Coll 29/2(2) 'Transfer of Bushire Residency to Bahrain: selection of site and construction of buildings' [‎30r] (61/813)

so long in replying to your
letter of 23rd November enclosing your draft paper on future
administration and control of relations with the Arab States
of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ,
"On the other hand, it was found that the Colonial Office
are in a position to accept immediate control and are
qualified to do so owing to the circumstances that:-
(1) they could provide administrative and other British
staff, as vacancies occurred, from the Colonial Service;
(2) they already have local associations with Arabia by
reason of Colonial Office administration of Aden Colony
and Protectorate, control of which was transferred to them
from the Government of India in 1937; (3) they have much
experience in indirect rule involving interference in the
internal affairs of protected States such as is, in
practice, inevitable in the case of the Sheikdoms; and
(4) they are accustomed to supervise staffs performing
duties of an administrative character such as the bulk of
the work of the political officers in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
(which also includes judicial duties). Moreover, the
Colonial Office are well qualified to assist the State
overnments in developing medical, educational and welfare
ctivities for which increased revenues from oil production
re likely to provide opportunities. Nevertheless the
olonial Office representatives pointed out that there
esponsibility in an area where the principal questions
ffecting His Majesty's Government seem at present largely
o concern relations with neighbouring foreign countries
nd with the oil companies operated by companies with
oreign shareholders. Further, Colonial Office control
f quasi-independent Rulers might be misrepresented, in
nterested quarters, as an intrusion of British "Imperialism"
m this region."
follows:-
We suggest that paragraph 4 might be re-worded as
niight be disadvantages in their Department accepting
Sir William Croft, KCB., CI£., CVO
/My