'File XXV/7 Arabian Politics (including Iraq). Bin Saud, Akhwan, the Hejaz, 1920-1928' [‎109r] (228/494)

■
,..^V
flO^J ■ v
v y
20
The above bein» the state of mind of thn Qn Q :nn -n , .
advisers, I do not think one may be surnrised »t rfA? 0t ?ahr ® m an , d h,s
Shaikh Abdullah in London P the three re< l uests made b J
To turn to the three points in question.
Point l The Civil Commissioner states in hi«a TVn 1 ‘;qqq a oa^i
October 1919, to “ ZinneremoLondon, that the matter ^s for’aUp aetical
purposes settled when the Oj-der-in-Council was brought into force There are
still points, however, over which a ruling is required." As I understand it the
term “ neighbouring Arab Rulers ” refers to the inhabitants of Qatar Peninsula
t V 1 ' mtendBd rB T r ‘°.* e “habitants of Oman, Kuwait, Zanzibar!
Hadramant, Yemen, etc., the inhabitants of all which places are to he found
uere trading at al times p in other words are local resident subjects of the
Rulers of Oman, Kuwait, Zanzibar, Hejaz and inhabitants of Hadranfant and
r emen to be considered under the jurisdiction of the Shaikh of Bahrein or
imder that of the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. ? A ruling 13 required on this point as Shaikh
Isa certainly thinks he should control them.
Point 2. £ have nothing to say except that up to the day of his depar
ture, my predecessor was carrying on a correspondence with the Shaikh of
Bahrein over this very subject. The Shaikh had dismissed a member of the
4 ‘Majlis-al-TTrfi ” and Tad appointed another member without the knowledge
or approval of the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. . The circumstances suggested an attempt to
make a test case to see how far the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. wmuid be supported.
The Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. contended that under the Order-in-Council he had
every right to be consulted in the matter and refused to recognise “ Majlis-
al-TJrfL” until Shaikh Tsa withdrew his nomination. My predecessor went
away at this stage of the crises and it has been left for me to settle the tangle.
I certainly consider the Order-in-Counoil is cfear . on the subject and should
be insisted on. In the meantime the Majlis-al-Drfi s sittings have been sus
pended pending settlement of this vexed question.
Point 3. The question of Zubara.—l have been through a great many files
on the subject and have consulted confidentially various local people of
prominence, without, of course, divulging the reasons for my questions. The
conclusions 1 have arrived at are that it would be distinctly tmwise to allow
Shikh Isa to occupy Zubara. On the following grounds :—
(a) Shaikh Abdullah bin Jassim of Qatar would strongly resent the
Shaikh of Bahrein again getting a footing on the Qatar *
peninsula. He is a weaker man and Zubara in the hands of
Shaikh Isa would be a pistol at his head always.
(b) Shaikh Abdullah bin Jassim would certainly object to the develop
ment of a new port on the peninsula of Qatar since it would at
once divert all trade from Dohad (Bida) to Zubara and he would
not only lose a large amount of revenue at present accruing
' from the Customs House Al I)ohah, but would stand every chance
of seeing Dohah entirely disappear as the seaport of Qatar.
(e) Ibn Saud similarly would take offence at a revival of the port of
Zubara under Shaikh Isa’s jurisdiction for like reasons to ( 6 )
above, as such a port would mean the killing of his new trade
centre of O’Jair. It should be noted that the harbour of Zubara
is naturally much better than that of either I)ohah or O’Jair, and
with the Shaikh of Bahrein actually compelling all Bahrein trade
to go to the mainland through his port of Zubara, the end of
both Abdullah bin Jassim’s and Ibn Saud’s ports would be certain
and quick As matters stand a good deal of coolness already
exists between Ibn Saud and Shaikh Isa owing to the latter
having recently instituted a 5 per cent, tax on goods passing
through Bahrain for O’Jair even though such goods never leave
Ibn Saud contends that Shaikh Isa
through Bahrain for
the Bahrein Customs House. .
should only take demurrage charges (or Arthiyeh).
In my opinion the suggestion of Shaikh Isa’s that he be allowed to
* , i j no nirmprl in the hud. The new
in my upuuvu me . ,
^ tern year-old controversy should oe nipped
revive
move i&
%