"هنجام. وضع وحقوق الحكومة البريطانية في جزيرة هنجام. شيخ هنجام والشؤون الخاصة به" [ظ‎‎٦‎٠] (٨/٢)

o
* Lrs. from Pol. Res.
to (1. of I., June 28
191], I*. IWo/ll;
Oct. 8 1911,
P. 1880/12.
Precis, |>i>. 21-7.
Teh. Desp. 122,
Julv 2 190-1,
P.3U05.
t paras. 13 and
17-20, infra.
Precis, pp. 34, 35, 37.
Precis, p. 2(5.
Precis, p. 26.
Precis, p. 27.
Precis, p. 64.
claims, on the other hand, that Henjain has never been a Persian possession,
and that no specific reference to it was at any stage made in connection with
the lease from Persia of Bunder Abbas and its dependencies.
6. Careful examination of the available evidence suggests that the claims
of Muscat are substantial. 0 But despite the representations in favour of
Muscat of the then Political Resident, Persian sovereignty was formally
recognised in 1868 by His Majesty’s Government and the Government of
India; in the year 1904 His Majesty’s Government further informed the
Persian Government that “ there was no intention ... to support any such
claim [to sovereignty] on the part of the Sheikh of Dabai, or to repudiate the
authority of the Persian Government over Henjam ” ; and their recognition
of Persian suzerainty has been reiterated on various occasions since that
date, and particularly in the last two years.f In the circumstances, while
the Muscat claim has never been abandoned, it seems impracticable for His
Majesty’s Government, in view of their consistent recognition of Persian
sovereignty over the last 60 years, to take any action at this stage to
challenge the position of Persia.
The British Telegraph Concession at Henjam.
7. The basis of the position in Henjam of His Majesty’s Government is
the Telegraph Concession secured from the Persian Government in 1868.
Prior to that date the occupation of Henjam (with the approval of the
Imam of Muscat, under whose effective control the island then was) had been
considered in 1820 in connection with the removal to the south Persian
coast of the British military detachment stationed on the Arabian coast at
Ras-al-Khaima; but, as in the case of Basidu (cp. Memorandum on p. 0,
para. 0), an emphatic repudiation of the power of Muscat, “ itself a
dependency of Persia,” to grant concessions in Henjam and Kishm, “which
are dependencies of Bandar Abbas,” was received from Persia and the
matter was not pursued.
8. There appear to have been no developments of importance until 1865.
In that year the transfer to the island of the telegraph station maintained,
on Cape Musandim on the Arabian coast was proposed by the Indian
Telegraph authorities. After considerable discussion as to the rival claims
to suzerainty of Persia and Muscat, it was decided in 1868 that Persia was
the only Power which could object to the establishment of the station on the
island, and it was agreed that a formal request for permission for its
erection should be made to the Persian Government by His Majesty’s
Minister in Teheran.
9. The necessary sanction was granted by the Shah on 29th March 1868,
subject to a proviso that “the number of employees and the extent of the
buildings should not at any time be allowed to exceed those explained in
the Memorandum received from the British Legation.’’ The exact scope
of the concession, and the area within which it was to operate, having
subsequently formed the subject of considerable controversy with Persia,
it may be placed on record that the Memorandum in question stipulated for
a staff of 15 Europeans, to include a ’Telegraph Superintendent and his
assistant, an apothecary, and a storekeeper; and for a telegraph office
containing instrument room, battery rooms, Superintendent’s office,
verandah, &c. ; a dwelling house for the Superintendent and his assistant ;
a barrack for 10 or 12 clerks, a house for apothecary and medical stores ; a
large shed for telegraph stores and material; a house for the storekeeper,
and a shed for inferior material and coal store for the telegraph steamer
when cruising, together with sundr} 7 out-offices for cooking houses, native
servants, stables, <&c. The cable appears to have been landed at Henjam
towards the end of December 1868 and a telegraph station to have been
opened shortly after.
10. The telegraph station was maintained from 1868-9 to 1881, when
its abandonment was approved. Proposals for the transfer to Henjam of
the naval coal depot at. Basidu and the acquisition of the island from
Persia in exchange for Basidu were considered in 1865-6, 1872 and 1880.
Precis 85.