مجموعة ١٧٠/٣٠ "مسألة ملكية جزيرتي البيّنة." [و‎‎٦‎١] (٢٥٩/١٢٤)

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1930, expressed the view that when the two shores belonged to
different States, the division between the two belts of
territorial waters would lie "midway between the two shores".
This phrase was not further defined, but the only common sense
interpretation would be that the dividing line should plot the
points equidistant from both shores.
5. It accordingly seems desirable to consider the equity of
the Political Agent’s proposed line as compared with a line
equidistant from Bahrein and Saudi territory. On the assumption
that the Sheikh of Bahrein could make good his claim to both
*4 0 »^tvu V x
islands, the Political Agent’s line would deprive him of a strip
fo**,u>&u 4 S0me ^ sea wide and 12 miles long in the waters lying between
the is i ands an £ the mainland. on the other hand Saudi Arabia would
lose heavily further North since a line equidistant from both
- ^ states would turn sharply to the East from roughly the Northern
t. (JtUv'WCirfrt.
rt« ^ &sht * limit of territorial waters of Bird Island. Bahrein would
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therefore be doing reasonably well if the Political Agent’s line
were obtained, but a line which favoured Saudi Arabia to any
considerably greater extent would be inequitable to Bahrein. As a
matter of tactics, therefore, it would seem better to open
negotiations either by suggesting a line more favourable to Bahrein
that the Political Agent’s line or persuading Ibn Saud to make the
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first proposal. In view of Sheikh Yasuf Yasin’s approach we
with Eyres that the latter seems the wiser course.
6 . There may, however, be certain difficulties in defining
the purposes for which any line approximating to the Political
Agent’s proposed division is adopted. If it could reasonably be
maintained that the islands do not fulfil the qualification
necessary
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