder Abbas gas buoys.
I will deal seriatim with each of the above.
4. Tamb light-house. —In this case we are establishing a light on territory
owned by the Chief of Shargah, with his express permission and consent. There
seems, therefore, no objection to our communicating, when the time comes,
a copy of the notice regarding the light-house as issued to British Shipping Com
panies, simultaneously to Foreign Co nsular representatives at Bushire for com
munication to their nationals.
5. Bahrein lighted buoys. —The special position which His Majesty's Govern
ment occupies in regard to Bahrein is generally recognised by Foreign Govern
ments, other than Turkey and Persia, and there therefore seems no objection 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. , Bahrein, notifying the establishment of gas buoys both to
British and Foreign Shipping Companies in his jurisdiction.
6. Gas buoys on Shatt-al-Arab Bar.~~Om position here is as stated in the note
of His Majesty's Government of July 18th, 1912 to the Porte, and it therefore
seems reasonable that we should adopt the same line of^action as in the case of Tamb
light-house.
7. Gas buoys at Bushire and Bunder Abbas. —Our position in regard to these
buoys is still somewhat indefinite ; should His Majesty's Government decide to
seek a general recognition of our prescriptive right to control buoyage and light
ing in the Gulf, as suggested in my letter
Forwarded to His Majesty's Minister under 2575, dated 13th October 1912, it
No. 69-2576, dated 13th October 1912,
seems reasonable that we should adopt, in
the case of these lights also, the action suggested in the previous cases discussed ;
C623 FD
I