'File 35/87 IV (A 30) Muscat reforms' [‎14r] (33/496)

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CONFIDENTIAL
C '
British Consulate ani Political A&enoy
Muscat doth April
To
Captain D#V«Maccollum I,A.R«0.
Yfazir to H • H • Say id Teimur
'tmm fiwiotNa.
OlMflfiBIiAl RfcCQRDl
Memorandum,
The following few remarks are recorded in the hope
that they may be of sonie us© and as a jaemorandun of guidance
on soni inportant points. .
(i) International position of the state of Muscat.
Muscat is acknowledged by treaty as an independent
state by Great Britain, the United States of America, France
and Holland, and its independence is expressly guaranteed by
the British and French governments in a Joint agreement.
British and French consuls are at present resident in Muscat
and till quite recently there was an American vice-consul.
The greatest care should therefore be taken b/ you when
acting in your official capacity as a servant of the state to
observe most punctiliously the usual diplomatic courtesies
to the representatives of foreign countries equally. The
subjects of foreign countries are also by treaty, notably in
the case of Great Britain and France, triable by the consular
courts of the countries concerned.
2) Peculiar position of Great Britain with regard to
Muscat.
By many agreements and owing; to her preponderating
influence in the Gulf Great Britain has obtained a dominant
position in Muscat. Trade interests* engagements for the
suppression of the slave trade, the necessity for controlling
the arms traffic of which Muscat was formerly the centre for
supplying the tribes of the Horth Wost Frontier, and finally
the plain desirability of not having a hostile power in such
an advantageous position opposite to India and at the entrance
to the Gulf all contributed to tills ernd.