مجموعة ٥/١١ "المسار الجوي إلى الهند: طريق الساحل العربي - مهبط الطوارئ في قطر" [ظ‎‎٦‎٠] (٣٤٥/١٢٠)

our information on the subject is rather meagre, and it is-
suggested therefore that in dealing v/ith the company care
should be taken to allow as much scope as possible for
future developments, in other words, that our hands should
be left as free 9 . 3 ..possible to increase or extend our*
facilities 4-f, found necessary at a later date* In this
connection it is possible that the suggested♦wording of the
safeguarding clause (5) in the G-overnment Agreement, mentioned
on page 2 of Walton's letter, which says "any sites which may
have been selected" would not give us a sufficiently free hand
to extend or increase air facilities, if it should eventually
be necessary to do so. We discussed this point recently and
’you agreed it should be possible to arrange for wording of
this clause in a manner which would meet both the Company's
and our requirements. Will you please let us know what you
would suggest?
As far as can be seen at present our requirements
will be limited to two landing grounds.
•
(a) Doha if it is found to be good enough, or
failing that the next best alternative, as our
main landing ground.
(b) Karaana, if one can be found there, or alternatively
some other advanced landing ground in the vicinity
of that place.
I am afraid v/e cannot define our requirements
more precisely than this until it has been possible to carry
out a thorough reconnaissance on the ground to examine these
and possibly other likely sites. Perhaps you would consider
the possibility of our being given permission to do this.
4. We understand you are now considering the
desirability of offering the Sheikh a guarantee of protection
against external aggression in exchange for concessions on his
part, and if anything comes of this it will be essential for
us to be given an opportunity of examining likely Sites on
the ground (xor landplanes and flying boats) before committing
ourselves definitely on the subject. Any change in the
existing policy, which added to our commitments in the matter