Page 10 - Records of Bahrain (3) (ii)_Neat

426 Records of Bahrain

India Oflice, London,
Secret,
21st May 1909.
No. 11.

To His Excellency the Right Honourable the Governor
General of India in Council.

My Loud,
The proposals made in Your Excellency’s Secret lottor No. 188,
Proposed Order in Council con- dated the 14th November 1907, for
ferring on the Political Agent at regularising the judicial powers
Bahrein jurisdiction oyer British exercised by the Political Agent at
subjects and foreigners in Bahrein.
Bahrein, by the issuo of an Order
in Council placing both British subjects and foreigners under his
jurisdiction, have been considered by Ilia Majesty’s Government, in
connection with the general question of the policy, political and com­
mercial, to be followed in the Persian Gulf in order to moot the change
in the situation consequent upon the development of the Bagdad Railway
schome.

2. The general conclusion at which Ilis Majesty’s Government havo
arrived is that “ the competition to which British trade in tho Porsian
“ Gulf is exposed is not merely commercial, but has a distinctly political
“ object. British claims to political predominance in tho Gulf aro
“ based mainly upon the fact of our commercial interests having hithorto
“ been predominant, and should our trade, as a result of a German
“ forward commercial policy, bo impaired, our political influence would
“ proportionately diminish. It follows that purely political action on
“ our part, not having as its objective tho development of material
“ British interests, might havo a prejudicial effect, both politically and
“ commercially, by reason of the suspicions it would bo likoly to rouse.”
3. The proposals which you have mado for the extension of the
jurisdiction of tho Political Agent at Bahroin fall within tho lines of
policy approved by His Majesty’s Government. Their adoption would
mark another stage in tho development of the' virtual protectorate
which we exorcise over Bahrein, to which tho growing importance of
tho island as a centre of trade may be attributed.
4. It will tend to strengthen our position in Bahroin, and to romovo
risks of interference by other Powers, if jurisdiction over foroignors is
placed in our hands. But our protectorate has uevor boon formally
notified, except to Turkey and Persia, and in tho event of controversy
arising with other Powers as to tho assumption of jurisdiction ovor
s. 9.