"ملف 82/27 (VI (F 87 نفط قطر" [و‎‎١‎١‎٣] (٤٥٤/٢٤٠)

P.Z. 2253/35
INDIA Qjj'FIGS .
Confidential .
QATAR OIL.
Note of discussion at the India Office
28th March 1935^ with representatives of the
The Sheikh of Qatar r s redraft of the Qatar Commercial
Agreement received under Mr. Lefroy ! s letter of 26th March
to Mr. Laithwaite was discussed at the 1.0. on the 28th
March. Mr. Lefroy, Mr. Mylles, Mr. Walton and Mr.Laithwaite
y/ere present.
2. It appeared that the Company, (subject to the comments
which follow), were prepared generally to accept the redraft
in the form proposed "by the Sheikh, and were in fact anxious
to agree to it with as few alterations as possible in order to
facilitate negotiations.
Article Ij . The Sheikh had insisted on "won and saved".
The redraft of this article on which the Company propose to
instruct Mr. Mylles to negotiate is appended to this record.
Article i4.(a) . It has already been agreed (Mr. Lefroy* s
letter of 10th October 193U, on P.Z. 6327/3U) that signature
must be ad referendum and subject to the approval of H.M.G.
The point v/as made that in these circumstances it would be
difficult, if not impossible, for the Company to make the
first payment under the agreement immediately on signature.
After discussion the best course seemed to be that Mr# Mylles
should, immediately before signature and after the financial
terms had been agreed, remind the Sheikh that signature was
subject to approval and that in these circumstances the whole
of the first payment could not be made immediately but that a
payment on account of, say, Rs»50,000 would be made at once,
and that the date of signature for the purpose of Articles
4(b) 5 4(c) and sub-paragraph 2 (i) and (ii) should be the date
on/
5
on. Thursday,
A.P.O.C.