Coll 30/200 ‘Persian Gulf. Tour of Political Resident from Bahrein to Muscat in L. T. Nearchus.’ [‎14r] (28/133)

HO. 5-B.
jT y 3
.. f. 'v>.
, 1 056 j
COHgXDSKTlAL.
Britiah He^idenoy & Son aula te. General 9
| ^•hire,
the aBth January 1944.
Sir,
I have the honour to give eoroe details of my reoent
tour to Bandar Abbas Jaak and Ghahbar which may be of Interest.
This tour would not have been poaslble without the co-operation
of the Air officer Commanding Iraq who kindly flew me to
Sharjah, and .the Senior Naval Officer, J-ersian Gulf, who
arranged for a eh ip to take roe from SharJCah to Bandar Abbae
and for another vest el to take roe to Muscat, Jhahbar and Jask.
I returned by the first vessel to Bahrain, and was compelled
perforce to leave my office and staff behind, but Mr. Rogers
accompanied roe from Bandar Abbae on the fbrther portion of
my tour. This Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. Is hamstrung without a vessel, and
I have made repeated representations to be supplied with
adequate touring facilities. In the absence of any ship
both I and my officers have been obliged to make a number
of dangerous and highly uncomfortable journeys by launch,
which so far as 1 know do not fall to the lot of civilian
officers in any other part of the world.
2. I made the initial arrangements for this tour with
Mr. Rogers who flew with me in a B.O.A.C. flying-boat from
bharjah to Jiwani on my reoent visit to India, when he was
takix^ this roundabout but rapid method of visiting the
furthest limits of hie juriedlotion. 1 wanted him to
accompany me as he was in close touch with the Bly&ban and
Mekran Coasts, and also to take him to Muscat as there were
a number of coast-watohlng problems which involved both the
Persian and Arab shores.
3. On arrival at Bandar Abbas I paid a visit to the
fish canning factory An East India Company trading post. . The Senior Naval Officer is disturbed
at the presence of neutrals so close to a vital zone, more
especially as die antecedents of these men have never been
fully elucidated. He was anxious that we should organise
some form of supervision in the factory An East India Company trading post. , but after discussion
with Mr. Rogers I came to the ooncluslon that it was unlikely
that ary hostile activities could take place in the factory An East India Company trading post.
but that die activities of the European employees outside would
require carvful attention and this is being done. There are
at present three Danes in the factory An East India Company trading post. and a fourth is shortly
due to arrive. There is, in addition, a Persian manager in
charge, who has not yet taken over his duties. The Danes
do not put to sea in the three hired launches which bring the
fish from ,JLshm. These vessels usually ply at night and
land their oatch between 8 and 9 in the roorniiig. The area
within which they may ply has been fixed in consultation with
the Baval Officer in Charge Hormuz, and should aqy suspicion
arise it would be open to the Naval authorities to place men
on these launches. There is of oourse a possibility that
His Majesty f e Minister,
British Legation,
TSHHAH .
/ the