'File 19/109 I (C 12) Bahrein Chief's relations with British Govt. and other Powers' [‎105r] (220/411)

C433FD
[Confidential.]
{Received on the 23rd September igoy, under cover of a letter from His Britannic Majes
ty s Minister, Teheran, No% 2g i dated the 16th August /pop.)
gulhek ;
August IS, igoy.
No. 179.
Sir,
With reference to my despatch No. 61 of March 27th last relative to the
Persian claim on Bahrein, I have the honour to enclose herewith copies of further
correspondence with the Persian Government on the subject.
You will observe that the Persian Government disregards the previous
communications which I had made and renews the claim to the sovereignty of the
is land onthe ground that a subordinate British officer acknowledged the claim as
valid in 1822. ^
. I asked the Ala-es-Sultaneh how the Persian Government could renew a
claim which as I had explained had been formally disavowed by a Shah of Persia.
He said that he had forgotten what had happened about the question but that*
recently some one had come to him from the Assembly to say that the claim must
be urged because the British themselves had acknowledged it in 1822. He
asked me if I could communicate to him the Shah's desket in order to show it
to the Assembly who were very insistant. I said I would send him a short
historical memorandum as to the status of Bahrein which would no doubt satisfy
his friend. The origin of this communicatian is no doubt the desire of certain
persons connected with the Assembly, probably the Mouin-el-Tujjer to ^et hold
of pearl fishing right in order to sell them at a profit. The question will be borne
in mind and a further communication will be sent you.
I have the honour to be with the highest respect,
Sir,
Your most obedient humble servant,
(Sd.) CICIL SPRING-RICE.
The Right Hon'ble Sir Edward Grey Bart,
etc., etc., etc. c
f Inclosure No. I, in Sir C. Spring-Rice's despatch No. 179 of August 15, 1907.
' Copy.
Persian Minister for Foreign Affairs to Sir Cecil Spring-Rice,
teheran;
August ioth> igoj.
Your Excellency,
1 ^ aVe ^ onour t 0 acknowledge the receipt of Your Excellency's note of
bruary 23rd last respecting the island of Bahrein and have to point out that
even if the agreement of 1822 has not, as Your Excellency states, been put into
execution, it does not affect the object of the Persian Government concerning
the agreement in question since the responsible officials of the British Govern
ment at that time recognized the position of the island and the rights of Persia
ovent. If, in the meantime, an agreement has been made by them, and even
at agreement may not have been put into force the fact will have no bearing