'F 83 File 82/27-II QATAR OIL' [‎217r] (449/630)

1%.
concerned) should be sent "by tine 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 Mr.Hearn in the
course of next week, suggesting in the first place the adoption
of the procedure which had been discussed as between the Sheikh
and the Conpany, and the Company and secondly, recording
the ooints on which a,greement had been reached or which had been
raised but not disposed of in the discussions with Mr.Eraser and
Mr .Hearn on 14th December; thirdly, indicating in general terms
the nature of the points (including safeguards &c. ) which H.M.G,
would dssire to see covered in the proposed subsidiary agreement
between the Company and themselves. It would be desirable, in
dealing with this last point, not to intimate a decision to the
Gcmpany. The points in question were controversial and - the
risk apart of deterring the A.P.C.C. from proceeding with
negotiations if they were started in too categorical terms at this
stage - it might be some time before H. M. G-» had themselves
reached decisions on them. It would probably therefore be
preferable to indicate them in outline and say that a more
detailed statement would follow; that we should be prepared to
discuss them further with the Company if necessary later, but
that in the interest of clearing the ground for their comnercial
negotiations with the Sheikh, we thought it undesirable to
postpone ccmmunication of our comment on the draft agreement and
on the question of procedure until the special desiderata of
H.M.G. had been more fully elaborated.
B. Amendments in Revised Draft Concession.,
The meeting then considered and approved tne
amendments which had been provisionally agreed or raised
on 14th December with Mr.Fraser and Mr.Hearn in the
a rticles of the revised draft other than Article 12 ;
an d reached agreement as to the supplementary points to
136 raised with the A.P. O.C. on the articles in question.
(These are set out in the enclosure to the draft letter
to/