Concessions in Bahrein [Bahrain], Kuwait, &c: correspondence, 1932-Jul 1933 (Colonial Office Secret Print, Middle East No.49) [‎60v] (122/284)

94
25. It was decided that the position should be further discussed in the light of the
communications promised by the Admiralty and the Petroleum Department, if received
in time, at the meeting arranged for the 3rd of May.
**********
18135/33 [No. 95].
No. 116.
ME. J. G. LAITHWAITE ( 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
ME. K. W. BLAXTEE (Colonial Office).
•Mt dear Blaster , 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. , Whitehall, S.W .I, 1st May, 1933.
You will remember that 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. , at our meeting about oil last
week, mentioned that he had had a confidential letter from Colonel Loch commenting
on Major Holmes s procedure in communicating direct with the Bahrein Government
on the subject of the agreement between Bahrein and the Bahrein Petroleum Company .
I now enclose a copy of Colonel Loch's letter which is, T think, self-explanatorv.
T am sending copies to Eendel, Starling, and Moore.
Yours, &c.,
J. G. LAITHWAITE.
Enclosure in No. 116.
(Confidential.)
My dear Fowle , The Eesidency, Bushire, 17th April, 1933.
I n continuation of my letter of 10th April (as 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. , Bahrein) I
enclose a copy of a despatch No. 26, dated the 17th April, 1933, to the Secretary of
fetate tor the Colonies. J
a ?" -D T i, sIl ? uld i P er Jl a P s have explained, when writing the enclosure as Political
itfoQ 1 • y 1 e1 !!' ^ Major Holmes had sent a copy of his letter dated the 4th April
1933, informally to the Adviser, Bahrein Government. I, therefore, judged that the
a course was to ask for the views of the Bahrein Government at once, so that no
desire to delay matters, or to hide them from the Ruler of Bahrein, should be imputed
to us by the interests involved. By doing this, Major Holmes has violated Condition 0
ot the Schedule to the Supplementary Agreement dated the 12th June, 1930, concluded
kv^down that— Bahre,n and the Eastern and General Syndicate, Limited, which
i . *^'1 communications which that official may desire on behalf of the said
Bahrein Petroleum Company, Limited, to address to the Shaikh of Bahrein shall
be made through the British 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. in Bahrein."
I think (I write from memory) that this practice of sending informal copies of letters
to the Adviser has bera adopted in the past on one or two occasions, but I think that
/veX fv intbe fi f' ^ 0 w 1C n A | ent ' Ballrein ' t0 draw Ma j or Holmes's attention
{ e Daily m the first instance) to Condition C and inform him that it would be preferable
for him to desist from this practice in future. 1 eu raoie
i> be of " se . t0 y 0 " to know that His Excellency Shaikh Hamad is stronglv
agaimst a further extension of the prospecting licence. He will I believe also be
against giving a wider area to the Bahrein Petroleum Company without first getting the
Anglo-Persian Oil Company to bid against them, but he is desperately in need of
Yours, &c.,
G. Loch.
The Honourable Lieutenant-Colonel T. C. Fowle, C.B.E.