Coll 5/10 ‘Air Route to India: Persia; Arabian Coast Route; Negotiations with Arab Sheikhs’ [‎196r] (402/800)

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EXTRACT.
FRCtt: The Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Division
H.M.S. w TRIAD fl at Lascat.
DATE: 18th November, 1930• No. 96/177.
TO: The Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Station.
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X X X
4. OIL DAl^E AT RAIL>AL>K11AIIXAH .
On 3let October I discussed at length the whole
question of the R.A.F. Barge at Ras-al-Khaiinah with the
Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. Age^*t who reported that he had se^t 300' rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. to the
Sheikh or Ras-al-Xhaimah aa the first quarter’s instalment of
subsidy for guarding th« oil barge. The Gheikh returned the
money with a request that Isa himself should go to hand it
c*er. ‘ , ’
Isa went to Ras-al-Khaimah accordingly and offered
the money to the Cheikh who refused it on the grounds that if
he accoutred the monejrnow he would be-precluded from havin
any further discussion on the question of the oil barge with
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. . It was agreed, therefore, that the
money should rest with Isa until the Sheikh had met 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. and had come to a final agreement with him.l
In view of the fact that the Sheikh had agreed last
May to thn barge remaining at nae-al-Khaimah, Isa asked him
why he wanted to see 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. and pointed out
that he had not asked for‘a time to be fixed for such a
meeting. To this question the Sheikh raplied that he wanted to
beg the Government, through 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. , tftat the
barge should be moved out of the Creek.
He was told* by Isa 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. would
never aaxee to this and he suggested that the Sheikh nig^it
provide a godown as he had previously considered doing ana that
Chen the barge would most certainly be moved, lo this
su gg estion the Sheikh renlied that he would give no got own, m
fact he preferred-to have the barge. n .
Isa then pointed out that the Sheikh had already
promised to accept the rest and asked why he now failed to
fulfil his promises. The Sheikh countered by suggesting that
his orople feared the British; who when” once they had some
footing, would then want a landing ground ana gradually would
ask for more and, more rights which It would be impossible for
him to grant. *’ ,, ^ x ~ ,
The Sheikh was informed that the British Government
did nr>t wish for any further concessions, but toia isa
that the' latter might today give him his word of honour on
that point, tomorrow Isa might be relieved of his nost and then
where would he (the Sheikh) stand in relation to the promises
made. Ke then proceeded to tell Isa that he and his people
were Tahabis, that the Head of the 7/ahabis is ibn oaud ana
that if British Government persisted in forcing their policy
upon him, he would place himself under thy Pfjwecuion oi ion
Saud who would deal with the matter direct with the British
Government. So far as he was concerned there the matter endtd,
he would appeal to Ibn Saud and end the friendly iroaty with
Great Britain, , .
isa advised him that this attitude would n 0 t do him
eny good and in fact would get him into trouble, for in
accordence ^ith the terms of his Treaty he was debarred from
appealing to another country. Ras-al-Khaimah maintained that
other Sheikhs would appeal to Ibn Saud. Isa told him that he
did not think that the other Sheikhs were of the same frame oi
mi v*