Page 14 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

CHAPTER 1

GENERAL

I.—The Residency

1. In 1928 the Political Resident was responsible to and corresponded direct
with the Colonial Office on questions affecting I bn Saud and the political aspects
of the Arab littoral of the Gulf; in his capacity as Consul-General Bushire he was
directly responsible to the Foreign Office; he acted as a liaison between His
Majesty’s Minister at Tehran and affairs in the Gulf which were of interest to His
Majesty’s Government as affecting their relations with Persia; and he was
directly responsible to the Government of India for the internal affairs of the States
of the Arab littoral and for keeping them in touch with affairs generally in South
Persia and the Gulf.(') At that time there was a Middle East Department in the
Colonial Office which was responsible amongst other things for dealings with the
High Commissioner in Iraq. In 1932, after the British Mandate in Iraq had come
to an end, the Colonial Office wished to divest itself of responsibility for Persian
Gulf affairs, but there was a long dispute whether the Foreign Office or the India
Office should take this over. The Cabinet finally decided in favour of the latter
and in July 1933 the India Office took over the responsibilities in respect of the
Persian Gulf previously discharged by the Colonial Office.(*) A British Legation
was opened in Jedda in 1929 and in 1931 the Political Resident ceased to have any
responsibility for dealings with Ibn Saud.(3) With the transfer of the Residency
from Bushire to Bahrain in 1946 he ceased to be Consul-General Bushire and to
have any responsibility for Persian affairs. On April 1, 1947, when the transfer of
power in India was imminent His Majesty’s Government assumed responsibility
for all Gulf affairs except that the posts there continued to be administered by the
Government of India until the end of March 1948. For this year His Majesty’s
Government’s responsibility was exercised through the Commonwealth Relations
Office, but on April 1, 1948 the Foreign Office assumed full control.
2. When the Historical Summary of Events of 1917-1925 was compiled it
was foreseen that the question of the removal of the Political Resident from
Bushire was likely to be raised.(4) The matter became a live issue in 1929 and early
in 1930 His Majesty’s Government decided to put the proposal into effect partly
in their own interests and partly as a bargaining counter to use in negotiations with
the Persians, and not because of any demand received from them.C) The Persians
were informed of the proposal and of certain conditions attached to it. It was
considered that the Political Resident should make his new headquarters at Bahrain
and the Ruler when consulted about this tentatively said he would feel honoured by
the presence of the Residency at Bahrain.(8) The Persians were not willing to
accept the conditions proposed to them and the matter remained in abeyance until
1936. It was however agreed between His Majesty’s Government and the Govern­
ment of India that the Political Resident should in Persia bear the title of His
Majesty’s Consul-General at Bushire and that he should restrict the use of his title
of Political Resident to the Arab side of the Gulf. In 1936 it was again decided in
principle to effect the transfer of the Political Residency to Bahrain and the main
stumbling-block was the cost of the operation. The Ruler of Bahrain was again
informed and had “ the pleasure and honour to agree to whatever the High British
Government approve.”0 Lengthy discussions followed regarding the incidence of
expenditure on the transfer, the Government of India agreeing to bear only a small
proportion of it. Plans for a new Residency were prepared and a site for it selected
on Muharraq Island but after the outbreak of war in 1939 it was agreed that the
move of the Residency should be postponed.(*)
(') Para. 5 at p. 40. P.G. 13.
(’) C.O. toF.O. 18184/33 of July 29. 1933 (E4217/305/91 of 1933).
(J) C.O. to F.O. 98034/32 of July 15. 1932 (E 3714/3714/91 of 1932).
(4) Para. 6 at p. 41. P.G. 13.
(') (E 4122/2920/65 of 1930.)
(*) I.O. to F.O. 8397/30 of December 10. 1930 (E 6654/168/34 of 1930).
(’) I.O. to F.O. P.Z. 6477/36 of September 10th. 1936 (E 5744/239/34 of 1936).
(•) I.O. to F.O. P.Z. 7802/39 of December 21. 1939 (E 8092/527/91 of 1939).
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