File 522/1922 Pt 4 'Persian Gulf: Bahrein: Internal' [‎30r] (64/616)

principle that the issue of a Law on Nationality was a
matter for his sovereign rights. It seemed best therefore
to see how far the Hejazi Government were prepared to go by
amendments in the Law of 1926,without officially admitting
the right of His Majesty T s Government to intervene.
3. '.Then Sheikh Yussuf Yasin referred to LIr.Bird T s
memorandum at the outset of our conversation on February 4th,
I reminded him that it had been an unofficial paper and
explained the procedure which your predecessor had in view at
that time, but I did not press the matter. I went on to say
that I had myself been led to consider points not raised in
that memorandum and that, while those points did not bear on
the form of the law, they might affect our appreciation of
it. I raised the question whether the law was intended to
a PPly all the King’s dominions. The Sheikh seemed a
little surprised but said that in his view it was of general
application and not confined to the Hejaz as might appear
from the title. Having elicited this, I did not stress the
point further, as I did not wish to mention Asir.
4. I explained that, if the law did apply throughout
the King’s dominions, it would have a bearing on questions
which concerned us, such as that of Bahrain subjects in Hasa
and Hadramis in the Hejaz. Later on the Sheikh hinted that
the question of the Bahrainis would come into Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
negotiations. This is my own view and I assented generally.
I did not pursue the question of Hadramis, as it was one which
I have not fully studied. I also kept off Iraqis, except
for expressing a smiling hope that before long any matters
affecting them would be dealt with by an Iraqi representative.
5. I referred -also to the question of Ikhtilaf-ud-Dar
(See my despatch Ho.188 of July 24th last). Citing the
case of Osman Hakim as an illustration, I said there were
cases in which a British subject might have so identified
himself with this country, without ceasing to be British,
that/