'Status of islands between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.' [‎15r] (29/228)

P. ...8508/38.
PORKIffil OFF CE, U.W
20th Decf niber, 133B«
(i *729f
Would you please refer to ^our official lo ter
P./-.7R31/y of the 30th November In which was enclosed,
an express letter from Folfic >n the •; ubject of the t'audi
/ rabian clal^ to the Libainat Islande.
2* Although geographical contiguity b; itoelf i- never
a good ground for a territorial clai.n it ceens that in the
case of Bain-al-3aghir, Bahrein have a strong prina facie
claim owing to the fact that it li-s i i the territorial
waters of another islandf Umra Iia’oa v» which* according o
Fowle# undoubtedly < oes bel >ng to Bahr»ein#
3* On the other haud# Bsin-al-K«bir does -ot
lie in any territorial wa -ers an the fact that hie ielet is
three miles nearer Bahrein than the Hasa coast does not prove
anything.
h* In order to establich t at Bain—al- abir T; _on a to her*
nhrx'in will therefore either have to produce aoue evidence
of pre-existing sovereignty aitd maintain th t as tlie Sovereign
Power she is justified in erecting a mark (il it wao Indeed
on this island that the mark was erected) or peirforHing any
other act of sovereignty* or else admit - and maintain - that
the island was rea nulling and that by erecting a mi rk on it
she has been th< first, to occupy it# ad hat: hereby becozae the
5* It Beeiis ho ever i*om ei htman » xcuucx' of the
5th I ovoifbcr that the Saudi ob jecti >n la in i*eapect of
ovexe gn Power.
J. i". iboon, Eeq. #