Page 138 - Records of Bahrain (7) (ii)_Neat

528 Records of Bahrain

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]JRITX:.il RNSIDKRCY
I) .MIKA Til
hay 0, 1937

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|The lust specific inference to the ..uostion of the
V»ahrailn-»Saudl seabed frontier seems to bo in .Tedda telogrum
llo„ 3!30 of October 2ft lust. There bus recently been a good
deal of disouGuion about this ..uostion bore, One or two
reasonably well informed sources have suggested that Aramco
are not really interested in any oil there may be in the
Fasht bu ftnafa and would not advice the Saudi Government to
.nuke difficulties about arriving at a settlement satisfactory
to JUdirain, and that come of the Saudi officials concerned
would bo ready to settle for a fifty-fifty division of the
area, or for an oil sharing arrangement of some kind. The
matter of tactics bos also been discussed in the Ruling
family, with Shaikh Abdullah, the Ruler’s uncle, urging the
advantages of a direct approach from the Ruler to the Saudis
since we do not look like being able to handle the matter for
him for some time to enme. The Ruler in of course acutely
conscious of his need for.- more revenue for various govern­
mental purposes, lie lifts spoken to us wistfully on more than
one occasion in recent months about our obligation to settle
this uucstion for him, but lie has not hitherto shown muchs
keenness to do anything about it himself* In a recent
conversation with Charles Gault however when the latter said
that owing to our inubility to negotiate with the Saudis for
tin; time being it would be worth considering whether the
Ruler should make a personal approach to King Sand, the Ruler
said that if \.o recommended it, and allowed him to do so, he
would he very ready to consider a personal and at least In the
early stages an unofficial approach to the King. lie would
test the ground very cautiously first in order to see whether
the atmosphere would soe.i favourable for a more thorough­
going approach. Gault ujfoirinud that i f the; process worked
out favourably wo would of curse be glad to come in at a
Inter stage to co. iplote in an official mannur anything which
the Ruler ..light have achieved.
2. I would now like to encourage the Ruler to b ogin to
take Soundings in this matter and X shall be glad to know
as soon as possible, preferably by telegram, that you see no
objection* The objective would ho to reach an agreement
for the sharing of any oil resources in tin; Paulit bu Saafa
area or any settlement more favourable than this to llalrrain.

ji* I a..! sending a copy of this letter to Ghnrleo flpult.

(i.i. A. «•:. Burrows)
h.«•.,II, Riches lUs.iuiro,
PORUVGii OPPTOW,
B.V7.T.