Page 214 - Gulf Precis (V)_Neat

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havo permitted ilio Turks to <lo so, nr how arc wo to make Iho prohibition infoUigihlo, ? Or if
Persia, desirous to have a fleet in tho Gulf to establish her claims to supremacy, should throw
herself on sonic foreign power ond procure vessels of war, on what grounds nro wc to remons­
trate ? She could only do so on grounds equally applicable to tho prevention of this expedition,
and by declining to interfere with this expedition, we almost debar ourselves from urging
those grounds against Persia, or at all events greatly weaken the forco of the argument and t ho
value of the remonstrance. This expedition is like tho littlo rout in the embankment, insigni­
ficant in itself and easily repaired at first, but if not repaird, certain to end in the destruction of
tho whole work.”
60. Various despatches, ending with No. 28 of tho 20Mi May 1870, had
been addressed to the Secretary of State regarding tho policy of tho British
Government in tho Gulf. Thus the prociso relations in which tho British Gov­
ernment stood in regard to such powors as Turkey and Persia, as well as to tho
less powers, not having been precisely determined, it was difficult for the Gov­
ernment of India to adopt a tangible and intelligible policy.
61. Colonel Polly’s telegram regarding Kowoit {vide paragraph 67) illus­
trated the difficulties of the position. Koweit is a port on the extreme north­
west of the Persian Gulf; and Mr. Aitchisou observed :—
11 The inhabitants acknowlegcd the sovereignty of the Porte, and use the Turkish flag,
though their allegiance to the Sultan is merely nominal. Tho ruling family are a branch of
the Uttoobee tribe with the patronymio ‘ Al Subah/ The B.ilireia family, it will b.o remem­
bered, are also a brauoh of the Uttoobets. Colonel Pelly was quite right in stating* that the
• Vidt pir»giapb 67. Indian Government are not committed to inter­
fere under truciol engagements as between
'Wahabis, Koweits, and Turks.’ But neither are wo, oxoept in regard to Bahrein, committed
to interfere under trucial engagement? as between Turks, Koweits, and the trucial Chiefs.
We are committed under ihe Treaty only to interference ns between the trucial Chiefs them­
selves. The Treaty with Bahrein ha? wider scope. The Chief of Bahrein agrer-s to abstain
from all maritime aggressions of every description, so long- as he receives tho suoport of the
British Government a«:aiust timilar aggressions from the Chiefs and tribes of the Gulf; he
agrees to make known to the Resident, as arbitrator, all aggressions and depredations which
may be designed by sea against him ; * and the British Resident engages that he will forthwith
take the Decenary steps for obtaining reparation for every injury piovfd to have been inflicted,
or in course of infliction, by sea upon Bahrein, or upon its dependencies in this Gulf/ Wo are,
therefore, bound to interfere on behalf of Bahrein should any attack by sea be made or design­
ed ; in regard to the other Chiefs, exiept in oase of attack by one subscribing Chief upon
another, our interference is matter of policy and not of obligation.”
Explicit assurances of the Porte.

62. On the 25th April, Colonel Herbert reported a rumour that, if the
expedition to Nejd was successful, it
Ibid (No. 601.)
would eventually be directed to the ac­
quisition of Bahrein, Maskat, and the Arab Coast. He requested instructions.
Being asked his authority for tho statement, ho replied that tho report now
generally believed at Baghdad, and accorded with Turkish protensions, as
reported in his letter of 16th March 1870. That letter gave cover to a protest
hy Midhut Pasha on behalf of his Government against the proceedings which
Colonel Pelly had, with the sanction of the British Government, taken a short
time before at Bahrein. The Pasha stated that—
“ Bahrein and it* dependencies are countries of the Ottoman dominions, ard tho Gov­
ernment of those localities appertains to the Kairn-Makamiok of Nejd, subject to tho Ottoman
Governmentu
The protest was sent to the Secretary of State under cover of a Secrot des­
patch No. 28 of 20th May 1870, from the Government of India, with the
remarks :—
4fWe have already informed Yonr Grace that any disposition to admit tho pretensions of
Persia to supremacy over Bahrtin would probably load to tho revival of similar obsolete claims
on the part of Turkey. This result, which we foresaw, has now actually been brought about;
and as Your Groce will perceive from Colmel Herbert's letter offlth March, which lorms ono
of the enclosures of this despatch, Ilis Excellency Midhut Pasha, the Governor-General of
Baghdad, has formally claimod Bahrein and its dependencies ns countries of the Ottoman domi­
nions. This claim mts on no hot tor foundation than that of Persia. ‘ It was summarily re­
jected by Lord Palmerston in 1851, aud, iu our opinion, should net bo ro-opoced.”