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1. 'Muscat. Question whether a naval station could be established for use by His Majesty's ships at Khor Quwai or elsewhere in Muscat territory compatibly with the existing international agreements of His Majesty's Government'.
- Description:
- Abstract: This printed India Office report was written by John Gilbert Laithwaite and published in November 1934. It aims 'to examine, with particular reference to the proposal which has been put forward to establish a station at Khor Quwai [Khawr Quway] in the Musandim Peninsula, the history of the Declaration of 1862 by which France and Great Britain undertook to respect the independence of Muscat, and its effect, and that other existing treaty provisions, on the right of H.M. Government (subject to the consent of the Sultan of Muscat) to establish a naval station in Muscat territory.'The documents include a short note on the status of the Musandam Peninsula. It lists key treaty engagements between the Sultan of Muscat and His Majesty's Government with relevant extracts including:British Treaty of Commerce of 1839 with Muscat, Article 2;Treaty of Commerce between France and Muscat, 1844, Article 3;Anglo-French Declaration of 10th March 1862;British Treaty of Commerce of 1891 with Muscat, Article 4;Exclusive Agreement of the Sultan of Muscat with H.M. Government, 1891.Further sections are:Muscat and France, 1770-1934;British Connection with Muscat, 1770 to 1934;The Anglo-French Declaration of 1862: its importance in Muscat Policy, and the interpretations which have been placed on it.Physical description: Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the first folio and terminates at the last folio; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Pagination: The booklet also contains an original typed pagination sequence.
2. Coll 30/111 'British Naval Stations in: Establishments at Khor Quwai and Bahrain. Evacuation of Henjam and Basidu.'
- Description:
- Abstract: The file concerns the evacuation of the British naval stations at Henjam [Jazīreh-ye Hengām] and Basidu [Bāsaʻīdū, Qeshm], in Iran (generally referred to in the papers as Persia), and the transfer of naval facilities to a new main station at Bahrain (also spelled Bahrein) and a subsidiary station at Khor Quwai (also spelled Khor Kuwai), Musandam, in the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman. The British Government had become aware that the legal basis for their occupation of Basidu was very weak, and that it would probably be impossible to oppose a determined effort by the Iranian Government to assert their claims to Basidu. In addition, between 1932 and 1934 there had been a change in the relative importance to the United Kingdom of the Arab and Iranian coasts of the Persian Gulf; the Arab side was now viewed as being more important, as a result of (a) the transfer of the air route to the Arab Coast in 1932, and (b) the discovery of oil at Bahrain, and its probable existence in other parts of the Arab coast. For these reasons, it was felt desirable to move the base of British naval operations in the area (Foreign Office memorandum, folios 221-225).The main correspondents are the Foreign Office; the Admiralty; senior British naval officers; HM Minister, Tehran (Hughe Montgomery Knatchbull Hugesson); and the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Lieutenant-Colonel Trenchard Craven William Fowle).The papers include: discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of establishing a naval station at Khor Quwai (folios 539-571); issues raised by Muscat's position as an independent state, and the Anglo-French Declaration of 1862 (folios 529-538); minutes of meetings at the Foreign Office and the Admiralty; the question of the reaction of the Iranian Government; discussion of the announcement of the withdrawal; negotiations with the Sultan of Muscat [Sa'īd bin Taymūr Āl Bū Sa'īd] over Khor Quwai; the removal of stores from Henjam; the question of the protection of British cemeteries at Henjam and Basidu (e.g. Iranian assurances, folio 126); descriptions of the evacuation of Henjam and Basidu in April 1935 in intelligence reports and correspondence; and the expression of gratitude by British Government to the Ruler of Bahrain (Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah [Shaikh Ḥamad bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah]) over the assistance given by the Government of Bahrain in construction work for the new station at Bahrain (folios 39-54).The Arabic language content of the file consists of a single item of correspondence on folio 40.The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 574; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.