'Status of islands between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.' [‎19r] (37/228)

3# Shaifch *ueuf caid that it wee not the value of the
ielande that interested the Saudi Government* but the neceesi-
ty to avoid disputes with a friend on a question in itself of
little moment. He claimed that the Saudi Government had a
right to both islands under the ordinary rules of inter
national law* but said that if His Majesty^ Government * to
avoid the possibility of disputes* would care to divide the
islands by drawing a line midway between Bahrain and the
mainland* his Government would probably agree,
4, A map was produced by Shaikh Yusuf which he said
had been made by the California Arabian Standard Oil Company.
It had obviously been prepared for the occasion* as it showed
nothing but Bahrain* the mainland* snd the three islands of
Umn Na’san* Libaina al Saghir and Libaina al Kabir. Remember
ing the Saudi protest when His Majesty's Government kept
C.A.S.O.C. informed of the position of the frontier question,
I upbraided Shaikh Yueuf with pretended seriousness for
allowing private persons - foreigners to boot - to have
knowledge of a matter which ought to have been kept confid
ential between the two Governments. Shaikh Yusuf allaged
that C.A.G.O.C. had been asked to make a map but had no
knowledge of the season* but in view of the nature of the
map I think we may conclude that the management of C.A.S.O.C.*
who already seem to regard British "imperialism” with a
critical eye* have been admitted to the confidence of the
Saudi Government in this matter. In any case the distance
between Umm Na'san and Libaina al Daghlr will have been
calculated by American* not Saudi engineers.
6. I shall be glad to receive Your Lordship’s instruc
tions as to the reply which is to be sent to the Saudi
Government in reply to their note of February 26th.
6 . Copies of this despatch and of its enclosures are
/ being