Page 87 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf) 1907-1953

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ed-Dowleh was informed by Her Majesty’s
Minister at Tehran that no contract could lie
recognized which would have the effect of inter­
fering with the rights exercised by Chiefs under
British protection. In 1001 Sir Nicholas
O’Oonor, hearing of a project which was
under the consideration of the Porte to tax
the fisheries, acquainted Tewfik Pasha with
the objections which Her late Majesty’s Govern­
ment saw to any action which would interfere
with the prescriptive rights of our protected
tribes. In 1902 our local officers declined to
countenance the project of a British Indian
subject, who proposed to obtain facilities for I
pearling in Abu Dhabi waters. Finally, in 1903,
Colonel Kcmball reported that two Frenchmen, .
named Dumas and Castclin, had arrived in
Bahrein with the intention of prospecting the .
pearl banks round that island. The Chief
refused to entertain their proposals, and subse­
quently the strangers left the neighbourhood,
one for Turkish Arabia, and the other for .
Europe, where it was believed that be intended
to engage a professional diver, lie has, however,
not yet reappeared. In connection with the
last-mentioned case, we have informed our
Political Resideut in the Persian Gulf that we
entirely approve Sheikh Esa’s attitude, and that,
in the event of either of these Frenchmen
returning to Bahrein, the Chief should refuse to
render assistance of any description; that any
other Chief who may be similarly approached
should return a similar response; and that the
Government of India should at once be informed
of any renewal of the project, or of any like
attempt. We inclose, for your information, a
copy of the recent correspondence on this
Bubjcct.
"We have thus succeeded hitherto iu staving
off outside interference Wo recognize, however,
that our position in the matter is in certain re­
spects difficult, and that in the future the same
success may not attend measures which in the
past have sufficed to attain our object. The
question involves considerations, firstly, of
private, and, secondly, of international law. Our
rights in restraining foreign interference are, it
appears to us, at any rate commensurate with
those of the Arab tribes concerned, sineo these
have agreed to leave the protection of their
interests in our hands; and the question which
we may hereaftor bo called upon to answer,