مجموعة ١٧٠/٣٠ "مسألة ملكية جزيرتي البيّنة." [و‎‎٧‎١] (٢٥٩/١٤٤)

we should do our best to try to run * line more or less north
and south through these two Islands f projecting the line inde
finitely towards the north f in order to divide 3ff»udi and Bahrain
"spheres*. Unless we do thls t whichever country establishes its
claim to either of the islands presumably acquires three miles
of territorial waters with it, and this would make things vsry
complicated for everyone.
5. I am forwarding to you separately a sketch map which has
been prepared by the Bahrain Petroleum Company from Admiralty
charts and other information on record, showing B*hrain t the
Saudi and Qatar coasts and much of the waters to the north.
This sketch map is at present very incomplete and, in some
respects (particularly towards the eaet) it can make no claim
to accuracy* I have marked on this sketch map my proposed line
between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain which I suggest should form
tha basis of a discussion for the purpose ©f dividing Interests
in submerged lands* resumably one cannot mark off *n inter
national boundary, which would be recognised by other Powers,
in watsrs which cannot be claimed as territorial by either party;
but if the two parties could agrse that Bain as iaghir should be
regarded as Bahrain property and Bain al Kabir as Saudi, without
conferring any rights to territorial waters to the west and seat
of those Islands respectively, end if they could agree between
themselves that Bahrain would claim no Interests to the west
of the north-south line and Saudi Arabia no interests to ths
east of it, then a workable agreement should be possible. Prom
the practical point of view, other Powers and other Interests
V
ere unlikely to intervene*
6. A certain amount of speed ie I think necessary. I gather
that the California Arabian <■ ompaay have already been talking to
I bn Saud about exploration in shoal waters; and that one result
has bean that Saudi Arabia has been putting up flags on various
sxposed /-
mrw
y