"ملف 82/27 (VI (F 87 نفط قطر" [و‎‎٣‎٦] (٤٥٤/٨٤)

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was present) I informed him frankly that I had heard 1 rumours 1
to the above effect. Holmes (whom I like personally whatever
I may think of him officially) said that he appreciated my
frankness and that he had no intention of visiting Qatar or
of negotiating for oil there until at all events the Anglo —
Persian Oil Company concession had expired. In the meantime
he wcuLd be busy here with Kuwait Oil Company geologists. I
am informing the Anglo-Persian Oil Company Abadan of this.
4 1 Pursuing a policy of frankness I aasked Holmes who he
would act for when and xf he negotiated at Qatar. He made
the following interesting statement. That he had in the last
few months been approached by two "one hundred per cent" British
groups (who had since amalgamated into one group) to negotiate
on their behalf in Qatar, but had told them there was »nothing
doing 1 until the Anglo-rer si an Oil Company option had expired
without their being successful in obtaining the concession.
That if this occurred, more especially if the Americans were
after the concession, he would certainly enter the field.
6. Holmes did not give me this information im confidence
but 1 see no necessity for it to be passed to the Anglo-
Persian Oil Company.
6. I did not ask him the names of his hundred per cent
British backers but it is quite possible that they may be
Traders under another name.- with Eastern and General and
Arabian Development Syndicate elements added.
7. The situation is therefore as follows 5
(a) If Mylles concludes the Commercial Agreement then
the Political Agreement between His Majesty's Govern
ment and the Company will have to be presented to
the /