'File 0436/51 Sharjah Air Agreement' [‎42r] (83/200)

5
Should the final version
©
BrU iXh'S», s K''-#
Dear Pelly,
Please refer t© your Compliment Slip C13/3/34/51 ef
25th July| about the Sharjah Air Agreement*
2. I have had the Agreement, Letters and Air Navigation
Regulations translated for the benefit ef the Ruler, and he
has, as I reported in my telegram No*130 signified verbally
his acceptance ef them and his willingness te sign* He
stied out for the maximum sums permitted in respect ef the
airfield extension and Rest House. Per the former he
demanded Rs*1000/- at first, and slowly CAme down te his
irreducible minimum of Rs*600/-, I having started from Rs.100/-
as offered by Andrew* As he refused to come below Rf* 600/-
I finally disclosed the figure of Bs.420/-, and said that if
he did not accept it, there would merely be further delay
while the matter was referred* He then offered the extension
for nothing, but finally allowed himself t© be persuaded
to take Es*420/-* Per the Rest House he claimed that the
figure ef Ks.1000/- had been agreed te, and when I said that
it was clear from the papers that it had been asked for but
never agreed te, he said that that was net his understanding
of what had passed between his father and Jackson, and the
discussion continued. I tried to suggest that he would lose
more by delay than by a prompt acceptance, but this merely
led him te ask the date from which the increased rent would
be payable. As there was no indication te any other effect,
I said from the date of signature. This he entirely refused
to accept claiming that it should run from the time
negotiations for the renewal of the existing Agreement opened*
I said that clearly It should run from the time agreement
was reached, and that no agreement had yet been reached. He
then claimed that agreement had been reached substantially
in his father’s letter N©*187 ef 9th February 1949, in which
he accepted all the terms ef the new agreement but held
out for a rent of Bs.1000/- for the Rest House and the higher
rate of pay for guards which we subsequently ceded (Stebart’s
119-0436 ef 28th January 1950 refers)* As Stobart pointed
out in his letter 0436/2/26 ef 13th November, 1950, delay
subsequent te the granting ef a power ef attorney to
Shaikh Mohammed, notified te you in our letter -0436
ef 8th January 1950, can net fairly be held te be the
Ruler's fault, and in this matter ©f the Rest House rent,
(as was the case in the matter ef back pay for the guards)
the delays in London ef the past 18 months are costing him
a considerable amount of money te which he has a reasonably
claim to consider himself entitled. I should be grateful
te know what is the best offer which we can make to him for
the date from which the increased Rest House rent can run«
3* In the matter ef the telegrams, Shaikh Saqr accepts
the figure ef 2000 words, but had not understood that there
was te be any restriction ef the destination to Bahrain,
and I can find nothing te suggest that any such qualification
was included in the original offer.
4. Can you say whether the map referred to in the exchange
ef letters about the Reayl Air Force camp is in fact
available for inclusion in the final version?.