"ملف ٤٦/١١ الدعاية في الخليج الفارسي" [و‎‎١‎٦] (٣١٤/٣١)

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of the Bosphorus. Thus in the Middle Ages, the Venetians,
who quarrelled with the rulers of Constantinople, had
to go and settle at Alexandria and Rosetta, in order to
continue their eastern trade. The Genoese then succeeded
to the inland caravan routes across Asia, which they held
despite occasional disputes with the Seljuk Turks. Finally
the capture of Constantinople ( which thenceforth became
Istanbul) by the Turks, closed this door to the Christian
nations of the west, anc provided the stimulus which led
to the discovery of the Cape route to India.
5. As I have said, it was steam that revived the Red
Sea route, and it is petrol that is swirling the balance
back once nore to the overland-cum-Persian Gulf route.
I will avoid obvious truisms of homenclature such as
"the transport medium of the future" and pass on to remark
that the Persian Gulf route, with its land continuation
across Iraq and Palestine, presents an ideal route for a
predominantly coastal and maritime association^ of nations
such as the British Commonwealth. It Is no accident that
British Overseas Airways have for years pinned their
faith on flying boats - not land planes - for the main
Empire route to Australia; and it Euy be predicted that
when India herself begins to operate Inter-territorial
airways, she will find the flying boat best suited to a
large majority of the territories surrounding the ocean
which bears her name, to which she will want to run air
services.
6 . The Arab shore of the Persian Gulf provides an ideal
route for flying boats because of the string of enclosed
lagoons and creeks which it possesses. The principal
"seadrome’' ( if I may use this hybrid word) is thut of
Khcr Keliya at Bahrain, an almost entirely enclosed
lagoon, 2 miles long and 1$ miles wide, the flying-boat
pilots dream. Sheltered water is of course the one
alighting surface which is always dead level ( for all
practical purooses), and which needs no outlay on
construction or maintenance.
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7. Previously, Imperial Airways used land-planes and
flew down the Persian shi re of the Gulf. This had the
advantage of being the inner segment of the curved coastal
route from Basra to Kncski Karachi; but eventually the
xenophobic policy of the late Shah of Persia made Imperial
Airways* position there intolerable, and they moved, bag
and baggage, to the Arab shore. Their decision was, of
course, reinforced by the growing commercial importance of .
that shore, with the discovery of rich oil-fields all along
it. Most oil companies before the war preferred to pay
air passages for their executives when going on leave or
returning from it, to losing their services for the greater
length of time involved in a sea passage. ( Unlike Govern
ment of India employees, oil company personnel count their
leave only from the date they reach their home country).
Hence for many years, Bahrain was the second most profitable
stop ( coming after Southampton) on the route.
8. Many a passenger has counted among his ( or her) most
Sharjah fort and interesting experiences of the Orient f a night-stop in
building with loopholes at the comers, which normally calls
forth comparison with that popular novel " Beau Geste".
The ttcallywa# Arab guards provided by the Shaikh of Sharjah
are growing comparatively indifferent to being photographed
for British or Americans albums in which, did they but know
it, they undoubtedly figure either as "Shaikhs" or as
"bedouin", neither of which of course, they are.
9. Turning now to seaways, we find rather the reverse,