Page 109 - The Persian Gulf Historical Summaries (1907-1953) Vol IV_Neat

r

103
British Rights at former Telegraph Stations
in the Gulf.
Telegraph Island.—Telegraph Island, which lies
in Elphinstonc Inlet, off the Musandim promon­
tory, was occupied in lSGt “without reference
cither to the Sultan of Muscat or to any other
authority” (Minute hy Lord Curzon, dated
the 0th October, 1902, forming an inclosurc to
the Government of India’s despatch of the 23nl
October, 1902), for the purpose of erecting a
stntion ou tho Gulf cable. The station was
abaudoned in 1SC9, when the cable was diverted
from Musandim to Jask and Ucnjam. Since
that date the island has not been occupied by us
in any way.
The question of our status on Telegraph Island,
which appears to be little more than a rock, arose
in 1901 in connection with the proposals for
selecting naval bases in the Gulf, which were tho
outcome of Lord Curzon's visit to those regions.
On the 24th August, 1904, IIis Majesty’s
Governmeut sanctioned a proposal of the Govern­
ment of India to erect flagstatt's on three points
at Cape Musandim, of which the site of the old
buildings on Telegraph Island was one. The flag-
staffs were erected, but as a result of repre­
sentations by the Admiralty, it was subsequently
decided that two out of the threo should be
abandoned. It was recognized that Telegraph
Island, in view of its occupation from 1864-9,
stood in a different position from the other sites
selected, and tho orders of His Majesty’s Govern­
ment convoyed in Mr. Brodrick’s telegram to the
Viceroy, dated the 31st March, 1905, approved
the maintenance of the flagstaff on Telegraph
Island “as a sign of the continuance of our
occupation of tho spot, which first took place in
connection with the operations of the Eastern
Telegraph Company.” In a despatch dated the
19th May, 1905, the Government of India were
requested to reconsider tho question of main­
taining the flagstaff. They were informed that
“ the opinion of His Majesty’s Government with
regard to the flagstaff on Telegraph Island was
based on the conclusion," formulated in tho
Government of India’s letter of the 23rd October,
1902, “that the jurisdiction of tho Sultan of
Muscat over thcMakhlab Isthmus and Musandim
promontory was of so uncertain and ineffective
a character that it would be opeu to His Majesty’s
[1098] 2 E