'F 83 File 82/27-II QATAR OIL' [‎72r] (158/630)

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Bahrein their anxiety to work on the basis of an open door
policy so far as possible. On the other hand the India
Office and Admiralty, while appreciating the Foreign Office
point of view, had been anxious to ao their utmost to
secure tnat foi locctl poliuiCcil reasons, and in view of
our special treaty relations and responsibilities, any
development in these areas should be so far as possible
under British control. In the case of Bahrein a compromise
had finally been reached which seemed at the moment to be
working satisfactorily, but wnich was not in itself ideal,
under which the American interests concerned had given
certain guarantees as regards the employment of British
personnel etc. The position inJKoweit was at the moment
quite open and would have to be considered further in the
near future. In the case of Qatar it had always been
accepted tnat the AiP#6#C», if they secured their
concession, would have to transfer it to the I.P.O., which
was an international body containing only a relatively
Siiidl 1 .british e 1 oment, but no c ommitment had be en entered
into as regards the conditions in respect of British
representation and control which H.M.G. (whose consent was
necessary to the'grant b^ the Sheikh of any concession)
would attach to their consent, ihe representatives of the
A.P.Q.c. in the rnee'ting which had taken place at the India
Oifice on 14th December, of which a record wasjoeing
circulated, ha a been quite Hnoompro^ thoar rofua&l
u o tint ' er ^o any permanent commitment as regards the
British character of the exploitation of any concession
gxanted (although they had responded well to a suggestion
that certain connected safeguards might be covered in
exchanges of letters between H.Ivi.G. and the Company) and the
point by agreement had been left over for further
consideration.