Page 87 - The Persian Gulf Historical Summaries (1907-1953) Vol IV_Neat

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ed-Dowlch was informed by Her Majesty’s
Minister at Tehran that no contract could he
recognized which would have the cITcct of inter­
fering with the rights exorcised by Chiefs under
British protection. In 1901 Sir Nicholas
O'Oonor, hearing of a project which was
under the consideration of the Porte to tax
the fisheries, acquainted Tewfik Pasha with
the objections which Her late Majesty’s Govern­
ment saw to any action which would interfere
with tlio prescriptive rights of our protected
tribes. In 1902 our local officers declined to
countenance the project of a British Indian
subject, who proposed to obtain facilities for
pearling in Abu Dhabi waters. Pinally, in 1903,
Colonel Kemball reported that two Frenchmen,
named Dumas and Castclin, had arrived in
Bahrein with the intention of prospecting the
pearl hanks round that island. The Chief
refused to entertain their proposals, and subse­
quently the strangers left the neighbourhood,
one for Turkish Arabia, and the other for
Europe, where it was believed that ho intended
to engage a professional diver. lie has, however,
not yet reappeared. In connection with the
last-mentioned case, wre have informed our
Political Itcsident in the Persian Gulf that we
entirely approve Sheikh Esa’s attitude, and that,
in the event of either of these Frenchmen
returning to Bahrein, the Chief should refuse to
render assistance of any description; that any
other Chief who may be similarly approached
should return a similar response; and that the
Government of India should at once he informed
of any rcuewul of the project, or of any like
attempt. We inclose, for your information, a
copy of the recent correspondence on this
subject.
“We have thus succeeded hitherto in staving
off outside interference Wo recognize, however,
that our position in the matter is in certain re­
spects difficult, and that in the future the same
success may not attend measures which in the
past have sail iced to attain our object. The
question involves cousidcrations, firstly, of
private, and, secondly, of international law. Our
rights in restraining foreign interference are, it
appears to us, at any rate commensurate with
those of the Arab tribes concerned, sinco these
have agreed to leave the protection of their
interests in our hands; and the question which
we may hereaftor be called upon to answer,