Page 115 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

ID
POLITICAL RESIDENCY FOR 1000-1907.
Herr Wonckhaus, who has been the pioneer of German trade in the Persian
Gulf, has naturally become the chief agent and patron of the line. Their opera­
tions have been somewhat facilitated by the extremely irregular sailings of our own
British Lines, which undoubtedly require to bestir themselves, if they intend to
prevent the German Line from picking up their clients. Though it is doubtless
an expensive procedure the latter arc a sufficiently wealthy company to make their
sailings from home regular, whether they can fill their ships or not; whereas our
own lines apparently do not let their vessels leave home until they have secured
the full amount of cargo required.
An offer made by them to the British Indian Steam Navigation Company
to share with them the cost of the upkeep of the Shatt-el-Arab 4 4 Bar” buoys, an
overture which was politely declined, is an interesting indication of their serious
intentions in the direction of enterprise in the Gulf.
The entry of Germany into competition for the Gulf carrying trade has
naturally caused her movements to be
German activity.
regarded with suspicion, with what serious
reason it is as yet difficult to S3y.
Thus in June 1906 a positive report was communicated to his journal by a
British newspaper correspondent in Con­
Reported desire to acquire H&ioc-J Island. stantinople to the effect that Germany was
negociating with the Porte for the acquisi­
tion of the Island of Haloo! in the Persian Gulf, a tiny islet to which the nearest
point of land is the extremity of the Katar promontory of the Arab Coast.
She was said to contemplate using it as a coaling station for German ships.
The islet in question is net far removed from the track of steamers passing
between Kas Mussendum and Bahrein, and is situated at the edge of the Great
Pearl Bank.
Curiously enough ii is the only one of the numerous islands in the deep waters
of the Gulf to the possession of which the Porte might conceivably formulate a
colourable claim based on the ground that the nearest mainland to the island is the
coast of Karar, over which the Porte pretends to claim sovereignty, which however
we have always declined to recognise.
It is frequented by Dhows from Bahrein and A1 Bida the port on the Katar
Coast, insummsr by pearlers needing shelter from the Shamal gales from which it
affords good protection, and in winter by fishermen from the same two localities.
Nothing further lias been heard of the alleged German intention, and may
never be; but it is difficult to understand the occurrence in Constantinople of
specific rumours regarding such a little known and insignificant islet, unless it had
actually attracted attention in certain quarters, and it seems possible that the
publicity given to the report may have been sufficient to stifle any negociations
that may have been on foot.
The record of the acquisition by Herr Wonckhaus of certain exclusive rights
on Abu Musa Island, though it rightly
Ahu Mnsfi Cnw^ioa.
belongs to the Trucial Coast" Report "may
preferably be recorded here as an item of German commercial activity.
In July 1906 on return from a short visit to Simla on duty the Resident received
information to the effect that Herr Wonckhaus had subleased the Island of Abu
Musa from one Hassan Sam3*yeh of Lingah, who with two associates enjoyed from
the Shaikh of Shai^ah a concession for the quarrying of Red Oxide on his island
possession. Confidential inquiries made at Lingah elicited the fact that the con­
cession had not been actually transferred but that Hassan Samaiveh had, in a con­
tract drafted in English, given Herr Wonckhaus a monopoly of the output for a
period of four years with right to renew. There was reason however to suppose from
Hassan Samaiyeh’s secretive behaviour that he had come to this understanding
with Herr Wonckhaus’s representative without the knowledge of the third partner
in the Concession, (viz., Esa bin Abdul Latif of Rhargah) and again without the con­
currence of the Shaikh of Shargah, the sovereign of the Island. The Government
of India accordingly directed that inquiries be made from the Shaikh on this point,
and that he be reminded of the trouble to which Government had been put on his
account to recover the Island for him in 1904 after it had been unwarrantably
invaded by the Director-General of Customs at Bushire on hehalf of the Pei sian