مجموعة ٣٠/ ٣٣ "الخليج الفارسي، الساحل المتصالح. سياسة حكومة بريطانيا. قائمة شيوخ الساحل المتصالح" [و‎‎٣‎٣‎٣] (٨١٨/٦٦٥)

SECRET.
jt-
JNDIA OFFICII
13. 419.
P. 0796/29. Future Policy on the Trucial Coast.
Correspondence between the Secretary of State for India, the Government of India, and
the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (1929).
to
Introductory Notk.
1. The developments affecting the position of 1 lis Majesty’s Government on the
Trucial Coast in the period 1908-28 and the question of the general policy of His
Majesty’s Government in that area are dealt with in the India Office Memorandum
on the Trucial Chiefs, reprinted on pages 87-94 of P.G. 13. The position of the
Sheikhdom of El Qatr is dealt with in the Memorandum on pages 95 and 96 of that
paper.
2. Subsequent to the publication of P.G. 13, the question of the future relations
of His Majesty’s Government with the Trucial Chiefs and Qatr came under the
consideration of the Persian Gulf Sub-Committee of the Committee of Imperial
Defence. The Sub-Committee, after considering memoranda on the subject by the
Colonial Office and the India Office (papers Nos. P.G. 22 and P.G. 26), decided,
at their meeting on the 19th November 1928, “ to adopt the conclusions set forth
in paper No. P.G. 22, para. 6, namely, that ‘our present position on the Trucial Coast
is sufficient to protect essential British interests; that we should endeavour to
maintain the independence of the Trucial Chiefs, and should not allow our present
position in regard to them to be weakened in any way ; that we should rely upon
our existing treaty rights to secure this end, and that it is not desirable at present
to incur the further commitments that would be involved in the conclusion of regular
protectorate treaties.’ ”
3. Since the date of this conclusion, the general question of policy has, however,
again been raised in the correspondence reprinted below. Sir Frederick Johnston, on
assuming the charge of the Persian Gulf Besidency at the end of 1928, remarked in
the despatch printed as No. T below, that it was for consideration whether a review of
the Trucial Coast policy of His Majesty’s Government with regard to actual conditions
and needs was not called for. He suggested that certain tentative proposals made by
him to this end might be considered, together with the position as a whole, by his
successor, Colonel Barrett, “ who has a unique experience of the Arab littoral.”
Colonel Barrett’s report is printed as No. 111. The views on it of the Government of
India will be found in the Viceroy’s telegram of 22nd October 1929, reprinted as No. 1 V.
India Office, J. G. L.
23rd October 1929.
P. 3840/29. I.
Views of Sir Frederick Johnston.
No. 133 S. of 1929. From the Hon. Sir F. IF. Johnston, K.C.I.E., C.S.I., Political
Resident in the Persian Gulf, to the Foreign Secrelanj to the Government of
India, Simla.
British Residency and Consulate-General,
gj r Bushire, 23rd April 1929.
I have the honour to refer to your letter No. 58 N\, dated 13th June 1928,*
to which you have just called attention in your letter No. F. 58 N./28,' :;: ' of the
9th April 1929.
2. The suggestions for checking the series of murders in the Shaikh family of
Abu Dhabi emanated from my predecessor, who apparently found the practical
imposition of any remedy to be impossible without the assumption of a very much
greater amount of internal control than is consistent with His Majesty’s Government’s
policy on the Trucial Coast, and, I am informed, delayed his reply in the hope that
the deliberations of the Persian Gulf Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence
would result in the policy of a greater degree of interference in the Trucial Coast
internal affairs.
* Not printed.