"مسقط. تساؤل حول إمكانية إنشاء قاعدة بحرية لتستخدمها سفن بريطانيا في خور قوي أو في مكان آخر في أراضي مسقط يتوافق مع الاتفاقيات الدولية الحالية لحكومة بريطانيا". [ظ‎‎٥] (١٢/١٠)

10
The French Coal Shed at Muscat, 1900-20.
38. The French maintained their coal shed until December 1920-21, when they
abandoned it, H.M. Government taking a lease for one year of their interest in it.
Later in 1921 H.M. Government informed fhe French Government that they
proposed to advise the Snltan to resume the site, for which they had themselves no
P. 4262/21. use > an( l with the concurrence of France they took action accordingly. [11 December
P. 1682/22. 1921 the Muscat Council of Ministers, after acknowledging the abandonment of the
French coal depot, added ; " We will be honoured if you inform your High Govern
ment that we return that portion to her according to the past gift to her from His
Highness the Sultan." The Political Agent in reporting this o/Ter, which was
accepted by H M. Government, stated that while the word used by the Council was
"gift," the intention was "use of the site."
History and Position of the British Coal Depot at Muscat, 1874-1934.
39. Up to the year 1875 the Government of India used to stock their coal in
three godowns in Muscat, and the Rritish-lndia {Steam Navigation Company had a
small coal shed in the Makalla cove in Muscat harbour, for which no rent was paid.
An annual rent of Rs. 174 was paid by Government for one godown, the others
having been given rent free by the Sultan. Two fires, which endangered the safety
of the town of Muscat, having broken out in the coal godowns in 1875, Saiyid Turki
offered to allow H.M. Government to build a godown at Makalla next to the British-
India coal shed, and the Government coal was accordingly stored there. In 1876
the British-India Steam Navigation Company broke up their coal depot at Muscat
and sold the materials of the shed by auction, the site being resumed by the Sultan,
who handed it over to the Political Agent for the use of Government. As seated in
paragraphs 31 and 33 above, a portion of the British site was in 1900 made over to
France, by whom it was held till 1920. Its use was regranted to H.M. Government
by the Sultan in 1921.
4(\ The ground on which the Makalla coal sheds stand was not purchased by
Government, nor was it rented, and the Political Agent reported in February 1899
that there was nothing in the records of the Muscat Agency to show whether the
Tel. from Sultan made a gift to the British Government of the site or whether he merel}'
P A ' M* 18 - allowed the British coal sheds to be built there out of courtesy. The Political
1^28299° Agent added that the whole cove was not taken up by H.M. Government, a portion
of it being occupied by fishermen, whose houses adjoined the British coal shed ;
G. of 1. that the cove was open to all; and that no British flag has ever been hoisted at
Makalla. So far as is known the British flag has not subsequently been hoisted on
F 345/89 Muscat coal sheds, nor has rent been paid for them. They have not been
PZ 1 .963/ actively used for many years, and in June 1934 they were transferred to the R.A.F.
34 1 for use as an oil depot with the written concurrence of the Sultan.
Conclusion.
41 From the note above it will be seen that the French interest in Muscat is of
long standing and dates back to the eighteenth century ; that it is based essentially
on the Commercial Treaty of 1844 and the Anglo-French Declaration of 1862 ; but
that it has been of active importance only between 1890 and 1914, although the
Treaty provisions referred to still remain in force. Any sentimental attachment
based on long historical association apart, the French have in the past, even during
the period of the Entente Cordiale and immediately prior to the Great War, shown
themselves fully alive to the " nuisance value" of their position in Muscat; and
between 1908 and 1912 they declined offers made by H.M. Government of a not
ungenerous territorial compensation elsewhere in return for an abrogation of their
treaty rights. While France might be expected not to raise difficulties so long
as the importance of any anchorage or rights acquired is minimised, and so
long as H.M. Government are in a position to claim that no infringement of the
Declaration of 1862 is involved, it is prima facie unlikely, even now, when for
many years her active interest in Muscat has been slight, that her consent to the
abrogation of the Declaration of 1862 or of the Commercial Treaty of 1844 could
be secured without long discussion and a quid pro quo which might be
disproportionately large.