Page 16 - The Persian Gulf Historical Summaries (1907-1953) Vol II_Neat

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3. As soon as the war was over His Majesty’s Ambassador at Teheran urged
that the question should be taken up again and in March 1946 a Cabinet decision
was taken that the transfer of the Residency to Bahrain should be effected forthwith.
When a new Political Resident took over charge in May 1946 the agrement of the
Persian Government to his appointment as Consul-General Bushirc was not sought
and he was ordered to make his headquarters at Bahrain. After a few months’
delay accommodation was made available for him and his staff in the Naval Base at
Jufair as a temporary measure and the transfer of his staff and archives from Bushire
was effected before the end of the year. Part of the site previously selected for a
new Residency at Muharraq had been occupied by the Royal Air Force and the
Admiralty agreed to make land available for it at Jufair. Work on the new
buildings did not start for two or three years and had not been completed by the
end of 1953.0 Although Shaikh Hamad had been consulted about the transfer of
the Residency to Bahrain nothing was said to the present Ruler on the subject
until it was a fair accompli when he readily welcomed it.
4. In September 1946 the Cabinet decided that the conduct of relations with
the Gulf States should be taken over from the Government of India but did not
decide which Department of His Majesty’s Government should assume this
responsibility. The choice lay between the Foreign Office and the Colonial Office.
In January 1947 the Cabinet agreed that the India Office (which was shortly
afterwards merged in the Commonwealth Relations Office) should take over the
responsibility as an interim measure from April 1, 1947, and that this responsibility
should be transferred to the Foreign Office when the latter were ready to take it
over, the aim being to make this transfer by April 1, 1948.(‘°) The Government of
India concurred in these proposals so far as they were concerned. In June 1947
all the Gulf Rulers including the Sultan of Muscat were informed in writing that
owing to the constitutional changes that were about to take place in India it had
been decided that in future His Majesty’s Government would maintain relations
with them direct. The same officers would for the present conduct these relations
(and would at the same time represent the Government of India) but they would
act under the direct orders of His Majesty’s Government to whom the Political
Resident would be responsible^11) It may be noted here that although the Political
Resident signed the letter to the Sultan of Muscat on this subject and has frequent
dealings with him his position is nowhere recognised in any treaty or agreement
with Muscat.
5. Since 1948 the Residency and its subordinate offices have been reorganised
so as to conform to the Foreign Office pattern. For the most part Indian Political
Service Officers have been replaced by Foreign Service Officers and Indian staff
by British. No change has been made in the position of the Political Resident who
remains responsible for the control of the Political Agencies and the Muscat
Consulate except that the Political Agent at Kuwait now deals with the Foreign
Office direct on certain subjects (chapter 3, paragraph 8). The Residency staff
has been strengthened by the addition of a Financial Counsellor and a Commercial
Secretary. Sanction for the appointment of a Medical Adviser and Chief
Quarantine Medical Officer was granted in 1948 on a temporary basis and has
been renewed from time to time since, but the appointment has not been made
permanent.!12)
6. The Political Resident is a Judge of the Chief and Full Courts under the
Orders in Council but since 1949 an experienced Judge has been appointed to
relieve him of most of his judicial work. As Foreign Service officers in most cases
lack the judicial experience of the previous Indian Political Services officers,
arrangements have been made to give them judicial training, whenever possible,
before they take up appointments in the Gulf.
7. In defence matters the Political Resident deals with the Senior Naval
Officer, Persian Gulf who is subordinate to the Commander in Chief, East Indies,
the Senior Army Officer, Persian Gulf who is subordinate to the Commander in
Chief Middle East Land Forces and the Senor Royal Air Force Officer, Persian
Gulf who is subordinate to the Air Officer Commanding Royal Air Force at
Habbaniyah in Iraq. In 1951 a Local Defence Committee was set up with the
(•) The Political Resident’s house was completed and occupied in April 1954.
('■) (IE03°to2F.O./GE°xt.1 M29 of July 3. 1947 (E 5836/35/91 of 1947).
(,J) It was abolished in 1954.