ملف ٨١٥/١٩١٧ الجزء ١٢ "الخليج الفارسي: ترتيب سفينة لنقل المقيم البريطاني." [ظ‎‎٤‎٨‎٩] (٩٠٥/٧٧٢)

GIFD-638(C) F&PD—5-12-28—30.
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both in the matter of Ibn Saud and in that of the air route along the Arab coast
I can then say that to-day the Political Resident is nearly as much the servant
of the Colonial Office as of the Indian Government in all matters in which
the use of a despatch vessel is concerned. ^
But I have purposely said 14 nearly as much *’ since the Indian Gove"
ment is as closely concerned in the matters in which the Colonial Office
dictates as is the Colonial Office itself.
Tbi* noint I have stressed throughout and have in all cases informed the
Indian Government of all matters with which I have been connected.
7 Is it then as queried in paragraph 4 of the despatch under note “ worth
while or even desirable from the point of view of India to press for a general
revision ” I think that in the circumstances Indian Government could well
press the* Colonial Office to pay for J of the cost of the despatch vessel but
I think it desirable that the preponderant interest of the Government of India
should be marked by a payment of the greater part or f of the expenditure.
8 In recent politics on the Arab coast India has been far more affected
hv incidents which have occurred than would appear at first sight. The action
of Iraq and the policy pursued by the Colonial Office reacted very considerably
on the Persian Gulf and the Persian Gulf as a whole still concerns India more
than it does even the Colonial Office.
9 It is essential in the interests of our policy that Kuwait should be kept
as an integral part of the Persian Gulf, that India should have a say in matters
which affect the decision of what is to he the fate of the 200 miles of coast,
under the sway of Nejd, matters which it is the tendency of the Government
of Iraq and of the Colonial Office to regard as their own concern. It has only
been due to the fact that the Resident has been an Indian Officer that this
concern of India has had full consideration, that m Persia and on Trucial
Oman our Indian responsibilities and dangers have had due recognition.
Yet the air route to India and the conditions in the Gulf are Indian
matters as much as Imperial.
10. By pressing too great a demand on the Colonial Office, i.e., except
for a partial contribution, there would be a tendency for the. Colonial Office
to assume more and more sway in the Gulf and for the Colonial Office and the
Poreign Office to forget that it is the position of India which makes the
Persian Gulf what it is,
11 . Thus while demanding that the Colonial Office should bear some
share of the expenses I would stress the importance of
(1) Keeping an Indian Officer in charge of the whole Gulf
(2) the Indian revenues, bearing the greatest part in all expenditure o
whatever nature connected with it.