'File 38/17 Delimitation of Trucial state boundaries and Petroleum Concession Limited's Concession Areas on the Trucial Coast' [‎76r] (152/225)

76'
CONFIDEMTIAL .
S.0.No.C/R-284
POLITICAL AGENCY An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. ,
BAHRAIN,
5th July, 1949.
Dear Sir Rupert,
Your confidential note No.160/7/49 of June 15th to
Burrows.
2. Before issuing the second order I should like, if I may,
to resume the Dubai - Abu Dhabi boundary position so as to get
it clear in my own mind. ^ >
3. Felly did not leave any precise record of the consi
derations that guided him in fixing the frontier at Hasian to
A1 Eshush but in paragraph 2 of his despatch to you No.C/R-168-
3S/17 of April 25th he does refer to giving in alternatively to
each of the claimants. Then taking Hasian as the agreed point
of departure he seems to have struck a balance between the two
extreme claims and to have drawn what Stobart in a minute dated
December last referred to as an "arbitrary line at right angles
to the coast".
4. A1 Eshush lay on this line but Tawi Ghafur and Tawi Hafir
which were on the Abu Dhabi side of it he gave to Dubai presumably
because Stobart had reported that they "appear to be used to
a considerable extent by Dubai". But Stobart tells me that it
would be equally true to say that they appear to be used to
a considerable extent by Abu Dhabi. And if we are to be swayed
by this consideration we might equally put the second part of
the frontier through Bada A1 Mughanni, Khusub and A1 Hair which
Stobart equally reports Dubai as using (and would doubtless
report that Abu Dhabi are using). , fVy
5. Since I started drafting this note a letter has come in
from Dubai accepting the first part of the frontier with some
satisfaction and I wonder whether it would commend itself to you
to hold up the announcement of the second part of the frontier
until we are sure of Abu Dhabi*s reactions to the first part.
If we are going back on a decision (and I gather that you are
reserving your personal intervention for that eventuality) would
it not be better to go back on one decision instead of two?
6. Would you agree to my writing to Abu Dhabi saying that
I have had no acknowledgement from him of Felly*s letter and
await his written acceptance of the decision. If he reacts
violently the matter might be referred to you for arbitration.
If he accepts we might then announce the second part of the frontier.
7. My maps of the district are small and not very adequate
and on these the Hasian - A1 Eshush - Hisab line seems to form
an awkward salient. If that were indeed the case it would
better perhaps be avoided but I assume that on a large scale
map the proposed frontiers fit in reasonably enough.
8. I notice in connection with sea-bed oil it was laid down
"whatever principle is adopted, it will obviously be important
that it should look equitable on the map as well as be equitable
in principle."
Yours sincerely,
/(fT
His Excellency Sir Rupert Hay, K.C.I.E
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. ,
Bahrain.
., C.S.I.,
' • 153, s.?o y
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