Page 444 - Gulf Precis(VIII)_Neat

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employed to evade the prohibition against the importation of arms into Persia whenever
the Persian officials gave rise to difficulties. Mohamed Rahim has stated that they were
taken to Taheri, Lingah, Bunder Abbas, and other places in Persia.
ia. The concession for importing into Baherin was a profitable part of the arms
traffic carried on by Messrs. Fracis, Times, who
Derot »t Tery profitable to Messrs. arc sajj by Mohamed Khalil to have sold about
Fracii. Times Co. 6,000 rifles at Bahrein alone, at an average rate
of Rs. too each, or some 6 lakhs of rupees altogether.
13. When the amount of the traffic came to his knowledge the Sheikh appears to have
taken alarm, and as he heard that the concession­
The Sheikh take* alarm at the number of gun* aries were evading a condition in the concession
coming into the place.
to the effect that no sales were to be made to
people at Bahrein itself, or at Katar, on the Arab Coast, it seems that he told the Vizier to
stop the importation.
14. Sheikh Esa’s apprehensions appear to me reasonable. His position at Bahrein
has always been more or less precarious, and
The Sheikh’s apprehension* seem reasonable.
in 1895—to the events of which I have already
referred—he would certainly have been destroyed but for our assistance. Arming his enemies
is therefore a very serious matter for him, and he was justified in trying to curtail the
importation of arms, which might be used against himself and his family.
15. The correspondence between Agha Mohamed Rahim and Messrs. Fracis, Times,
clearly shows that the latter were aware, long
Jra.ci>’ ,TTuei & .^°’mkncw of the before the arms were attached, that the Sheikh
Sheikh 1 obj.cl.oo9 to .he „..t ...flic m .. ^ raising objeaionSi 3„d onc „ they
refer to the termination of the concession by the Vizier’s death, and say that in no
other way can it be ended, showing I think that the question of terminating the COll-
cession had been raised. Mohamed Rahim and his nephew have declared on solemn
affirmation that its conditions were clearly explained and understood by Mr. Fracis, and
that they themselves understood when they received it that it was liable to be withdraws.
16. The Sheikh seems to have thought that he had the right to do so through his
Vizier, and to have exercised that right in conse-
,ho"sbth• ,hc *■*“*of his drtvsome °'th* thai
were coming to Bahrein would be employed
against himself.
17. The Vizier in April, 1897, told Mohamed Rahim that he must stop importing
m. , .. „ . arms for four months, after which further orders
.8i^!fh;e.tV.rpl0“,;ohr«Ii.a,^i'' ,*>« and h. subsequently demand.
ed back the concession. Mr. Fracis was duly
informed of this, and it is clear, as I have already shown, that he knew for some time of
the Sheikh’s objections to the traffic, and had even on one occasion, told Mohamed Rahim
to threaten the Sheikh that he would report him to the British Consulate if he tried to
evade his obligations.
„ , . ........... . 18. It is necessary here to refer to the con-
of this Residency with the arms traffic
to Bahrein.
In January, 1896, that is, about six months after granting the concession to his Vizier,
the Sheik issued an order prohibiting the importation of arms to Bahrein under a penalty
of a fine of 25 per cent, of he value of the goods brought in. I have little doubt that
the Sheikh issued this prohibition at the request of the concessionaires, vis., Mohamed
Rahim and Mr. Fracis with the object of keeping the trade exclusively in their own hands.
When it first came to my notice, however, in October 1897, I did not understand its object,
as I was not aware that Mr. Fracis and the agent held a concession, and I at once called
upon the agent for an explanation. This was in October 1897, and it is possible that my
inquiries caused Mohamed Rahim to turn round and try to stop the traffic in which he
had taken such a prominent part, and it is possible also that the seizures of arms at
Bahrein and Maskat may have encouraged Sheikh Esa to attach the arms at Bahrein ;
but beyond.this I am certain that no directions were sent to the Seikh from the Residency
or advice given him about the arms traffic, and he acted on his own initiative.
19. As regard the letter to Mr. Fracis from the First Assistant Resident in July 1896,
it appears that Mr. Fracis about the middle
Mr. Ducat’s letter of the ;tb July 1896. Agent
states he oarer saw it. of 1 896—that is, several months after the con-
cession was given—made an application for our
good offices with the Sheikh, to this the letter from the First Assistant is a reply. Agha
Mohamed Rahim has stated that he never saw or heard of this letter, and it is possible
that Mr. Fracis may have kept it to himself, fearing that if it came to our Agent’s know­
ledge he might object to act for them at Bahrein.

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