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unfounded claims such as those which Persia now
puts forward [to Bahrein], During the years of
peace that have followed the establishment of our
supremacy in the Persian Gulf, trade has enor­
mously increased, and the predatory Arabs have
embarked in peaceful and mercantile pursuits on
the faith of the security which our protectorate
affords. British steamers now ply weekly from
one end of the Gulf to the other, and our subjects
have embarked large capital in the pearl fisheries
on the coast and in the commerce of Mesopotamia,
Persia, and Arabia. Every day the importance
of the Gulf as a commercial highway between
Europe and the East is increasing. Even if the
political engagements which we have contracted
admitted of such a course, and Persia were pos­
sessed of an adequate naval force, it would he
almost impossible and certainly impolitic to com­
mit to her the guardianship of these vast and
varied interests. Any indication on our part
even of a desire to do so would probably be fol­
lowed by the decline of trade, the outbreak of
hostilities, piracy, and plunder, and a return to
the disorder and lawlessness which during the
last half century we have so successfully re­
strained.”

II.
“ The noble Lord asked mo for a statement of
our policy with regard to the Persian Gulf. I
think I can give him one in a few simple words.
It seems to me that our policy should be
directed, in the first place, to protect and
promote British trade in those. waters. In the
next place, I do not think that he suggests, or
that we should suggest, that those efforts should
be directed towards the exclusion of tiie legiti­
mate trade of other Powers. In the third place
—I say it without hesitation—we should regard
the establishment of a naval base, or of a fortified
pori, iu the Persian Gulf by any other Power as
a very grave menace to British interests, and we
should certainly resist it with all the means at
our disposal. I say that iu no minatory spirit,
because, so far as I am aware, no proposals are
on foot for the establishment of a foreign naval
base iu the Persian Gulf. I at least have heard
of none; and 1 cannot help thinking that the
noble Lord waxed almost unnecessarily warm at
the idea of such a foreign intrusion, with which,
[1098] 2 3?