'Territorial re-adjustments. Extract from Secret Letter from the Government of India, No 85, dated 29 September 1916' [‎96r] (3/4)

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1 iliicIi ti position tit Maskat and con sen non tW in tlm /n ir i • i • ,
with our prescriptive rights in thatreodon \ f G l whlcl1 lntcrferes
in connection with the Bandar Jisseh case it nrl '^1 funher aS . mter P reted
leasing territory belonging to Maskat ‘ \mv P or even
are a warp it mnv lip nt onv i • ’ i T m ’ aS 18 ^ a J est y s Government
" ativr i il,nriI ?,rL an 2i^r„^ bIe ° n n “^. ^rn^M or admuus-
or
French
friction in the future will certainly'teTheTeVXiared.^jt’is'ln^X't The
Tr.'T- 0 / 1 "! § ' t V1 ®'' T ' Vlth some apprehension the abrogation of this
ic.vtj , but the matter could he easily explained to him, and in view of the
material assistance and support which we have rendered him in recent years
lie would doubtless be satisfied with our assurances in the matter We trust
that such steps as are possible will be taken to persuade the French Govern
ment to cancel this obsolete agreement, which, while it not onlv confers no
benefit, but actually imposes an obligation on them, trammels us in our
dealings with a pett} State, on whose protection we have spent so much in
recent years.
As legards (<), we had no idea whatever until we received a copy of the
lv , , v —1 1 , 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. letter, No. P. 4709—14 1 of
Lnclosure to letter >io. ol. dated the ii + i iv . ±
18th December 1914 fr om tile Secretary, J ^ llth Ifcember ]!,1 I to the Foreign
Political Department, 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. . ‘ihce, and the connected papers that
the Prench laid claim in any shape or
form to Sheikh Said or the western portion of Arabia. We trust that steps
may be taken to make it clear that His Majesty’s Government have never
recognised and can never recognise the claims of the Societe Guest Asiatique
or any other French claims in that region.
As regards (d), the arms trade at Jibouti, this matter has already formed
the subject of correspondence between Cairo and the Foreign Office (vide
„ „ , , ^ Cairo’s despatch to Sir E. Grey,
- Enclosure to letter No. 26, dated the No . ] ] 9,2 dated 24th May 1910) and
w r e need only say that w r e trust that
some efficient arrangement may be
made whereby Jibouti may be prevented from becoming in the Red Sea
what Maskat was in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . We regard this matter as of the
inmost importance.
0. Italy .—So far as Indian interests are concerned, Italy’s ambitions in
the direction of the Eastern Littoral of the Red Sea, particularly in the
direction of the Yemen, are disquieting. It v^as owing to apprehension
regarding her ambitions in this direction that on the entry of Italy as our ally
into the war we w 7 ere at once forced to take military action in the form of the
occupation of certain islands in the Red Sea —action we should not otherwise
have taken—in order to prevent Italy from establishing a claim in this region.
The question of Aden will be discussed in a later paragraph, and. the policy
we recommend will be stated, but the policy so indicated is contingent on the
absence of any European Power from the region of Southern Arabia. The
vdiole political and military situation in the Aden protectorate and the
Hadramaut would be revolutionised if a European Power obtained a foothold
in the Yemen or indeed anywhere on the Arabian Littoral. Indeed our
policy in regard to Arabia must perforce be of the nature of a Monroe doctrine.
We earnestly hope, therefore, that in return for compensation elsewhere an
understanding may be arrived at with the Italian Government whereby she
will admit that the Red Sea islands and Western and Southern Arabia are
outside the sphere of her interests and influence.
A subsidiary point in regard to Italy is the arms traffic in the Red Sea.
We understand that His Majesty’s Government have already this matter
under consideration, and that the
2 Vide enclosure to letter No. 28, dated Eoreign Office have addressed 3 His
omce 8 *'"*” 7. Majesty's Ambassador at Home on the
subject. All we need do here is to express
a hope that a satisfactory arrangement may be effected which will prevent
Italian territorv on the Red Sea from affording facilities to the arms traffic.
29tli June 191d, from the Secretary,
Political Department, 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. .