"ملف رقم ٠٦٢٩ مراسلات تتعلق بالأرض الواقعة تحت مياه البحر خارج المياه الإقليمية" [و‎‎٢‎٦] (٩٤/٥١)

Confidential.
D.O.No.982-063?
British Agency,
Sharjah,
Dated,2nd November,1949.
Will you please refer to Jakins letter No.C/S 130
about the proposed arbitration over the Abu Dhabi sea-bed.
2. On 30th October, I spoke to Shaikh Shakhbut on
the lines suggested by Jakins and handed him the revised
translation. The Shaikh said that he replied to Jakins
letter on 28th September 1949 and that he casually handed
in his reply at one of the P.C.L.camps. There is, therefore,
every reason to suppose th-t this letter must hav§ gone
9 ladX
astray. He gave me, however, a copy of which translation
is attnrhed•
3. You will notice that his reply completely evades
the issue. I asked the Shaikh what his real reason was
for adopting this evasive attitude. He replied that he was
trying to delay arbitration until such time as his finances
allow him to face any sort of legal costs without fear.
At present, he said, he could not guarantee to pay the fees
of a King's Counsel as the Political Agent suggested. I
gather that the Rs.400,000 loan made by P.C.L. in June of
this year has largely been expended already on consolidating
his position in Buraimi. I think also he is hoping that
Superior Oil Company will eventually engage and pay his
King's Counsel for him. He then said that he wished, at
the same time, to put to arbitration a number of other point?
in the concession. I asked him what points he had in mind,
but he was unable to specify them. He said, however, that
the concession was "full of injustices". T^is attitude on
his part dates from the first visit of Sir Hugh^in March
1949 and at that time, both Pelly and I had good reason to
believe that Sir Hugh had deliberately, and with the
authority of a former Government Servant, convincingly, put
into/-