ملف رقم ٣٤٥ لسنة ١٩٠٨ الجزء الثاني "المحمرة: الوضع. نزاع الشيخ مع والي البصرة. تقليد الشيخ وساماً. تجديد التطمينات للشيخ". [ظ‎‎١‎٧] (٥٦٦/٣٩)

10
of the railway foreign firms will arrive in force and complicate the
situation.
It is then time for us to take stock of events.
Our interests in Arabistan are so great both politically and commercially
that the practical autonomy of the Sheikh and our control over him become
matters of moment to us. , ^ i , i i i
Since the giving of the assurances to the Sheikh matters have advanced
considerably. We are about to build a railway in Arabistan, we have an
option on the Khor Musa, we are to represent the Sheikh on the Conservancy
Board for Shatt-el-Arab, the Sheikh has promised us that should it be
necessary he will give us a concession for irrigation on the Karun, while the
Oil Company has just obtained from him permission to bore for oil at Ahwaz.
In return it is not much that he should ask for an increased measure of
security for himself, while the fact cannot lie too much underlined that the
Sheikh’s interests are our material interests.
In a recent speech the First Lord of the Admiralty referred to the
necessitv of our opening up all the oil fields which we could in British
territory.
The present oil fields of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company lie just beyond
the Sheikh’s lands though the refinery is at Abadan, but 8 miles from
Mohammerah as the crow Hies and on the Sheikh’s property. He has now
agreed, on very favourable terms to the Company, to drilling for oil at
Ahwaz should oil be found there, and the geologists are very sanguine ; then
oil field, pipe line, and refinery will all be within his territory.
With the Persian Gulf in our hands the advantage of having the control of
this country through the Sheikh is evident and any lessening of his authority
will act to our detriment.
The greater the power of the Sheikh the greater our control; the greater
his autonomous powers the more he will put himself in our hands, for he
understands that he cannot stand alone.
The Sheikh would willingly put himself entirely under our protection
were that possible, and, indeed, has often told me he wished that he
could do so. He has even said that he wishes that we could administer
his lands for him, paying him a fixed revenue. He fully realises the immense
grain and cotton growing possibilities of Arabistan with its rivers and
canals, but knows that an Arab like himself is incapable of developing it.
With the Central Government at Tehran it is, I suppose, impossible to
talk of a protectorate, but it would appear that there could be no objection
to our referring to our very special position and interests in Arabistan, and
to informing the Persian Government that in consequence we have also very
special relations with the Sheikh, and that these relations make it impossible
for us to tolerate any infringement of the rights and privileges which he
has acquired. Such a position would gradually stiffen into an actual pro
tection without interfering with the Persian suzerainty. It would enable
us to give the Sheikh the support which he requires and at the same time
enable us to obtain over Arabistan the control of oil and other industries
which we wish to develop.
2nd August 1913.
L. Haworth, Major,
His Majesty’s Consul for Arabistan.