'File 19/126 II (C 29) Bahrain Customs' [‎35r] (83/567)

COflFIDEKTIAL «
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Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , Bahrain,
Dated the 18th March,3S20.
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The Deputy 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. ,
B U S H I R E.
MEMORANDUM
Reference your telegram No. 555 dated 10th March,
1920.
Subject reduction of Custom duty on ^tranship 11
goods, Bahrain.
According to your instruction given me in your
above mentioned telegram, I yesterday paid an official
visit to Shaikh Isa and discussed the question on the
lines suggested by you. Shaikh Hamad was present at the
interview. I was particularly careful to approach the
matter in as friendly a way as possible and in repeating
what you told me I took the line that you were anxious to
appear in the light of a friendly advisor. I emphasized
the point that Bin Saud was also a friend of His
Majesty's tiovernment and had appealed to you to adjudicate
the matter. You were bound to look at the question from ■
the point of view of a neutral, and any advice you gave
was of necessity strictly impartial. Bin Saud, I said, had
a grievance in that at almost every port in the world it
was customary to take a minimum custom duty from tranship
goods, such duty in places like Basrah being 1 ^ only, and
in Bombay I believed % fo»
From the very opening of my conversation, I could
see. Shaikh Isa T s mind was made up,even though Shaikh
Hamad did all he could to persuade his father to adopt a
reasonable attitude;Shaikh Isa, having let me say all
I had to say, replied that on no condition, whatsoever,
would he agree to reducing the present rate of 5 ^ to
S-i- ^ merely in order to please Bin Saud. Bin Saud might