"ملخص لعلاقات الحكومة البريطانية مع قبائل وشيوخ عربستان. بقلم الملازم أ. ت. ويلسون، القائم بأعمال القنصل في عربستان" [و‎‎٤‎٢] (١٤٣/٨٨)

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the British Government afford me assistance and co-operation in obtaining the concession
and in arranging for the supply of funds and engineers for construction of the Ahwaz
dam, and for the irrigation of the land for cultivation, and in all respects that may be
necessary m that case I have no right to give any share or participation in this affair
to any subjects of foreign powers, save it be from the British Government and from
.unoiigst British subjects, and from among outsiders and foreigners, except subjects
o e British Government. I will not permit any one to share or to participate on this
condition that the concession for constructing the Ahwaz dam should be in my own
name, and under my own control, and that the British Government do not allow any
concession for working the Ahwaz dam to be given by the Persian Government in the
name of syndicates from among their own (i.e.) British subjects or from among subjects
ot any foreign powers or of the internal Government. 1
The 24th RabV-al-Sani 1327.
KHAZ’AL-BIN-JABIR,
(L.S.) KHAZ’AL.
1 ran slat ion.— Ehaz’al, am hereby pledged and bound as regards the rivers which
are in my territories, such as the Karkhah, Shaur, Jarrahi and Hindiyan, and (as regards)
minor works of irrigation from the Karim except the Ahwaz dam scheme, should I at any
time, with a view to irrigating the face of the land, wish to take action in the direction
of damming them: seeing that it would be measure of domestic and tribal administra
tive expediency, there is no necessity for obtaining the permission of the Persian Gov
ernment. 2 * *
In furthering those measures, should I think it necessary and expedient to obtain
outside capital and assistance for the furtherance of such projects, I undertake to give
the right of refusal, for the completion of the execution, and for helping me in the
carrying out of projects to such approved British syndicates as the British Government
themselves may think fit to introduce to me and I will ask no other Government or
foreign subjects for money and assistance without first giving the opportunity of refusal
to the British, and I make this undertaking in the confidence that the aforesaid Exalted
Government have the intention and desire to see that my best interests are fully pro
tected.
The 24th RabV-al-Sani 1327.
KHAZ’AL-BIN-JABIR,
(L.S.) KHAZ’AL.
An undertaking in regard to land required by the Oil Company was
obtained simultaneously.
In reply to Major Cox’s telegram detailing the declarations the Shaikh
had given, His Majesty’s Minister telegraphed approving the declarations
and considered that the Shaikh’s stipulations were such as could be accepted.
He agreed that as regards the main scheme it would be more difficult to secure
a concession in the name of some British Company than in the name of the
Shaikh, but he could not hope that by adopting this course all difficulties
with the Majlis would be avoided. The Karun irrigation scheme was
believed to be so profitable and had been so much before the public that when
the Shaikh applied w 7 e might expect that his intentions as to working the
scheme would be subjected to the closest scrutiny and that opposition would
be considerable. But he added, w r e should have to shape our policy in many
matters regardless of eventual opposition on the part of the Majlis if we
were to maintain and strengthen our position in the Persian Gulf. He pre
sumed that any claim for participation the Dutch Concessionaire might have
would presumably cease on the termination of his option. It might, however,
be necessary to compound with him.
1 i.e., the concession shall he in the name of no Persian or Pritish subject or foreigner but in the Shaikh s
name only.
2 It is of interest, however, to note that in the additional agreement between the Nizam-es-Saltaneh ard
Abbas Agha Tariverdieff the necessity of obtaining permission of the Persian Government and of the Majlis for
the construction of dams on the Karkhah and Shaur is assumed to exist.