Page 159 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

British interests and influence, 1899-1904 149

(iKu mlk No. 168 of 1901.

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA*

FOREIGN DEPARTMENT.

SECRET.
Extornal.

To
The Right Hon’ble LORD GEORGE E. HAMILTON,
jHis Majesty's Secretary of Stale for India.

Simla, the 24th October 1901.
My Loud,
With roforenco to the correspondence ending with Your Lordship’s
tolcgram, dated tho Otli July 1901, regarding Bahrein affairs, wo havo tho
honour to forward, for the information of His Majesty’s Government, copies
of tho correspondence detailed in the accompanying list.
2. Wo agree with tho Political Resident in tho Persian Gulf that, for
tho reasons givon in his lottor,* dated tho
* Enoloiuro No. 12.
16th August 1901, it is undesirable to
rcplaco Mr. Gaskin, tho Assistant Political Agent at Bahrein, by an ofheor of
tho gradod list of tho Political Department. During tho period in which ho has
represented British intorosts at Bahrein, Mr. Gaslun has, wo consider, justified
his selection : and any advantago which might bo expected from tho appoint­
ment of an ofheor of superior status would, wo conceive, bo outweighed by
tho extra expense and tho constant changes
t Sco despatch No. 72, dated tho Gth May 1898.
of personnel^ which would cortainly result
from such an arrangement. It is true that in Eobruary 1900 Mr. Gaskin’s
appointment was sanctioned as a purely temporary arrangement, but sub­
sequently in Soptombor of tho samo yoar it was decided to make tho appoint­
ment permanent. Our arrangements were reported to Your Lor.dship in our
despatch No. 93 of 13th Juno, and will, wo trust, bo conhrmod.
3. In Your Lordship’s Socrot despatch No. 9, dated tho 21 til May 1901,
you iuvited our attention to a suggestion made by His Britannic Majesty’s
Ambassador at Constantinople that a British or British Indian subject should
bo appointed Director of tho Bahrein Customs, in order to give to the Turkish
Government.a matorial proof of our authority over tho island. Coloucl IComball,
in tho lottor already quoted, agrees that such an appointment would undoubtedly
bo to tho Sheikh’s advantago; but considers that tho moasuros which havo alroady
boon takon should loavo no room for misapprohonsion as to our predominant
position in Bahroin. As wo stated in our despatch of 9th May, wo do not
think tho position at Bahroin altogothor satisfactory, and tho appointment of a
British subject as Dirootor of Customs would hardly, in our opinion, malco it
moro doflnito. At tho samo time wo rocogniso that our intorosts would bo
served by tho arrangomont suggostod by SirN. O’Conor, and, as Your Lordship
will obsorvo from tho papova that wo oncloso, tho question of obtaining a closer
control over tho Bahroin Customs has ongagod our attention for somotimo past.
X llncloiuro No, 1. It will bo soon from Sir W. Cuningham’s
r\ lottor l of 7th Eobruary 1899 that
•Colonol Moade was diroctod to pross tho proposal on tho Chiof simultaneously