Coll 35/13 'Persian Gulf: public wireless telegraph station at Sharjah' [‎49r] (99/179)

Minute Paper.
political Department.
1212 5CP0 9.32
Our agreement with the 3heikh oi Shargah
for the establishment of a.n air station at Shargah
is flagged, on P.Z.4664^As will he seen, no
specific mention is made in it of the erection of a
wireless telegraph station even for merely air
purposes. Colonel Powle, in paragraph 8 of his
aespatch of Jth August 1932, on P.Z.49?9/32, comnented
on this, ana recoraed conversations between Colonel
Dickson ana the Sheikh which seemed aaequately to
cover the point so far as | communication between the
air station and aircraft on air purposes was
concerned.
2. Prom Colonel Powle's despatch of the 9th
March, on P.Z.ltfif?/33, it will be seen that Airways,
without consultation with the political authorities
or with the Sheikh, subsequently opened a public
wireless station at Shargah f and notified that
messages might be transmitted through it both in
Shargah and in Dibai, with the result that a formal
protest was received from the Sheikh. On the matter
being taken up with the Air Ministry here it appeared
that there had been considerable correspondence on
the natter between the Civil Aviation Branch of the
Air Ministry and Airways, who had represented that
the opening of the station was at the request of the
local sheikh. If this is in fact correct it was no
doubt based on some quite casual and polite remark
by the Sheikh to which definite effect was not
intended to be given. The incident has resulted in
a general overhaul of the question of air procedure
in regard to stations on the Arab Air Route, the
I outcome of which will be submitted for consideration
separately in a few days.
i
3/