File 160/1903 'Persian Gulf: El Katr; appointment of Turkish Mudirs; question of Protectorate Treaty with El Katr' [‎109v] (223/860)

of the Trucial Conventions, the expediency of doing so in as qme, ant
secret a manner as possible, and basing their action upon the nocessi y
of acquiring power to suppress piracy and to maintain intact the pea
fishing rights of the Arab tribes on the coast. . T u m
I do not consider that it is your Lordship s desire that I
express my opinion on the merits and necessity of le po icy
prompts the Government of India to advocate a Convention with the
Sheikh of Katr, Ahmed-bin-Thani, as there are others far more competent
to give a valuable opinion upon this subject. But I would venture to
poiSt out to your Lordship that at the present moment we are
threatening Turkey with an armed expedition, to be manned by
Bahreinese and supported by England, to avenge the murder of Sheikh
Selman, committed by the Almurrah tribe m revenge for tne mmder of
some of their people; that it has been decided to establish a British
post-office at Koweit and to attach a Resident to the Sheikh; and that
we are at the same time insisting upon the removal of the lurivisn
military post from Bubian Island, as also from Urn Kasr although not
with quite the same pressure. I pass without comment the observations
I have made to the Sublime Porte under your Lordship s instructions
in regard to the military operations in the Nejd.
I have, &c.,
N. P. O’Conor.
Enclosure No. 3.
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. to Eoreign Office.
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. ,
g^ r 3 6th August 1904.
With reference to Sir E. Gorst’s letter of the 18th July relative
to the proposed agreement with Sheikh Ahmad-bin-Thani of Katr, I am
directed by Mr. Secretary Brodrick to enclose the draft ol a Despatch
which, subject to Lord Lansdowne’s concurrence, he proposes to address
to the Government of India on the subject.
I have, &c.,
The Under Secretary of State, A* Godley.
Eoreign Office.
Enclosure No. 4.
Foreign Office to 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. .
Eoreign Office,
Si r5 29th August 1904.
I have laid before the Marquess of Lansdowne your letter of the
16th instant forwarding the draft of a Despatch to the^ Government of
India on the subject of the proposed treaty with the Sheikh of El Katr.
The concluding portion of the Despatch does not appear to Lord
Lansdowne sufficiently to reserve for consideration the final decision
which may he taken, and his Lordship would suggest that it should run
as follows:—
“ 4. The argument which Sir N. O’Conor bases on the multiplicity of
points in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , regarding which he is simul
taneously pressing the Ottoman Goyernment is of some
weight, and it seems doubtful whether the considerations
referred to in the second part of the preceding paragraph are
of such immediate and urgent importance as to justify imme
diate action in spite of his reluctance to add at present to his
difficulties with the Turkish Government.
“ 5. I shall therefore await,” &c.
I am, &c.,
The Under Secretary of State E. H. Villiers.
for India.