Page 107 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence

BRITISH POLICY IN THE PERSIAN GULF. 05

“ Piratical war being inexistence previous to the conclusion of this
Treaty with the pacificated Arabs, it was necessary, for the purpose
of introducing the new order of things which the Treaty announces in
Article I.,* that these piratical wars should be brought to a termination :
with this view Article IV. of the Treaty was inserted.
“ The meaning of this Article, when taken in conjunction with the
definition of acknowledged- war to be found in Article II., becomes
perfectly apparent, and it may be thus developed :—
“ The pacificated Arabs shall all of them continue in their former
political relations with each other, with the exception that as all
piratical wars shall henceforward cease, they shall be at peace with the
British Government, and shall not fight with each other in the same
piratical manner ; and the flag is a symbol of this, viz. that piratical
wars have ceased, and of nothing furlher.f
“ It is not, and therefore never can be called, with propriety, the
British flag; it is only the flag of certain friends of the British, who
may, by the adoption of this flag, be desirous to avoid the risk of being
confounded with pirates. There is nothing in these Articles which
prevents the Arabs declaring war ; but whenever they do so, they are
required to fight after the manner of acknowledged war, which Article !
II. defines to be that which is proclaimed, avowed, and ordered, by
Government against Government. The British Government has always !
said that it will consider all wars that are not acknowledged as piratical,
I
and treat whoever may be engaged in them accordingly ; and the latter
part of Article II. states that the killing of men, and taking of goods,
without proclamation, avowal, and the order of a Government, is plunder
and piracy.
“ The British Government being most desirous to maintain to the
whole of the Arab Tribes inhabiting the shores of this Gulf the blessings
of peace and tranquillity, is most ready on all occasions to offer its
mediation where disputes may exist, and will always rejoice at their
peaceable and happy termination; whilst it avows most distinctly
its absolute determination not to tolerate for a moment any piratical '
practices, and it will look to the different chieftains for the maintenance
of due order among all their subjects.”
With reference to Article V., the irregular habits of the Arabs,
who could never be brought to understand the meaning and aim of the
papers required, very shortly proved the futility of the attempt to

* Article I.—There shall be a cessation of plunder and piracy, by land and
sea, on the
part of the Arabs who are parties to this contract, for ever.
t The true version The pacificated Arabs shall all of them continue in their former rela­
tions, with the exception that they shall be at peace with the British Government, and shall
not fight with each other; and the flag shall be a symbol of this only, and of nothin*further