مجموعة ٣٢/٧ "الخليج الفارسي: توريد أسلحة وذخيرة إلى شيخ قطر" [و‎‎٣‎٠] (١٦٧/٥٩)

our
— 2 -
proinise of protection by land (in connection with his
granting an oil concession to Petroleum Concessions Limited)
he was told that His Majesty’s Government expected him to take
ail reasonable steps for his own defence# It is the noyal
Air Porce who are primarily responsible for carrying out any
defence measures necessary, and it is the responsibility of
the Political Authorities to ensure that the maximum ground
assistance in these measures is forthcoming from the Snaikh#
Should the Shaikh’s tribesmen be armed with rifles which take
standard .303 ammunition of Brit ish manufacture, supplies
of anmunition and additional rifles could be provided by the
Royal Air Force speedily and without difficulty in an
emergency# Should the tribesmen, however, be armed with
German Mauser rifles and ammunition, such supplies could not be
provided without difficulty and much delay, and the Royal Air
Force would find themselves deprived of the ground assistance
of the Shaikh’s forces when such assistance was most needed.
As mentioned in paragraph 2 of my Express letter No.459-3 of
1st June 1936 the Royal Air Force consider it essential that
the rifles purchased by the Shaikh should taxe standard #303
ammunition of Brit ish manufacture and, for the reasons given
above, I consider that the Shaikh should comply with this
condition.
4. On the other hand, in one of his letters regarding
his preference for German rifles, the Shaikh implied that His
Majesty’s Government having accepted the responsibility for his
protection, such responsibility was wholly theirs. I think
it very probable that this idea has, at any rate partially,
influenced him in adhering so tenaciously to arms of German
make# If, and when, an emergency came, and he was called 0 n
for /