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13. ‘Map of Sinkiang (Chinese Turkistan) To Accompany Military Report, 1929.’
- Description:
- Abstract: Map of the Sinkiang [Xinjiang] province of China. The map is split across two sheets, the first (labelled ‘No. 1’) being the western half of the area covered, and the second (labelled ‘No. 2’) the eastern half. Both sheets have an inset map, showing the complete area of the larger map. The scale of these insets maps is 1:18,000,000. The inset map on sheet no. 1 indicates, as shaded areas, the authorities consulted for the larger map. A key to the shaded areas accompanies this inset map. The inset map on sheet no. 2 indicates the area on the whole map covered by sheet no. 2. The main map and its key indicate: railways (both open and under construction); Sinkiang and international boundaries; main routes and other routes (both in red); telegraph and telephone lines. Physical features indicated on the map are: terrain (in brown); river and water systems (in blue); settlements; deserts; and summits.Physical description: Dimensions: each map 830 x 550 mm, on sheets 925 x 680 mm.Materials: Printed in colour on paper.
14. ‘Map accompanying Military Report on Persia Vol. I’
- Description:
- Abstract: The key to the map indicates: roads actually in use with wheeled vehicles; roads fit for passage of wheeled artillery; camel tracks; railway lines; telegraph lines and telegraph offices; post offices; boundaries, both demarcated and undemarcated. Also indicated are rivers and waterways; settlements; marshes; and desert regions. The map was printed by the Simla Drawing Office and includes a printing statement which reads ‘D.O.S.I. No. E 6107 10-30.’Physical description: Dimensions: 520 x 370 mm, on sheet 595 x 415 mm.Materials: Printed on paper.
15. 'Monograph on the Aden Hinterland as touching the States of Dthala, Yafa', Alawi, etc., by Major H F Jacob, late Political Agent, Dthala.'
- Description:
- Abstract: Monograph on the Hinterland of Aden as touching the states of Dthala, Yafa', Haushabi and Alwai; The Turkish Frontier; The transborder people: together with a few remarks on hinterland policy, written by Captain Harold Fenton Jacob, formerly Political Agent at Dthala, 6 December 1907.The monograph focuses primarily on the Amir of Dthala [Aḑ Ḑāli‘] (Amir Shaif) and his relations with his own tribes and subjects, as well as other neighbouring tribes and the British Government. Also discussed are relations between the Halmin, Al Afud [Radfān], Mifari, Mihrabi [Mihrābī], Humedi [Ḩumaydī] and Jabal Jihaf [Jabal Jiḩāf] tribes.The monograph also discusses the following topics:the inter-tribal relations of the Amir of Dthala and how they affect him;British relations with the Amir through the Political Agent at Dthala. Included within this is discussion of the invaluable work of the Dispensary at Dthala and of the work undertaken by the dispensary's staff in visiting villages to provide medical assistance;The tribal structure of the region focusing on the role of the 'Saiyid' priestly class; the position of women within the society and the potential role that education of future tribal chief's could play;the system of payment of stipendiaries to local chiefs and rulers to gain access to an area of the surrounding country; and the value, or not, of such a process;The Turkish border and its influence on Dthala politics and the Amir. Included within this is discussion regarding the border tribes, their lack of interest or meaning in a demarcation of the border, and their allegiances across both sides of the border;Haushabi affairs and British relations with the tribe;relations with the Alawi tribe, including an overview of Alawi-Kotaibi [Quṭaybī] relations;the arms trade in the area;affairs in the vicinity of Yafa' [Yafa'a], including the areas referred to by the British as Upper Yafa', Lower Yafa', and Yafa'-as-Sufāl.The monograph was printed at the Government Central Press, Bombay, 1908 on the recommendation of Major-General Ernest DeBrath, Political Resident at Aden.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 22; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
16. 'Confidential 86/7-IV B.40. Petroleum Concessions Limited - Trucial Coast.'
- Description:
- Abstract: The volume contains a record of negotiations between Major Frank Holmes and Ashraf Halim [Ashraf Halīm] on behalf of Petroleum Concessions Limited, and the Shaikh Sa'id bin Maktum [Saʻīd bin Maktūm Āl Maktūm], Shaikh of Dibai [Dubai], over a concession agreement for Dibai, which resulted in a concession being agreed and the clauses of the concession being initialled by each party with the Shaikh of Dubai intending to sign the concession formally once it had been approved by the British Government, draft copies of the concession are included at folios 70-73 and 91-109.Also included in the volume are correspondence and meetings between Petroleum Concessions Limited (Stephen Hemlsey Longrigg), the India Office (John Walton, Maurice Clauson), the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Trenchard Craven Fowle, Percy Gordon Loch), the Petroleum Department (Harold Gordon Gunn), the Admiralty (Ebenezer Seal) and the Foreign Office (Terence Vincent Brenan) to discuss both the amended clauses of the concession agreement for Dubai and the necessary Political Agreement between Petroleum Concessions Limited and Her Majesty’s Government. The main points of discussion being the clauses in the Political Agreement relating to protection of Company Employees, jurisdiction for expelling foreigners from Dibai, and the need for a British controlled Refinery in the Persian Gulf.Also under discussion is the question of boundaries between the Trucial Coast Shaikhdom’s and how best to settle them in relation to concession agreements; and reports of communications between the Shaikh Sa'id bin Maktum, Ruler of Dubai and Shaikh Shakhbut bin Sultan [Shaikh Shakhbūt bin Sulṭān bin Zāyid Āl Nahyān], Ruler of Abu Dhabi with the intention of settling themselves the boundary between their respective territories which the Political Resident believes to be the best solution to the boundary question, provided they are able to reach a consensus.Correspondence between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf , the Secretary of State for India, the Political Agent Bahrain and Petroleum Concessions Limited discussing the protection undertaking required by the British Government before the options secured by the Trucial Coast Shaikh’s could be approved. The correspondence confirms the acceptance by the Shaikh’s of Abu Dhabi and Dibai of the condition; the refusal of the Shaikhs of Sharjah (Sulṭān bin Saqr Āl Qasimī) and Ras al Khaimah [Ra's al Khaymah] (Shaikh Sulṭān bin Sālim Āl Qasimī) to agree to the condition as it contained references to compensation without any upper limit or detail of amounts; and the non-response of the Shaikh of Ajman (Rāshid bin Ḥumaid Al-Nu`aimī) to the agreement. The correspondence continues by discussing ways of convincing the Shaikh’s of Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah to agree to the undertaking and possible reassurances that could be given in relation to the question of compensation.Other topics discussed include:the continuation of negotiations with the Shaikh of Abu Dhabi regarding a possible concession agreement;the appointment of Ernest Vincent Packer as Chief Local Representative for Petroleum Concessions Limited, including correspondence from the India Office following up his references;reports through the Residency Agent at Sharjah (Khan Sahib Saiyid 'Abd al-Razzaq) of attempts by the Shaikh of Sharjah to convince the Shaikh’s of Abu Dhabi and Dubai to go back on their acceptance of the protection undertaking; and to convince the Shaikh of Dubai not to sign a concession agreement until all the Trucial Coast Shaikhs had an opportunity to come together and discuss the question of oil jointly;summary of Petroleum Concessions Limited’s position and progress in relation to the concession agreements they were pursuing; progress updates were given for the Kuwait Neutral Zone; Qatar; Bahrain and the Trucial Coasts along with details of the appointment of a Chief Local Representative, the intended movements of their geologists and their intentions in regards to the shipping of equipment and materials and the recruitment of employees.Reports from the Residency Agent at Shargah of the movements of Hussain Yateem [Husayn Yatīm] in Sharjah and Dubai; and unconfirmed rumours that he had been employed as an agent and negotiator for an American Petroleum Company and had approached the Shaikh’s of Sharjah and Dubai in this capacity.Draft concession agreements and correspondence with Shaikh's in Arabic and English.A series of file notes which were maintained as a record of the correspondence in the volume can be found at folios 248-255.Physical description: Foliation: The main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover, and terminates at the inside back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 6-247; these numbers are also written in pencil, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence, but they are not circled. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
17. 'CONFIDENTIAL 86/7-VI B.43. PETROLEUM CONCESSIONS LTD. TRUCIAL COAST'
- Description:
- Abstract: The volume contains correspondence, primarily between Major Frank Holmes as negotiator for Petroleum Concessions Limited (PCL), John Skliros, Director of Petroleum Concessions Limited in London, the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf and the Political Agent at Bahrain regarding progress in negotiations with Shaikh Sultan bin Saqr [Sulṭān bin Saqr Āl Qasimī], Ruler of Sharjah for a concession in his territories. The correspondence discusses the amendments to the agreement which the Shaikh wished to make, various conditions he wished to place on the concession. and negotiations over the financial terms of a potential concession. A draft copy of the concession agreement can be found at folios 94-111.Also discussed is the signing of the Debai [Dubai] concession and PCL's acceptance of the signed copy; along with the written agreement given by Shaikh Sa’id bin Maktum al Maktum [Saʻīd bin Maktūm Āl Maktūm] to the Political Resident regarding a termination of contract undertaking.Further correspondence between the Political Agent at Bahrain, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf and Secretary of State for India considers methods of applying pressure on the Trucial Coast Shaikh’s to sign concessions with Petroleum Concessions Limited in order to prevent American interests from acquiring concessions in the area. A letter is issued by the Secretary of State for India, on behalf of the British Government, to be used if negotiations and initial pressure failed to secure the concessions. The letter made it clear that the British Government would not permit more than one Oil Company to operate on the Trucial Coast and that they had approved agreements with PCL and were not prepared to permit negotiations with other Companies. The intention was for the letter to be used as a last resort as there could be difficulties if either Petroleum Concessions Limited or the Trucial Coast Shaikh’s came to learn of its existence before it was required.Other matters of note within the volume include:circular issued by the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf to all Consuls and Political Agents with powers to grant visa’s requesting that no visa for the Trucial Coast be granted to Haji ‘Abdullah Williamson without prior discussion with the Political Resident. Also included is a note of a discussion which the Political Resident had with Mr Gordon, Assistant General Manager for the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company at Abadan, regarding Williamson’s activities on the Trucial Coast whilst being employed by Petroleum Concessions Limited;report on a conversation between the Political Agent at Bahrain and the Shaikh of Abu Dhabi (Shaikh Shakhbūt bin Sulṭān bin Zāyid Āl Nahyān) over statements made to the Shaikh about Major Frank Holmes and Petroleum Concessions Limited and their British status, which the Political Agent was able to correct; and concerns about rumours being spread on the Trucial Coast which could cause problems for both PCL and the British Government;draft copies in Arabic and English of the proposed Umm-al-Qaiwain [Umm al Qaywayn] concession agreement (ff 48-65), Ajman Concession agreement (ff 30-47), and Ras al Khaimah [Ra's al Khaymah] concession agreement (ff 112-129);Correspondence regarding a disturbance in Kalba [Kalbā] which had briefly prevented individuals visiting Ras al Khaimah;letter from the Sultan of Muscat and Oman (Sayyid Taymūr bin Fayṣal bin Turkī Āl Bū Sa‘īd) to the Political Agent at Muscat (Ralph Ponsonby Watts) regarding an encroachment by the Geologists for Petroleum Concessions Limited into his territory in the Buraimi [Al Buraymī] district; and observations by the Political Agent of the need to define the limits of the Sultan’s territory as soon as possible.Physical description: Foliation: The main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover, and terminates at the inside back cover; these numbers arewritten in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 5-214; these numbers are also written in pencil, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence, but they are not circled. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
18. 'Confidential 86/7-v B.41 PETROLEUM CONCESSIONS LTD., TRUCIAL COAST'
- Description:
- Abstract: The volume contains correspondence between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Trenchard Craven Fowle, Percy Gordon Loch), the India Office (Maurice Clauson), the Foreign Office (John Cecil Sterndale Bennett), the Colonial Office (Owen Gwyn Revell Williams), representatives of Petroleum Concessions Limited (Frank Holmes, Stephen Hemsley Longrigg, John Skliros, Ernest Vincent Packer), the Political Agent at Bahrain (Percy Gordon Loch, Tom Hickinbotham), and the Residency Agent at Sharjah (Khan Sahib 'Abd al-Razzaq) regarding the conclusion of negotiations with Shaikh Sa’id bin Maktum Al Maktum [Saʻīd bin Maktūm Āl Maktūm], Ruler of Dubai for an oil concession for his territory and the signing of the concession agreement on 22 May 1937.Correspondence includes discussions around the conclusion of a Political Agreement (folios 192-193) and Refinery Agreement (folios 194-195) between the British Government and Petroleum Concessions Limited (PCL); the approval of drafts of an exchange of notes (folios 9-10) to be held with the Shaikh of Dubai once the agreements had been signed; and the final negotiations over the wording and clauses of the Commercial Agreement between the Shaikh of Dubai and Petroleum Concessions Limited.Also discussed are concerns by the representatives of the British Government about the movements of representatives of the California Arabian Standard Oil Company who were alleged to be attempting to persuade the Trucial Coast Shaikh’s to not sign concession agreements with PCL and to wait until the end of their option clauses to negotiate better terms with them; and attempts by the Shaikh’s of Sharjah (Sulṭān bin Saqr Āl Qasimī) and Ras al Khaimah [Ra's al Khaymah] (Shaikh Sulṭān bin Sālim Āl Qasimī) to convince the Shaikh of Dubai to join with them in undertaking such an action.Also discussed in the volume is the reluctance by the Shaikh’s of Sharjah, Ras al Khaimah and Ajman (Rāshid Bin Ḥumaid Al-Nu`aimī) to accept the security undertaking owing to the inclusion of an unlimited amount of compensation liability; the proposal by the British Government to amend the undertaking so that compensation requirements would be subject to Shara’ [Sharia] Law which the Shaikh’s of Sharjah, Ras al Khaimah and Ajman ultimately agreed to, and including formal acknowledgements in Arabic and English of this undertaking.Other items of interest within the volume include:a report from Thomas Fulton Williamson and David Glynn Jones, geologists for Petroleum Concessions Limited on their survey of Ras al Khaimah, Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and their cursory investigations in Ajman; also included is correspondence regarding the area of Jibal Fayah in Sharjah which the geologists were prevented from entering by the ruling Bani Kitab [Beni Qitab] tribe;meeting between the Shaikh’s of Abu Dhabi and Dubai at which Ahmad bin Khalif bin ‘Utaibah [Shaikh Aḥmad bin khalīf bin ‘Utaybah] and Shaikh Ahmad bin Hilal [Shaikh Aḥmad bin Hilāl], Ruler of Dhawahir [ Z̧awāhir] had served as mediator’s in order to settle the question of where the boundary between Abu Dhabi and Dubai should be;correspondence with Shaikh Saqar bin Sultan Al Hamid [Shaikh Saqr bin Sulṭān Āl Ḥamīd], Chief of Braimi [Al Buraymī] regarding a rumour that the Residency Agent at Sharjah was intending to visit Braimi in order to negotiate an oil concession and response from the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf that they wished the Residency Agent to visit Braimi to establish personal contacts with local notables there;query from the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf regarding the need for PCL to appoint a Chief Local Representative; and noting that Ernest Vincent Packer had been appointed as General Manager and whether they intended this to be the same as a Chief Local Representative or not;a request by PCL to employ Robert Sutherland Cooke as a negotiator in the Middle East and whether Cooke’s past employment difficulties in Iraq might hinder this request;the appointment of Basil Henry le Riolet Lermitte as Assistant Manager for PCL in Bahrain;a request for Mrs (Dorothy) Holmes to visit Sharjah with her husband which was initially rejected by the Political Resident over fears of setting a precedent for oil Company and Superintendent’s wives in the future but was ultimately approved as 'Um Rashid' (mother of the Shaikh of Dubai?) wished her to visit;correspondence between Major Frank Holmes and the Political Agent at Bahrain regarding his intention to commence negotiations for concessions with Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah as soon as the Dubai concession was signed;correspondence regarding the Shaikh of Umm al Qaiwain’s [Umm al Qaywayn] interest in opening negotiations with Petroleum Concessions Limited; and the possibility of opening negotiations with the Shaikh of Kalba [Kalbā] as it was now a Trucial Shaikhdom;correspondence regarding the alleged intrigues of Haji ‘Abdullah Williamson who was believed to be involving himself in local politics in the Trucial Shaikhdom’s and working for the California Arabian Standard Oil Company, whilst visiting there as an interpreter for Petroleum Concessions Limited;table detailing the amount of money being paid to each Trucial Shaikh under their Anglo-Iranian Oil Company options, including how often the payments are being made and which AIOC agent was handling the payments. The table also includes notes on instances where existing or future payments differed from the norm (ff 184-185).Correspondence with the Trucial Shaikhs and copies of agreements are in both Arabic and Engliash; letters written by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company have a Persian and English letterhead.A series of file notes which were maintained as a record of the correspondence in the volume can be found at folios 288-300.Physical description: The main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover, and terminates at the inside back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 5-287; these numbers are also written in pencil, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence, but they are not circled. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
19. 'Confidential 86/12-i A. 70 Petroleum Concessions Limited. MUSCAT'
- Description:
- Abstract: The volume contains correspondence between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Trenchard Craven Fowle), the Political Agent at Bahrain (Percy Gordon Loch), the Political Agent at Muscat (Ralph Ponsonby Watts), the India Office (Maurice Clauson), Petroleum Concessions Limited (Major Frank Holmes, John Skliros, Stephen Hemsley Longrigg) and the Standard Oil Company of California (Hamilton R Ballantyne) regarding Petroleum Concessions Limited’s interest in an oil concession in Muscat and their intention of opening negotiations with the Sultan of Muscat and Oman (Sayyid Sa‘īd bin Taymūr Āl Bū Sa‘īd) which were delayed owing to the Sultan extending his stay in the interior of his country near Dhofar [Zufār].Included in the file are copies in Arabic and English of the proposed concession agreement for Muscat and Oman, including correspondence regarding possible amendments to the agreement and copies of the various drafts which can be found at folios 5-20, 28-40, 109-124, 136-139, 144-159 and 195-210.Also discussed is correspondence between the Sultan of Muscat and the Standard Oil Company of California, including samples of oil seepages found near Dhofar which were sent to the company for assessment but were not found to contain crude oil.Also discussed are the concerns of British authorities at Standard Oil’s attempts to acquire concessions in the Persian Gulf and conversations between the Company’s representative in London and the India Office at which the Company were made aware that Petroleum Concessions Limited had been given first right of negotiation in that area.Other matters of interest within the file include:concerns over possible reactions by the Bani Bu Ali [Banī Bū ‘Alī] tribe to any negotiations for, or grant of, an oil concession in Muscat, which would cover the Sur district where they held power;discussion regarding the difficulty of defining the boundaries for the Imamate of Oman;a visit paid by Major Holmes to Cairo and the British authorities in the Persian Gulf interest in knowing who he had met and what he had discussed whilst there;correspondence regarding Count Byron de Prorok and his wife Alice who had travelled from Aden to Muscat and Bahrain with the intention of searching for antiquities and archaeological sites in the region, and Tullio Pastori who was visiting Muscat and Bandar Abbas [Bandar-e ʻAbbās] to recruit labour for an Italian road construction project in Eritrea; and British officials suspicions that their visits to the area were on behalf of an Italian Oil concern, which were concluded to be unfounded.A series of file notes which were maintained as a record of the correspondence in the volume can be found at folios 227-236.Physical description: Foliation: The main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover, and terminates at the inside back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 21-226; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
20. 'CONFIDENTIAL 86/12-ii A.75. P.C.L. MUSCAT'
- Description:
- Abstract: The volume comprises correspondence between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Trenchard Craven Fowle, Olaf Caroe), the Political Agent at Muscat (Ralph Ponsonby Watts), the India Office (Maurice Clauson, John Charles Walton), the Secretary of State for India (Lawrence Dundas, 2nd Marquess of Zetland), Petroleum Concessions Limited (Frank Holmes, Stephen Hemsley Lonrgigg, Frederick Lewisohn) and the Sultan of Muscat (Said bin Taimur Al Bu Said) regarding negotiations for the granting of two oil concessions for Dhofar and Muscat territory, which were concluded by Basil Henry Lermitte of Petroleum Concessions Limited, with the concession agreements being signed on 24 June 1937.Also discussed in the volume are arrangements for a meeting between Stephen Hemsley Longrigg of Petroleum Concessions Limited and the Sultan of Muscat, which was to take place in India, in order to discuss how they might go about exploring the South East Muscat Coast and also how to gain access to the hinterland under the control of the Imam of Muscat. Also included is a request by the Sultan of Muscat for the Political Agent at Muscat, Ralph Ponsonby Watts, to be present not only at the meeting with Longrigg but also at later meetings in Delhi where the British treaty with Muscat was likely to be discussed.Further discussion relating to exploration is included between the India Office and Petroleum Concessions Limited regarding the Company’s interest in exploring the South East Coast of Muscat and parts of the interior controlled by the Imam of Muscat and the difficulties they would be likely to encounter in attempting to do so; along with the area west of the Oman Mountain Range which Petroleum Concessions Limited were interested in ascertaining any known boundaries for, and otherwise how best to approach exploration there.Another matter of discussion within the volume is Count Byron de Prorok and his wife who had travelled to Muscat to undertake archaeological exploration, but had been refused permission to explore the interior of the country by the Sultan of Muscat. The correspondence goes on to discuss allegations made by a number of individuals and organisations that the he was not entitled to hold the rank of Count; that he had been discredited in the scientific community and could not be considered to be an archaeologist; and that a number of institutions he claimed to have the support and backing of for his explorations had issued statements refuting any involvement with him. Later correspondence discusses an application made by him for permission to travel into the Rub-el-Khali in an attempt to discover an ancient city believed to be there and the India Office’s intention of declining the request. Also included with this correspondence is discussion of a visit made by an Italian, Tullio Pastori, to Muscat and Bandar Abbas and giving Mr Pastori’s background and intentions in visiting the region to recruit labourers to construct roads in Eritrea.Other matters of interest in the volume include:discussion surrounding ongoing communication between the Sultan of Muscat and the California Arabian Standard Oil Company, who wished to undertake examinations in Muscat territory for the potential development of Petroleum resources there, and regarding such correspondence being in opposition to conditions imposed in the Sultan’s treaty with the British Government.correspondence regarding proposed amendments to the Political Agreement to be signed by Petroleum Concessions Limited and the India Office in relation to the Muscat concession.the proposed itinerary for a tour to be undertaken by the Sultan of Muscat in 1937 to India, Singapore, Japan, USA, Britain, France and Italy.A series of file notes which were maintained as a record of the correspondence in the volume can be found at folios 175-184.Physical description: Foliation: The main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover, and terminates at the inside back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 3-174; these numbers are also written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
21. 'CONFIDENTIAL 86/13-II VOL. D.177. KUWAIT NEUTRAL ZONE'
- Description:
- Abstract: The volume comprises correspondence between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Trenchard C Fowle, Charles G Prior); the Political Agent at Kuwait (Gerald S de Gaury, Arnold C Galloway, Tom Hickinbotham); the India Office (John P Gibson, Roland T Peel); the Foreign Office (Lacy Baggallay, Charles W Baxter); His Majesty’s Minister in Jedda [Jiddah] (Sir Reader Bullard); Petroleum Concessions Limited (John Skliros, Stephen Hemsley Longrigg, Frank Holmes); the Shaikh of Kuwait (Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ) and the Arabian Americian Oil Company (ARAMCO, formerly the Standard Oil Company of California (SOCAL) and the Californian American Standard Oil Company (CASOC)).The correspondence centres on interest in a possible oil concession for the Kuwait-Saudi neutral zone and in particular the Shaikh of Kuwait’s share of the concession, which had yet to be awarded, and the Saudi Government’s share which was taken up by ARAMCO in July 1939.The early correspondence relates to World War II during which both the Eastern Gulf Oil Company and Petroleum Concessions Limited (PCL) express interest in the Shaikh of Kuwait’s share, but to which the Shaikh consistently responds that he is not interested in discussing the question as he hopes that he may be able to regain control of the whole of the zone should the King of Saudi Arabia, Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd], pass away. This situation continues until 1946 when the Shaikh decides to begin considering offers for a neutral zone concession and invites various companies including Petroleum Concessions Limited, the Eastern Gulf Oil Company, ARAMCO and the Burmah Oil Company to compete for the concession.Other matters discussed in the volume include:a proposed visit by Harold and Violet Dickson to Ibn Saud December 1938 which was eventually cancelled;a report from His Majesty’s Minister at Jedda regarding discussions held between Stephen Hemsley Longrigg of Petroleum Concessions Limited and the Minister of Finance to the Saudi Arabian Government regarding concessions for the unalloted areas of Saudi Arabia, after which PCL concluded they were not prepared to bid for owing to the preference rights given by the Government to the Californian Arabian Standard Oil Company;a visit paid by Shaikh Yusuf Yasin [Yūsuf Yāsīn] of the Saudi Arabian Government to Sir Reader Bullard, His Majesty’s Minister at Jedda regarding a possible oil concession for the Kuwait-Saudi neutral zone in which the Saudi Arabian Government’s growing need for money was noted along with concerns that the Saudi Government seemed to think British and American Oil interests were conspiring against them to keep offers low.confirmation that the Californian Arabian Standard Oil Company (CASOC) had taken up their right to a concession for all unalloted areas of Saudi Arabia, including the Saudi Arabian share of the neutral zone. The concession agreement was ratified in July 1939 and published in the Umm-al-Qura newspaper.a report of a visit made by Colonel Harold Richard Patrick Dickson of the Kuwait Oil Company to Abraq al Kabrit [Abraq al Kibrīt] to see CASOC’s drilling operations and obtain water samples.Correspondence between Major Frank Holmes, Adviser to the Shaikh of Kuwait on Oil Matters and the Shaikh of Kuwait in which oil in the neutral zone is discussed along with possible arrangements for transit oil from Basra to pass through Kuwait and the likely financial benefits to the Shaikh of such an arrangement.discussion between the Political Agent at Bahrain and the Political Resident regarding the outstanding Saudi Arabia boundary questions and the appropriate time to address the issues. The boundary questions being discussed included the Kuwait Neutral Zone; Jebel Naksh [Nakhsh] and Khor-el-Odeid [Khawr al ‘Udayd] which Saudi Arabia had made claims to but which the British Government considered to belong to Qatar and Abu Dhabi respecitively; and the boundaries between Trucial Coast States, Muscat and Saudi Arabia and how best to draw boundary lines between them, including Saudi Arabian claims to the Baraimi [Al Buraymī] Oasis, and the British Government’s opinion that any boundary settlement needed to ensure the Baraimi Oasis remained part of Abu Dhabi territory.rumours of an intended meeting between Ibn Saud and the Shaikh of Kuwait at Gaisun [Al Qayşūmah]; and further reports that the Shaikh of Kuwait, Shaikh Abdullah bin Isa Al Khalifah [ʻAbd Allāh bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah] [(brother of the Shaikh of Bahrain) and Mohammad Tabriz bin Abdul Aziz bin Saud [Muḥammad bin ʻAbd al-ʻAzīz Āl Sa‘ūd] (a son of Ibn Saud) had all been in the Gaisun area and had corresponded but that Ibn Saud had not travelled there.a request by the Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO) to undertake a hydrographic survey of the coast of the neutral zone in order to locate a harbour site suitable for unloading heavy equipment for the trans-Arabian pipeline, and the granting of permission by both the Saudi Arabian Government and the Shaikh of Kuwait for the work to be undertaken.A series of file notes which were maintained as a record of the correspondence in the volume can be found at folios 244-263.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 267; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 3-243; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
22. 'Confidential 86/14-I. B.39. Petroleum Concessions Limited Bahrain'
- Description:
- Abstract: The volume contains correspondence between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Trenchard Craven Fowle, Percy Gordon Loch); the Political Agent at Bahrain (Percy Gordon Loch, John Baron Howes); the India Office (John Charles Walton, Maurice Clauson); the Petroleum Department (Frederick Charles Starling); the Shaikh of Bahrain (Shaikh Ḥamad bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah); the Adviser to the Government of Bahrain (Charles Dalrymple Belgrave); Petroleum Concessions Limited (John Skliros, Stephen Hemsley Longrigg, Frank Holmes); and the Bahrain Petroleum Company (Hamilton R Ballantyne, Edward Allen Skinner) regarding negotiations for a concession in the unalloted area of Bahrain including territorial waters and islands.The volume concentrates primarily on negotiations for a concession in the unalloted area of Bahrain following an initial approach from Petroleum Concessions Limited (PCL) and the Shaikh of Bahrain’s decision to inform the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) should they wish to compete with PCL for the concession. Offers for the concession area are made by both companies and included in the volume, along with later discussion regarding the possibility of dividing the remaining concession area in two and granting separate concessions, one for the unalloted area on the mainland and the other for the Hawar Islands and other territorial islands. Copies of the draft agreement produced by Petroleum Concessions Limited, and later amendments can be found at folios 5-22, 91-107.Also discussed is the potential of over-lapping rights should a concession be granted for the unallotted area and suggestions that a concession for that area might contain a clause granting subordinate rights in some areas in order to respect rights granted to BAPCO in their agreement. The rights related to access to fresh water, roads and harbours.Further discussion surrounds the ‘Bahrain Islands’ focusing particularly on the Hawar group of islands and whether they were owned by Bahrain, as claimed by the Shaikh of Bahrain and could therefore be included in a concession for the unalloted area. The resulting enquiries made by the India Office concluded that it appeared Bahrain owned the islands, and that the burden of disproving ownership rested with any other potential claimant.A series of file notes which were maintained as a record of the correspondence in the volume can be found at folios 221-227.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 231; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 23-220; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
23. 'CONFIDENTIAL 86/31 VOL. B.64 OIL IN ITS RELATION TO THE MIDDLE EAST'
- Description:
- Abstract: The volume comprises correspondence and discussions regarding the economic and political situation in relation to oil in the Middle East during and immediately after the Second World War. At the centre of the discussions are talks which took place in Washington DC between US and UK government officials looking at the global importance of oil, which focused particularly on oil in the Middle East.The talks concluded with the production of a memorandum of understanding which was published 8 August 1944 as the Agreement on Petroleum between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, otherwise known as the Anglo-American Oil Agreement (1945).Also included in the volume is correspondence between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Charles Geoffrey Prior), the Secretary to the Government of India, External Affairs Department (Olaf Kirkpatrick Caroe), the India Office, and His Majesty’s Minister at Jeddah (Stanley Jordan) regarding two proposed pipelines. The first being the ‘trans-arabian pipeline’ which it was proposed would link the Middle East to the Mediterranean. The proposal was initially postponed owing to heavy criticism of it in the United States press but was later taken up by the Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO). The second proposal from the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) and the California Arabian Standard Oil Company (CASOC, later renamed ARAMCO) was for a pipeline to take crude oil from Dhahran [Aẓ-Ẓahrān], Saudi Arabia to the BAPCO refinery at Bahrain.Also included is correspondence between the Chief Local Representative for BAPCO (Milton H Lipp, Ward P Anderson) and the Adviser to the Government of Bahrain (Charles Dalrymple Belgrave) regarding possible sites for the pipeline and the reservation of required land. Further discussion centred on the question of the eastern frontier of Saudi Arabia, which was in dispute, and whether His Majesty’s Government should look to tackle the matter at that time with the Saudi Arab Government or wait until the progress of the oil companies required its resolution. Jabal Naksh and Khor-al-Odaid [Khawr al ‘Udayd], which were claimed by Qatar and Abu Dhabi respectively, and whose claims were supported by His Majesty’s Government but contested by Saudi Arabia were discussed as being key areas in the frontier dispute.Another matter discussed in the volume was a visit paid by the Mission of the Petroleum Reserves Corporation to the Middle East. The Mission’s purpose was to review resources of petroleum in the Middle East and its itinerary included visits to Kuwait, Dhahran, and Bahrain. The mission was headed by Everette Lee Degoyler and also included the eminent geologists and petroleum experts Dr George Martin Lees, William Embry Wrather, and John Herhold Murrell.Other matters touched on in the volume include a request by ARAMCO to undertake a hydrographic survey of the coast line of the Kuwait Neutral Zone; the possibility of resuming oil field production in Qatar and Kuwait provided the necessary equipment could be obtained from the USA; articles published in American journals and newspapers regarding the global oil situation and oil in the Middle East; and a visit paid by Major Frank Holmes to Kuwait in 1944.Also included in the volume are a number of notes and memorandums relating to oil in the Middle East:notes produced at an oil conference in Cairo in 1944 which described oil production in Bahrain and Kuwait, they contained a number of inaccuracies and were re-written by the Political Agents for Bahrain and Kuwait with assistance from the Chief Local Representatives of the Bahrain Petroleum Company and the Kuwait Oil Company;The future of oil in its relation to the Middle East; memorandum produced by Arthur Charles Hearn, Admiralty, 11 October 1940 (ff 9-21);Note on present oil position in Persian Gulfby Commodore John Montagu Howson, Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf (ff 103-104 );Memorandum on the oil concessions in the Arab Sheikhdoms of the Persian Gulf,by the External Department, India Office, 13 Mar 1944 (ff 126-134);A survey of the oil resources in the Middle East(With map and graph), Research Department, Foreign Office, 28 Feb 1945 (ff 239-250);Iraq Oil(ff 257-267).A series of file notes which were maintained as a record of the correspondence in the volume can be found at folios 272-283.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 287; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 7-270; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
24. 'No. 1. Déclaration.'
- Description:
- Abstract: The item consists of a declaration concerning the Turco-Persian boundary, and how the boundary line should be fixed. It was signed by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Edward Grey) and the Grand Vizier of Ottoman Empire (Ibrahim Hakki Pasha) on 29 July 1913.The main body of the document is in French.Also includes three maps:IOR/W/L/PS/18/B381 (iii) – 'SKETCH MAP SHOWING TURCO-PERSIAN FRONTIER WEST AND SOUTH OF HAWIZEH'.IOR/W/L/PS/18/B381 (iv) - 'SKETCH MAP OF MUHAMMAREH TO INDICATE THE TURCO-PERSIAN BOUNDARY'.IOR/W/L/PS/18/B381 (v-vi) – 'MAP OF THE SHATT-AL-'ARAB & BAHMANSHĪR, INCLUDING MUHAMMAREH & 'ABBÁDÁN'.Physical description: 1 item (2 folios)