"ملف ١٩/١٧ إنشاء اتصالات تلغرافية في الدوحة ودبي" [و‎‎٢‎٥] (٩٠/٤٩)

R'
j
Confidential
26/iL/5a.
British Agency,
Jjoha,
6 th July 195U.
Please refer
to your C/Q-152 of 29th June.
2. It is ido st depressing to find that Cable and
hireless have made no progress in their attitude during
the past six months. Messrs. Penfold and nov.deswell
came here just before Christmas last year and discussed
the volume (pf traffic, the rent of ? suitable house, the
cost-of-living and every other relevant aspect of their
setting up here. As a result of that visit, I understand .9 ,
that they reported that the volume of traffic v-as less, S'' 0 '
and the expense greater, than would justify opening^in^
Doha, and that if would be better to wait. Ijd^Tiot know
what weight they gave to their obligations>-frtfa monopoly
service (Jakins's' C/R-44Y of cOth September last to H.&.)
or to the fact that at present they pocket the charges
on the not inconsiderable volume of traffic between Bah
rain and ^Qatar which is handled at this end entirely by
the Oil Company and without any expense to themselves.
However, if the Oil Company now find it impossible to jus
tify the expense of this additional work, and withdraw their
service altogether, I think a certain obligation rests on
Cable and Wireless to put something in its^place. The Com
pany are not dropping the thing because the volume of traf
fic does not justify its maintenance,- rather the contrary.
3. I cannot supply any very useful estimates of the
volume of traffic, but it is obviously increasing and will
continue to do so. If the increase in the volume of mail
since the Postal service became available is any indication,
large numbers of people are only waiting for the service to
begin in order to"use it. The Oil Company have, and are no
doubt prepared to divulge, actual figures of traffic handled,
but it must be remembered that they reject a certain number
of telegrams, and that the general' poulace and the merchant
community do not have the use of their facilities at all.
Also, if a service is operating when the Superior Company
open up, they will doubtless make use of it, whereas if
there is none, they too will be obliged to set up their
ov;n show, with free telegrams for the Sheikh etc. and all
the other paraphernalia which makes it so difficult to get
rid of these private installations once they are begun.
4. As far as the cost-of-living is concerned, Messrs.
Cray Mackenzie Ltd. have a somewhat similar set-up m iJoha
to whet I understand Cable and tireless v.ere contemplating,
and tiiey would probably supply their figures if asked. The
Eastern Bank make a Dona allowance of 3 o on the Bah
rain figure, Vv’ater costs 3 As. a four-gallon tin, and is
available in virtually unlimited cuantities and is of far
better quality than any Bahrain water. There is no elec
tricity on sale yet in Doha, but they would presumably need
their own generator for the set in any case. The Dank have
a very sensible-looking little 3 Kw. engine.
5. Penfold inspected a house which seems suite suitabi
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