ملف ١٩١٢/٤٩٤٩، جزء ٥، الخليج الفارسي: أكسيد أبو موسى [و‎‎٨] (٥٩٢/١٥)

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entitled to see that acts of waste were not com
mitted thereon.
With reference to the letter dated the 12th
November, 1898, from Abdul Latif to Hassan
Samieh (Annex 15 to Second German Memo
randum), in which reference is made to a dispute
between the two sheikhs about the island of Sir,
the position (which, indeed, is obvious) is explained
by Abdul Latif (Appendix 10). Under the
1884 agreement between Sagar and Salim (see
Appendix 6, First British Memorandum) the
revenue of Sir was assigned to Salim. The
island, however, failed to produce any revenue,
and in the 1889 agreement (see Appendix 6,
First British Memorandum), no mention was
made of it, the revenue of Abu Musa being
subsequently transferred to Salim in its place.
When the possibility arose in 1898 of Sir pro
ducing some revenue, Salim put in a claim to it
under the agreement of 1884, to which Sagar not
unnaturally replied that the 1884 agreement had
been superseded by that of 1889, in which Sir
was not mentioned. Thus arose the dispute
referred to. Abdul Latif was naturally unwilling
to conclude the Sir agreement until the dispute
had been adjusted; he would have no hesitation
about Abu Musa, not because he knew that Salim
owned it, but because he was well aware that
Sheikh Sagar was allowing him to enjoy its
revenue.
Finally, the German Government state that the
opinion prevailing among the most respectable
natives is that Abu Musa is the private property
of Sheikh Salim. In support of this assertion
there are quoted the opinions of three merchants
of Lingah, two of whom are also stated to have
asserted verbally that everyone who has any
knowledge of affairs on the Arabian coast is of the
same opinion.
His Majesty’s Government regret that they are
•unable to attach the slightest weight to the
opinions of the persons in question.
Abdalmuhsin-ibn-Ahmed Almushari is a petty
trader of Bahrein origin. He earns a precarious
livelihood by speculating in pearls with borrowed
money.
Abdarrahman-ibn-Muhammed-ibn-Kazim is a