Page 318 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

308 Records oj Bahrain

c\A<S
<i*ASxJL
No. 2111-E.B.

From

It. E. HOLLAND. Esq., I.O.S.,
Assistant Secretary to the Government of India,
Foreign Department,

To
Major P. Z. COX, O.I.E.,
Political Resident in the Persian Gulf,
Push ire.

Simla, the 22nd May 1906.
Sin,

I am dirootod to rofer to llio corrcepondonco ending with your lottor
No. 73, dated tho 26th February 190G, on tho subject of Shoikh Fan’s
memorial.
2. I am to request that you will now forward to tho SJioikh a roply
couohed in tho following torms. Tho nocossory referoncos to communications
made by yoursolf or your prodoocssora or by tho Assistant Political Agont to
tho Shoikh should bo inserted in tho lottor.
•" Tho Govomraont of India havo roooivod tho moraorial, dated Ootobor 2nd of
" 1906, which you addrossod to tho Viceroy and Govornor-Gonoral, and havo
V givon it thoir oaroful consideration. You ooroplain firstly that representatives
" of tho British Government obliged you to intordiot tho salo of arms and that
"you wore thoroby doprived of an advantago onjoyed by all tho Arab Chiefs along
" the Arabian Coast. I am to romind you in tho first placo that in 1896, when you
" woro in dangor of an attaok by Shoikh Qasim bin Thani, you yoursolf rostriotod
" tho importation of arms by granting a concession to your Vizior to import arms
" and ammunition subject to tho express condition that arms woro not to bo sold
Report* appends! to LUuUnant.Colon.l Meed.1. “ »t Ballwin Or OU t!»0 neighbouring Arab
lelteri No. 81, deled lflth Nay 1868, aud No. 119, "Coast. Your objoct ill imposing tlllS
dated 2i.t November lflus. “restriction was to curtail os far ns posr
“ siblo tho importation of arm9 which might bo usod against you, and your
" family. Shortly af tor wards when you heard that tho holders of tho ooneossion
" wero OYading tho condition which prohibited sales to tho inhabitants of Bahrein
" or on tho Arab Coast, you ordored your Vizier to stop tho importation altoge-
" thor. In pursuanco of this policy you attached a largo quantity of imported
" arms in January 1898 on your own initiative and without boiug promptod oc
“ advised to do so in any way by representatives of tho British Government.
"In February 1898, tho Resident at Bushiro informod you of tho tfosiro of
Ltouun»ni.Coion«i utter No. 7, diud " tho Gov.ommont of India to prohibit
23rd y«bru»ry 1808. o trafllo in arms and you at onco, and
“ without any hesitation or protest, issued a notification announcing that you
" Jmd resolved to assist tho British and Persian Govcrnmont in suppressing tho
" trade in arms and ammunition betweon Bahrein, India and Porsia. In April
"1898, at tho roquost of tho Resident you issuod, again without protest or
"objection of any kind, a rovised notification prohibiting absolutely the impor-
Licutonant-Coiouai Mead*'* itiUr No. so, d.ud “ tation of arms and ammunition into, and
SOtli May 1808. " tlio oxporlution of tho samo from tho
" Island of Bahrein, In this notification you reforred to a proviou9 uotifioalion