File 200/1928 Pt 10 'Persia: Anglo-Persian Relations. Treaty Negotiations' [‎146v] (293/868)

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THE SUB-COMMITTEE had before them Paper No. M.E. (O) 146
comprising copies of letters from Mr. Laithwaite to Mr. Rendel No. P.Z. 6202/34
of the 3rd October, and from Mr. Rendel to the Secretary of the Sub-Committee
No. E. 6109/2850/34 of the 9th October, enclosing, for the information of the
Official Sub-Committee, a memorandum circulated by the Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs to the Ministerial Sub-Committee as Paper No. M.E. (M) 50. ^
THE CHAIRMAN explained that the meeting had been called at the
suggestion of the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. in order that the interested departments might
have the advantage of hearing the views of Lieutenant-Colonel Fowle. 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. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , prior to his departure for Bushire on the
13th October, and of giving Mr. Knatchbull-Hugessen. the new Minister Designate
to Tehran, the opportunity of hearing those views and the views of the interested
departments, of making any comments, and of obtaining any further information
he might require. On the other hand. Sir John Simon’s memorandum
(M.E. (M) 50) had been circulated to the Ministerial Sub-Committee, by which
the whole subject was still under discussion, and it could not therefore be
discussed by the Official Sub-Committee, to the members of which it had been
circulated for information only. The present meeting was, in fact, intended to
be of an exploratory nature only and it was not proposed that any definite
recommendations should be made.
The question of Anglo-Persian relations, with particular reference to the
triple problem of Hen jam, Basidu and Bahrein, had been discussed by the
Ministerial Sub-Committee on the 11th June last, when it had been agreed to
refer the question of the Persian claim to Bahrein to the Law Officers of the
Crown for an opinion, and decided that the policy of His Majesty's Government
in the Gulf should for the present be to endeavour to maintain the status quo
and to avoid, as far as possible, any risk of an incident occurring which might
precipitate a Persian demand for our withdrawal from Henjam and Basidu.
The Law Officers had now reported that in their opinion the Persian claim
to Bahrein was without foundation. Our position in Bahrein could therefore be
regarded with much greater confidence. On the other hand, our position at
Henjam and Basidu was, in the opinion of the Foreign Office, becoming
increasingly precarious. In these circumstances, Sir John Simon had suggested
in his memorandum to the Ministerial Sub-Committee that immediate steps
should be taken to prepare Bahrein as a naval station which could be used as
an alternative to Henjam if we should have to evacuate the latter at short notice.
It had been stated at previous meetings that it would take from fifteen to eighteen
months to render Bahrein suitable as a naval station and, in view of the gravity
of the risk of our being summarily ejected from Henjam, the Foreign Office
considered that the necessary measures should be put in hand at Bahrein without
delay if we were not to find ourselves let in the air, in a position of great indignity,
with much injury to our prestige.
The very categorical report by the Law Officers and the views on the local
aspect of this question which he understood Colonel Fowle was prepared to put
before the meeting constituted new features in the situation since it had been
discussed by Ministers on the 11th June. The object of the meeting therefore was
to discuss the matter preliminarily in the light of these new features, and, after
hearing the views of Colonel Fowle and of Mr. Knatchbull-Hugessen, to consider
whether there were any further points which might be usefully laid before the
Ministers with a view to their impending discussion of Sir John Simon’s
memorandum.
Mr. LAITHWAITE said that the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. had suggested this meeting
with a view to clearing the ground before the proposed meeting of the Ministerial
Sub-Committee. They thought it would be of particular advantage to place on
record before that meeting Colonel Fowle’s views as to the effect on our prestige
in the Gulf of voluntary evacuation of Basidu and Henjam if at any time in the
future a decision in that sense should be taken, and to give the Resident an
opportunity to express his views on any points which the Minister-Designate
might care to raise in connection with Gulf politics. He agreed that it would be
difficult for the Official Sub-Committee to make any positive recommendation,
since Sir John Simon’s paper was addressed to the Ministerial Sub-Committee,
but general discussion should help to clear the air.