Page 402 - Records of Bahrain (6)_Neat

390 Records oj Bahrain

CONFIDENTIAL. POLITICAL AGENCY,
BAHRAIN,
No.C/R-227. Dutod 30th May, 1949.

i Qnlil^
Please refer to the correspondence ending with
Agency complimentary slip No.C/R-181, dated the 3rd
May, 1949, about the division of the sea-bed between
Bahrain and Qatar.
2. I enclose a copy of the translation of a let­
ter from Shaikh Salman In reply to my letter No.C/L-
^.151, dated the 30th April. 1949, a copy of which was
sent to you with ray complimentary slip Just quoted.
i.-'H 12 3. I commenced a draft reply to the Shaikh for
your approval, but on consideration I thought that
the attitude we are to adopt towards his claim to
"the ownership of the sea between Bahrain and Qatar"
requires to be worked out; that is, a more denial
seems-hardly adequate and indeed, If we can avoid it,
without seeming to acquiesce, it would be better not to
discuss it at all. A claim to "ownership" of the
high seas outside the farthest limit of the claims made
to territorial waters by any country in the world must
be something unique. It is easy enough of course to
reply merely that our decision referred not to the
"sea" but to the sea-bed; but there again the Shaikh
being what he is^ it is likely that he would read'such
a reply as an acquiescence in his claim to the sea.

His Excellency Sir Rupert Hay, KCIE, CSI i
Politicul Resident, Persian Gulf,
BAHRAIN.