Page 291 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

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British influence and foreign interests, 1904-1906 281

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It la oloar to tho QoTommontjtI-Indfa^tlmt-audi- a mlddlfi_xiamM jdooa
oxIat-'HutToforoTopiying'Toyour oiiquiry, I am to point out, with rporonco
S^hr intori,rotation of a full British Protootorato as involving tho right
tointorvono in tho internal nilmini.trntion of Bahrein to ho extent oontom-
pbtod by Captain 1’ridoaux, that there ia no authority, for tho supposition
that Groat Britain would nocosaanly possess snob a right, oven wore aho
formally to notify a British Protcotorato over Bahrein to Foreign Powers.
This miBOoncoption is duo to tho assumption whioh lias boon maijo. that tho
alternative to rogarding tho 8hoikh of Bahrein aa an indopendont Sovereign
In t.mnt, him like a pottv Indian, Baja, Tho analogy hero introduced,
altbouglinorwitllourna uses as indicating. tho methods whioh, in tho light
of Indian experionco, may auocossfully ho omployod in dealing with tho
Chief, must ho regarded as misleading in sovoral important rospoota. For,
ovon assuming that tho moasuro of intorforonco advooatod by tho • Political
Agont would bo logitiraato in an Indian Nativo 8tato (a proposition whioh
noods somo reservations iu tho instunco of suoh Ohiefsaa onjoy a full moaauro
of intornnl autonomy), it must ho homo in mind that in thojjaao of Natlyo
S plates in India; tho_Driti9h j^worjs_tho so voro i gnT~ fmfrnot morolytho Tro-
>S ' tootThtj'TdworTaiul that, in tho snmd"(log7oo ns^hoyjmyojoit'^ of
X iho“"aUritmt6s of sovbroignty as woli as of indopondonco, rooiprooal rights
ontroCltgationThavo^booiTeroatod hotwcon thorn and tho Qovornmont of India,
whioh na yot have no exact counterpart. in tho relations of Groat Britain to
Bahroin.
5. Tho oxact interpretation of a Protoctorato is a gonoral quostion of
international law into which tho Government of India foo no necessity to ontor
on tho prosout occasion. But, as rognrds tho enso of Bahroin, tho faots appoar
to thorn to ho suffioiout to establish tho following conclusions. . Thoy aro of
opinion that Groat Britain is tho Protooting Powor of Bahroin, and that
Bahroin is, thoroforo, in tho presont state of affairs, undor tho Protootorato of
Groat' Britain in tho following 6onso :—
. (i) Tho British Qovornmont, and thoy alono, ns distinct from Turkoy, j
Porsia, or any otbor Powor, control tho foroign rotations of Bahrein. Tho
8hoikh lias hound himsolf not to ontor* into .relations with. any othor Power.
Tho British Qovornmont thoroforo undortako tho' protootion of foroignors in
•Bahroin.
(ii) Tho rooiprocal. aspeot of this obligation is that Groat Britain is
hound to protoot tho islands from any extornal aggrossion or assault.
(ili) Prom thoso oiroumstanebs it rosults that British influonco and
authority aro and mpst ho in tho asoondant in Bahroin. Primarily this
influonoo is political both in oliaraotor and origin: and it givos Groat Britain
tho right to olaira that, in any matter to whioh sho attaohos high importance.
/\ lior advioo must ho FollowodT^Tho aocoptanccTof British advico in suoh'ciroum^
stanoos iTlhe rolurn paid by the Stato for tho advantages which British protec­
tion oonfors. British rights in this ro?poct woro explicitly statod in tho rodont
ultimatum whioh was prosontod by you to tho Sheikh on tho 2d.th Pobruary 1005
in compliance with instructions. Purthor, if British advico must bo aocoptod,
it follows that notion in contravontion of it, whothor it .takos tho form of
vacillation, of had faith, or of opon oontumaoy, oannot bo toloratod, tho
Protooting Powor boing tho judge 6f tho mannor in whioh it will prohibit,
roprimand, or punish such notion.
, (iv) Tho Jltijish naramountcy.jp Bahroin is commoroial ns ^yoll as pnlitioal
/ inohajenjitgx, This follows partlv os a consoquonco^oTpolitio^l prodornmanooT
but still moro, in tho onso of Bahroin, from tho undisputed commoroial
prodominanco of Groat Britain in tho islands and ports of tho Poraian Gulf.
(y) Tho political position of .Groat Britain in Bahroin has given hor not
moroly an iutorost, hut a rocognisod right of intorforanoA-^ tjm auoooaaion. It
was at tho instnneo of tho^uoikii nimsolf'thntlbo rocognhrcd his oldoat son.
«ho holds hpraclf at liborty to withdraw that recognition whonovor—for good
roMona—aho may think it dosirnblo, and to nominnto anothor aucoosaor. in hia
pioco. lho oxoroiso of this right is of courso inaonaiatoht with'indopond-
ont sovereignty: and it may bo aaid to Involve-in a sonao'diroot iqtorforonco