'Memorandum respecting British interests in the Persian Gulf' [‎35r] (35/126)

43
Sir N. O’Conor,
No. 516,
June 28, 1904.
refused (in 1882) on the ground of the nature
of his relations with the Turks.
In 1904 the Government of India expressed
forcibly their view that a Treaty should be nego
tiated with Sheikh Ahmed, in anticipation of the
death of Sheikh Jasim, who had then reached
an advanced age. An opportunity of making
such a Treaty had arisen through the disturbance
of the status quo by the Turkish- Government,
who had appointed officials to Wakra and other
places on the coast. The Government of India at
first proposed that a Treaty should be entered into
with Sheikh Ahmed on the lines of the existimr
Treaties with Bahrein and the Trucial Chiefs, by
which he would be debarred from parting with
territory to others than the British Government.
Although in deference to British remonstrances
the Turkish Government had at length withdrawn
their interloping officials, the Government of
India remained of opinion that the position of
Great Britain should be consolidated by the
immediate conclusion with Sheikh Ahmed of a
Treaty similar to the former one (of 1868), if the
stricter form of Treaty with Bahrein and the
Trucial Chiefs were held to be inadmissible.
The principal reasons adduced in favour of
this course were—
1. The El Katr Coast, lying as it does between
Bahrein and the Pirate Coast, constitutes a break
in the continuity of British maritime influence.
2 . The absence of a Treaty does not facilitate,
and may considerably increase, the work of His
Majesty’s ships in suppressing piracy and main
taining the peace of the Gulf. In this connection
it is observed that one objection to the extension
of Turkish authority in those regions is the
inability of the Turks to establish a strong
Administration, which is eminently desirable in
a district which, owing to its proximity to Bahrein
—the centre of the pearl fisheries—affords excep
tional inducements to pirates and marauders.
These considerations did not, however, over
come the disinclinations of His Majesty’s
Ambassador at Constantinojfie, who w T as keenly
alive to the difficulties which such a course
might provoke with the Ottoman Government.
His Excellency laid stress upon the multiplicity
of pending questions with Turkey, such as the
energetic action being taken to secure the
removal of the Turkish post from Bubiyan
Island, and he was distinctly of opinion that.
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