Page 6 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf) 1907-1953

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Part I.—GENERAL SUMMARY.
SOME five years ago a Minister of tlio Crown
declared in Parliament that “ the ascendency of
Great Britain in the Persian Gulf”—which ho
pronounced to he tho foundation of British policy
—" was not merely a question of theory, it was a
statement of fact.”
Exception has not infrequently been taken to
the position of Great Britain in the Persian Gulf
upon the ground that, without a shadow of right,
sho has constituted herself tho general arbiter
and guardian of that part of tho world.
As such a description of our status—which
appears to represent a view widoly prevalent
abroad—may not improbably be adopted by
foreign Powers when increasing interest leads
them to assume a definite attitude on this ques­
tion,'it appears desirable to collect, in a form
convenient for reference, the salient facts of our
historic association with the Gulf, and to sum­
marize the views expressed by tho Government
of India and by successive Governments at home,
—views which are remarkable for unanimity, and
which luivo now well-nigh acquired the sanction
of an axiom in the direction of British policy.
It is with this purpose that the present
Memorandum, which is merely a compilation
of leading anrl largely verbatim extracts from
authoritative* sources, has been drawn up.
The de jure position in tho Persian Gulf is Government of
that of a sea open to the flag of all nations, the despatch of
northern shores and territorial waters of which 2I*
1 SOD, vtTbt it mi.
are included in the dominions of Persia, while its
western and southern coasts are partially owned
and partially claimed by Turkey, or are in the
occupation of Arab tribes, who have entered into
Treaty relationships of varying character, con­
stituting u sortof veiled Protectorate, with Great
Britain. The islands in the Gulf are owned
either by Persia or by Arab Chiefs (in the case
of Bahrein under British protection); but upon
one of the Persian islands, viz., Kishm, Great
Britain possesses a piece of land by virtue of an
original grant from tho Imam of Muscat, to
whom the island once belonged. Outside the
• Two works, which would Irnvo been invaluable for
reference, have not been available in tho preparation of this
Memorandum, viz.: ** The Official Gazetteer of the Persian
Gulf," by Mr. Lorimcr, and a “ Trade Report on Mesopotamia,"
by Mr. Lloyd.