Page 351 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

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Turkish interests and Persian claims, 1906-1909 341

From Viceroy, bill April 1908.
Foreign Socrot. Your telegram of 24th March. Bahrein subject at
Lingah. Cox, who was consulted, telegraphed on 28th March as follows
" On receipt of British Minister Tehran’s tologram of 16th March, I
informed Persian Government official in charge of Persian Gulf Ports, who •
was than away on Mokran coast, that unless ho tolegraphed mo positive
assurances that ho would removo his subordinate at place alluded to at the
Nnoim, or undertake on his return journey to call at place alluded to, and
bring him to his bearings in connection with this and other matters, I
should havo to move British Minister at Tehran to take more comprehousivo
action. Naoro/, has passed, and Ilis Excellency is, until now, at Charbar,
but in two or three telegrams ho has since assured mo that he will call at
place roforred to en route and sottlo this and other matters to my satisfaction.
His subordinate at plnco referred to hostile, and I recommend that I now be
authorised to inform Persian Government olhoial in charge, Persian Gulf
Ports, that. I have boon directed to insist on his subordinate’s removal, and
non-rc-employmcnt. in Persian Gulf, and on monetary restitution and com­
pensation in the present case. This, with Mr. Mailing's protests at Tehran,
will, 1 think, meet presont case.”
Second telegram, snmo date : —
" As regards gonoral question, the position is this.
“ Although Central Government have never relinquished claim to owner­
ship of Bahrein, wo wore able, boforo inauguration of Constitution and
freedom of Press, to cft'ccl a reasonable amount of intervention locally by
friendly and informal means.
“Since institution of Parliament, and freedom of Press, ignorant local
officials, inflated with nationalist sentiments and anti-foroigu newspaper
articles, and often directly promptod by members of young Persian party and
foreign agents, lay themselves out to dispute our right to protect subjects of
Bahrein and the trucial chiefs in Persia.
“It is thus becoming daily more urgont for us to assort ourselves in this
connection, and, if position admits of it, l recommend that Persian Govern­
ment now be informed that, as their local officials no longer havo the good
sense to admit our reasonable and informal intervention as heretofore, we are
obliged to intimato that, in future, we shall intervene in behalf of Bahreinis,
and subjects of trucial chiefs, to the same extent, as we do in the case of
British Indians, and shull take such steps as may bo necessary to make our
intervention good.”
Both telegrams were repeated by Cox to (? Tehran), I rogrot delay in
repetition.

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