Page 110 - The Arabian Gulf States_Neat

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48 THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE ARABIAN GULF STATES

(ii) Agreement regarding the cession of territory, 20 March 1S911
This agreement appears to have originated in an era which was
; characterised by intensive French activities in Muscat. Thus, while the
French Government was, during this period, busy trying to obtain
from the Sultan a lease for a coaling station in Muscat, the British
authorities were, for their part, considering seriously the practical
measures which they ought to take in order to frustrate the French
i
action regarding the possession of the lease in question. At one time
1 it was believed within British official circles that the declaration of a
British protectorate over Muscat would provide a solution to the
situation created by the French overtures to the Sultan. This is
because it was then actually thought ‘that the relations between
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Muscat and Britain’ placed the former ‘within the British sphere of
I influence'.2 Moreover, Lord Curzon went as far as regarding Muscat
as a mere ‘British dependency’. ‘We subsidise its ruler; we dictate its
policy; we should tolerate no alien interference . . he observed in
! 1892.3
However, after second thoughts, the idea of declaring Muscat a
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British protectorate was dropped as it was found that such an action
on the part of the British Government would be contrary to the
Declaration of 1862 between Britain and France regarding their
obligations to maintain the independence of Muscat. Consequently,
the Agreement of 10 March 1891 regarding the non-alienation of
territory was concluded with the Sultan as a compromise which would,
in the British authorities’ view, have less repercussions than a de­
claration of a protectorate.4
In this agreement the Sultan pledged and bound himself, his heirs
and successors ‘never to cede, sell, to mortgage or otherwise give for
occupation, save to the British Government, the dominions of Muscat
and Oman or any of their dependencies’.5

(iii) Agreements of 1902 and 19236
On 31 May 1902 the Sultan signed an agreement with the British
Government in which he bound himself not to grant concessions for
working the coal-fields in the hinterland of Sur to any foreign govern­
ment or company without first communicating
with the British Government in order that they may themselves take up the
matter [with him] if they feel so inclined. _____________
1 Aitchison, pp. 317-18; India, Foreign and Political Department, Part 3, op. cit.
2 Lorimer, p. 534.
3 Curzon, Persia and the Persian Question, op. cit., p. 443.
4 Lorimer, pp. 534-5.
6 Aitchison, pp. 317-18. _ _
6 Ibid pp. 318-19; India, Foreign and Political Department, Part 3, op. cit.