'File 6/1 Foreign Interests: American Mission at Muscat' [‎63r] (125/210)

Privat e and imo fricial.
\ Muscat,
26t^ ^eptenber,191S.
Wy dear Harrison,
4
You spoke to me the other day about the posnibili-
i
of your Mission purchasing land for a dispensary or Hospital at Mat-i
ra and T promised to look up and see whether my official records gay
me any guidance as to what the attitude of our Government would be
likely to be on the subject. Ho far I can find nothing to guide me
and indeed very little correspondence at all.
But it occurs to me — and this please regard as ^
my private opinion subject to any drawbacks that the approaching vio
visit of the Resident or subsequent instructions from my Government
may impose thereupon — that if T were left alone to advise H.H. in
matter, I would urge him to grant you a plot of ground of any reason
-able si?;e the Mission might apply for to be selected by H.H., on a
nominal quit-rent, say ^:15 per annum. Certain essencial conditions
of the lease would be (a) that the Mission had no power to sublet
and (b) that the ground was only to be used for medical or religious 1
purposes or for the residence of any members or bona fide y)ermanent
servants of the Mission and this on the understanding that no mem
ber of the Mission w-hile there residing (1) engaged in trade or j
(2) held any official appointment under any Government except that
of Oman.(3) that in the event of the ground remaining unused for a ^
period, say three years» from date of grant or,if after being used,
it should remain unused or abandoned for the period of one year, the
ruler shall be at liberty to terminate the lease and resume posessl'
of the ground thUs gra-nted. Possibly,too,your Mission would find ix
necessary to stipulate for some method of valuation and purchase of
the buildings you erected, should the ruler of Maskat for the tine-i
being find it necessary on account of an accidental or non—continu
ous breach o£ the conditions (1) and (2) imposed by the lease to tex
minate the lease.
Of course I dd not know that I have any right to
interfere or impose conditions of any kind but,if you think this
could go forward as such, I shall be glad to as^ the Resident if ne^
can accord you an interview and place this letter before him when »
Yours sincerely
signed S.G.Knox, Major.
he comes.