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‘File 28/52 Landing of U.S. seamen at Bahrain’ [23r] (45/52)
The record is made up of 1 file (24 folios). It was created in 13 Jun 1944-19 Aug 1944. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
EXT.. 3169/44.
India Office
The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors.
,
Wliitehall,
LONDON. S.W.T.
<o(,o . • •• • '
Deae Hankey,
/
/
, . / t will reiaesiber thai af the interdepartmental meeting
whrch we held on July 11th to discuss the question of the control
o f Ainencan civilian oil employees erecting the new refinery
oLrf^ ain ’ ?? did ^ 0t d i scuss ^ except in passing, the somewhat
X? 63 ? 1 ? 21 I ' aised in the Political Resident’s telegram No.
lo^A oi the 2oth June, as to the control of United States merchant
seamen if landed on Sitrah Island for recreational purposes. The
litical Resiaent will no doubt be expecting an expression of
oar views on this question. Further reference to the subject is
contained in the papers forwarded with the Political Resident’s
printed letter of 27th June,Ho. 643-S of which I enclose a copy.
-f-u V ^ e ’ take in "the first place that the problem is to
Ho adequa J® arrangements are made to ensure that the sea-
mon ao not leave Sitrah Is-iand and that the question of providing
the necessary measures of police control to allow them to visit
Manama and Muharraq ( which would be a much more difficult business)
does not arise. On this assumption, the problem is a much more
simple one that the other and it should be quite unnecessary to
make elaborate arrangements for special constables to deal with the
seamen, nil this is required is for adequate measuresof control
to oe taken by the American naval authorities to ensure that
parties allowed to land on Sitrah,Island do not attempt to enter
the town ol Manama and Muharraq. We should have thought it
would be a simple matter for them to send their own pickets to
accompany each party ( from the fourth sentence of paragraph 7 of
Major HickinbothamJs letter of 17th June it appears'that U.S. Naval
personnel are carried in each merchant ship ), and that it should
n °\S e din i cult t0 get over their jurisdictional difficulties. We
would therefore suggest, if you agree, that the Foreign Office
should take the matter up with the U.S. Embassy on this basis,
explaining that we and the Sheikh of Bahrain are only too ready
t° a ll° w crews oi U.S. ships to land on Sitrah for recreational
purposes, provided that they make satisfactory arrangements to en-
sure that tne seamen do not leave Sitrah, and expressing the hope
will i-tnd it possible, if they desire to secure these
facilities for their crews, to give the U.S. naval personnel the
neceosary authority to exercise control over parties of merchant
seamen going ashore.
j •».» • i am sandin S copies of this letter to Marshall (Admiralty)
and Major Hewer ( F.T♦ 2.a., Yter Office).
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 0/303
Yours sincerely.
Sd . F.A.K. HAR RISON . ______ __
Office of the
Political Resident
A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency.
,
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
,
Gamp +Shiraz,
the 21st. September 1944.
Copy forwarded with dompliments to:-
The
Political Agent
A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency.
,
BAHRAIN.
/
About this item
- Content
The file contains copies of correspondence concerning the presence of United States (US) merchant seamen at Bahrain, in particular questions of facilities for and supervision of US crews while on shore leave, and jurisdiction of US citizens at Bahrain.
The first part of the file contains correspondence dated June 1944 from the Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (Commodore John Montagu Howson) and the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Bahrain (Major Tom Hickinbotham), responding to concerns raised by US naval officials at Bahrain (in light of the increasing frequency of US tanker visits to the islands) over the lack of facilities for US seamen at Bahrain, as well as pilfering from US vessels being unloaded by Gray Mackenzie & Co. (ff 2-12).
The second part of the file consists of copies of correspondence exchanged between India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. and Foreign Office officials in London during July to September 1944, in response to the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf’s recommendations for canteen facilities at Sitrah Island for US seamen, with the proviso that US seamen do not attempt to enter the towns of Manama or Muharraq. This correspondence also discusses a request from the US Department of State (relayed through the US Embassy in London, f 18) for the appointment of a non-American with legal qualifications to act as a judge over US citizens in Bahrain; a request that, in the eyes of India and Foreign Office officials, challenges Britain’s right of jurisdiction over all foreigners at Bahrain (ff 13-24).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (24 folios)
- Arrangement
The file’s contents are arranged in approximate chronological order, from the earliest item at the front to the latest at the end. The file notes at the end of the file (f 25) mirror the chronological arrangement.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 26; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-22; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/2/744
- Title
- ‘File 28/52 Landing of U.S. seamen at Bahrain’
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:2v, 9r:17v, 19r:25v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence