File 4535/1928 Pt 8 ‘ – PERSIAN GULF – QUESTION OF ESTABLISHMENT OF PROTECTORATES OVER KOWEIT, BAHREIN, MUSCAT, TRUCIAL COAST.’ [‎95r] (183/194)

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a ? ahl -?i n ^ more important to us that it ever has been There is little
weakened 1 iTk foru^to 6 Persia ,° Ur stren g th on th at coast will be
The Persian ^Gulf S is^vltel^o^us^as a^oiiflfoi^SeTine fro Wel1 ,
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Bahrein is a keypoint on the air route to India and the^sV'an^ wUhou^Twe
Ccould not maintain a service. We cannot lose Bahrein But notwithstend'ne our
outwardly strong position on the islands, a single serious quarrel w th Sheikh! Isa
and Hamad, a quarrel engineered bv Ibn Sand on „ , MelKn s tsa
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Persian on political grounds, and we should have to vacfte our pnvileged JoSn
of rrukT T^facrt^r 1 ^ 11 ^ ln / he i! aCe ? f the agSThe^wtC
or s ulers. llie tact that under treaty the ruler is not allowed to corresoond
do so in'th^future 1,8 haS n0t prevented him from 80 doing in the past, and would not
i qu we not take over Bahrein when it was offered
administration ancfde” Savour oolioT^tr^f d W ° Uld giV6 US in
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have equally to accept the commitments for defence if Bahrein were threatened
^ininhJRSSG^r “ g il “ ' ^ " d tb ' ™S“ r
as
administrative. Vlut SheikhHama^'knowrrha^he^cannot'sfan^w'ithou^us 10 ^ 1 '
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indeed, I would say that, notwithstanding his p!rsonarouS le ^lontent to
keep us there for that reason. His state of mind is a mixed one to be swayed either
way by the course of events. At present, though turning towards Ibn Baud fn Ms
o P f WatabSe^’ 6 ^ US ’ and haS n ° desire fnl ' the rigid strict
0Q .® 0 t . I t 'T ou ’ d su gfi est th , en . that Sheikh Hamad should be induced to approach us
saying that he fears the political situation, and would be glad if we would extend
to him the protection which was refused to his predecessor in 1849
7 lth the consolidation of our position we could afford to cut down the British
staff to one man, and insist that Sheikh Hamad should make all the show of h
rulership, as in an Indian State since our nnsitinn wnnU i™ 1 -i u? ow ot a
:h
at
iy
bv force ’ ce onr P 0Sltl cn would be unassailable except
61 The protectorate thus concluded need not be proclaimed for the moment if
it is not desired, but it would legalise and consolidate a position which is loose and
uncertain. I cannot, personally, face with equanimity a future based on the riresent
^y
st
circumstances of world politics, especially of Eastern politics, and the conditions
the Wahabi poweTmight. 1 in place of fwllHng subordinalion’ become ^f ad bf n h e °d
id
is
as
to
!i 2 . We are losing our position in the northern coast of the Gulf- we shall
Xle!ou 0 thernTitto e raT U 111 W6 all0W Ibn SaU<3 t0 conso,idate ^is power on the
ib
st
A copy of this despatch is being sent to His Majesty’s Minister, Tehran
I have, &c.
s,
L. HAWORTH, Lieutenant-Colonel.
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• Enclosure .S in No 1
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Lieutenant-Colonel Haworth to the Foreign Secretary to the Government of India *
(Confidential.)
Si ^
TTTAVT 7 .U u , , . Bushire, September 10, 1927.
n.L v f V V ' h tllf ; honour to state that m my despatches of the 30th April and the
advn M /i aSt ' an j m W. despatch dated the 1st September, 1927, I have throimhout
advocated some advance in the policy which we have hitherto followed in the Persian
reference !* 8 des P atc ' 1 was receiTed la ‘« Sir R. Clive's despatch, but is printed with it for facility of