Page 88 - Records of Bahrain (4) (ii)_Neat

390 Records of Bahrain
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Legation informed the Persian Government that they maintained the British right
to exercise good ofliccs on behalf of Bahrainis and declared the Persian claim to bo
entirely inadmissible. They stated that the island was undor British protection
and that the Ottoman Government who had on several occasions advanced a claim
to Bahrain had invariably received this reply, On this the Grand Vizier again
raised the question and referrod to Captain Bruce's agreement of 1822. In reply
it was pointed out that the agreement m question, so far from having boon ratified,
had been expressly repudiated by the British Government, and that the Shah had
also withheld his approval, and had censured the Prince Governor of Shiraz for
entering into such an agreement without his authority,
57. Thus, though both Turkey and Persia had been Informed by the British
Government that Bahrain was under British protection, neither of them had yp to
1914, when war broke out, waived their claims to that place.
58. In 1910 the Political Agent, Bahrain, reported that two Persian merchants
were issuing passes for travel to Persian subjects in Bahrain, while the Persian ofTi-.
cials in Persian ports were taking Its. 100 security from Porsian travellers to ensuro
that their passports on return were vis6d by Abdul Nabj Kazeruni, a Porsian
merchant residing at Manamch, the capital of Bahrain,
The matter was reported to Tehran, but the Foreign Office decided that it was
undesirable to raise the question by a protest to Tehran.
59. Presumably the custom continued until 1913, for in that year the Political
Agent aguin reported the incident, but brought successful pressure to bear on tho
merchant to make him discontinue this practice. Reports show that In 1914
two other merchants were viscing passes, but the signature of any known merchant
or the Political Agent was accepted.
CO. The German firm of Wonckhaus lmd been established at Bahrain sinco
1901, and in 1900 the German Hamburg Amcrika Agent appeared desirous of sup­
porting the Turkish claim, for ships of that line hoisted the Turkish flag while lying
in harbour. On tho Political Agent taking up the question tho practice was
stopped.
In 1913 Bin Saud captured Hasa, and with this and the Great War Turkey
faded out of the picture.
01. During the war Bin Saud established a commercial forwarding agent at
Bahrain, and he bogan to take some interest in Bahrain affairs.
During the war period there was nothing to notice. At its termination how­
ever, Bin Saud begun to take more interest in Bahrain and he encouraged tho
Dowasir tribe in Its contumacy by offciiug them sanctuary in Hasa.
The Political Agent reported ;—“ Bin Saud is seeking to interfere in Bahrain
affairs, and it is to his advantage that inefficient administration should continue,
so as to enable him to make secret alliances with independent factions such as tho
Dowasir ”.
When this tribe finally left Bahrain in 1928 tlipy were given shelter by Bin Saud
in Dammam in Ifasa,
02. In 1922 tho Persian question again aroso over the matter of passports. In
June of that year the British Consul at Bandar Abbas reported that the Persian pass­
port officials at Lingah, the port at which the British India ships call from Bahrain,
had ruled that Bahrainis were Persian subjects and should bp given Persian pass­
ports. They seized two British certificates of identity issued to Bahrain subjects,
but on representation orders were issued from Tehran to Lingah that this action was
not to occur again.
In 1023 the Persian Government instructed its officials in the Gulf to treat
Bahrainis as Porsian subjects, and the Persian Consul at Ncjcf issued a notice to tho
effect that Bahrainis should register at his Consulate as Persians.
In the previous year, 1922, a Postal Conference was held at Bushlro, and tho
Persian delegate while not for the moment pressing for the Bahrain Post Office
intimated that his attitude was without prejudice to Pereiun claims on Bahrain.
At the same time a press campaign was started in the Persian papers, demand-
Hg the return of Bukrain to Persia.