Page 309 - Gulf Precis (V)_Neat

Ill
inflicted on-the comm°rco of tlic Persian Gulf 1»v the succession of piratical expeditions which
huvo issued duiing the course of the last two years and upwards fr*un a portion of the coast of
Arabia over which the Porto claims to have cstablidied its jurisdiction.
" From the reports which havo reached Her Majesty's Embassy of the injuries sustained
by. British subjects, or others under British protection from these attacks, it is evident that,
unless the maniudeis are effectually checked and punished, the peaceful tiaders of those waters
will be seriously disturbed.
u Certainly thero has been no want of courtesy or good-will in the replies which have been
returned by the Porte to Sir II Bayard's representations. But unfortunately whether from
the lack of alacrity ou the part of tho local officials, r.r the want of an adequate means for
etheient naval or military measures, tho assurances of the Central Government have not
received any practical fulfilment upon tho spot. As yet little has been done by the Turkish
authorities towards the capture or punishment of the offieudt-r*, and >o far as Her Majesty's
Government arc aware, ihere has been no attempt on their part to obtain the recovery or
restitutiou of the plundered property, and there is too much reason to anticipate that tho
offenders emboldened by tho absence of proper measures of prevention will continue their
depredations upon a large scale. Indeed, a report has lately reached Her Majesty’s Embassy
that tho Beni llajir tribe havo agaiu been plundering boats of the Gutter coast in tho Persian
Gulf. It i-* clear that such a 6tate of tilings should not be allowed to continue either in the
interests of the Turkish Government itself, or in that of other countries interested in the
commerce of the Persian Gulf.
“ It would indeed, he incredible that tho Turkish Governmont should allow any country
really and effectively subject to its authority to be made use of in time of peace as a station
for the preparation of marauding expeditions directed for purposes of indiscriminate plunder
against the commerce of the surrounding waters, and Her Majesty's Government are
convinced that the Porte will readily co opera to in any plan which may seem well adapted to
prevent 6uch a contingency, and the irritating claims and questions to which it cannot fail to
give rise.
“ Thoy would propose for this purpose that the commanders of Her Majesty’s ships
charged with the duty of keeping the police of the Persain Gulf, while they could he instructed
to pursue their operations outside the territorial waters of the Arabian mainland north of Aden
(? sic Odeid), should also have uuthority to pursue and onpture piratical vessels within the
three-mile limit on that part of the coast whenever this course of proceeding might seem
indispeosahlo to the attainment of their object.
“ It would be understood that in caso of any Turkish vcsscl-of-water being in reach, the
British cruiser would not act without the co-operation of the Turkish commander, and leaving
to him, if he desired it, tho principal share in the operations, and further that, whenever
practicable the previous consent of any Turkish Governor, or similar official on the maiulaud
immediately adjacont, would bo solicited.
“ In cither case any prizes raado within recognized Turkish limits could be dealt with
according to the wishes of the Turkish authorities.
“ I haYO now the honour to request that Your Excellency will take this matter into your
consideration, and that you will have the goodness to inform me at an early opportunity
whether the Sub ime L'orte is disposed to entor into an engagement of the nature described
above, ihe tendency of which would bo rather to establish than in any way to diminish the
Sultau's authority iu the districts concerned."
430. Mr. Goschen at the same time forwarded the following memorandum
by Mr. Plowdon:—
« MEMORANDUM.
u Turkish Jurisdiction on the Arabian Coast of the Persian Gulfx
“1. It appears that in the recent correspondence on the subject of Turkish juiisdiction
in the Gulf, the British Government has u*od expressions which araouut to an acquiescence in
the cxistonce of some Turkish authority on the El-Hassa coast, consequently Your Excellency
has resolved to conclude with the Ottoman Government an arrangement of the kind described
in Foreign Office No. 12 of 5th January, and to reject tho alternative policy suggested in
another Foreign Office despatch No. 13 of the same date.
"All I could venture to say on this point is that an arrangement of the kind contemplated
in despatch No. 12, based ns it is upon a definite recognition of Turkish sovereignty, may be
oxpectod to facilitate tho establishment of Turkish claims on tho Arabian coast goncrally’, and
will thereby strengthen in a very considerable degreo tho advantage already gained by the
Porte from the tonor of recent correspondence. Putting asido this correspondence, with
the precise nature of which I am not acquainted, valid objections of oxist to tho Turkish title
both in El-IIasia aud elsewhere on the coast. The conolusiou of the proposed arrangement