Page 336 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

326
Records oj Bahrain

PERSIA. •) o, [March 10.1

CONFIDENTIAL. Section 12.

9425] No. 1.

Mr. E. Grant Duff to Sir Edward Grey.— (Received March 10.)
(Nv. 61.)
Sir, P , Tehran, Februarv 27, 190G.
vvn U rcforcnco to your telegram No. 28 of the 0th instant, I linvo tlic honour
to forward herewith a copy of tho note which I addressed to the Mushir-cd-Dowloh,
regarding the claim of the Persian Government to the sovereignty of Bahrain. •
Tho delay which occurred in carrying out your instructions was owing to tho fact
that tho Mushir cd-Uowlch’s telegram to tho Persian community at Pah rein was not
iu tho archives of His Majesty’s Legation, and had to he obtained from Pushiro.
I have, &c.
(Signed) EVELYN GRANT DUFF.

Inclosure iu No. 1.
Mr. E. Grant Duff to Musliir-ed-Dowlch.
February 19, 190G.
I LOST no time in bringing to the notice of Ilis Majesty Principal Secretory of
State for Foreign Affairs the purport of your Excellency’s note of thcOih January last,
regarding tho claims of tho Persian Government to sovereignty over Bahrein.
I have tho honour to inform you that I have received instructions from
Sir E. Grey to reply to your Excellency's communication iu tho following terms :—
Tho Treaties of 1809, 1814, and 18G7 on the subject have always boon
scrupulously observed by llis Majesty’s Government, hut havo no boaring on the
present question. Ilis Majesty’s Government have never admitted tho ownership or
sovcro:gnty of Persia over Bahrein, and such a claim is, in their view, entirely
inadmissible. IT is Majesty’s Government consider tho Island of Bahrein and its
inhabitants to be under British protcctiMi, and must decline to entertain any further
representations on the subject. I am further to mention that this reply has invariably
been made to tho Ottoman Government, who havo on soveral occasions advanced u
claim to Bahrein.
Sir E. Grey instructs mo to remind your Excellency of the action taken by the
British authorities in November 1901 for the protection of Persian traders at Gall re1"
and of your telegram forwarded on that occasion to tho Persian community, of wl
the following is the purport:—
**To the merchants and traders of the High Government living in Bahrein,
telegram, on tho subject of the assaults which have been made upon you by tho
roughs of Bahrein, has been received. Certainly let your minds be at
Consultations with the British Legation have taken place on this subject-, a
will shortly bo settled in such a way that tho oppression will bo removed auc’
offenders will receive their proper punishment."
Iu conclusion, I have the honour to inform your Excellency that llis Mnj
Government must maintain thoir right to use their good offices on bohalf of Bahr«
in Persia.

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