'The Debai incident' [‎50r] (20/24)

From Oommunder-in-Ohief, Vast Indies, al Henjam, to the Secretary
Admiralty, 1st January 1911.
No. 234.
N0 - dat f J mh De ^ber, regarding
Hltinntmn - nd n f'" co . ni i >ll ® d Wlth four demands included in
mtii atuin and as regards items o and 6 informed he must fully under-
■ U . 1 | iave to ac ' ce P t decision (of) Government without question He
tLt wHle not'TmracT'ble exper t ! e . nce | ^ ^cent incident demonstrates
TtrucnlerirrU ^ "ntnem ly hnuselE, he is coerced by a faction
of liritish^nfluence or"(lmnh'atimi 0n " t0 ^ ^
In our opinion it becomes all the more necessary to locate a British Axjent
SnerallT But ml'defth 611 ^ n ;: t . OIli .>'."P on ^bai but upon the coast
generally, hut under the present conditions it is possible that we may find
h i i k m 1118 ln 8 the Agent without the employment of force, and if that
s (m d become necessary it would (be) advisable to have a force of I 000 men
comnWith lhp r d p an !f PP f r8! ready t0 , be Sent U P if the ^ikh refuses to
hTve effe ■ nf I ""'i i W i lel1 "■ 18 Ulade - A siul P le bombardment would
have ettect of considerably damaging town and pearling fleet and would to
necelanrv 1 ' t™ 3 ' ^ ^ ]Jil)ai 38 3 tra,lln g P™t. but it would not
necessauly brmg about submission of the tribesmen unless followed up by
I fh "'^^bafkation of a sumciently strong force to occupy town. We are
both of the decided opinion execution of measure is urgently called for
before the advent of- hot weather and trust Government will see fit to
authorise it. Copy ol this telegram has been sent to the Government of
India by the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. .
From Secretary of State to Viceroy, 2nd January 1911.
Foreign Secret. Naval Commander-in-Chief's telegram to Admiralty
No. 233, dated 30th December. Debai. What are your views ? Very
desirable to avoid any action that could cause ius to be suspected of
intending to interfere in Arabian affairs.
From Viceroy, 2nd January 1911.
Foreign Secret. Debai. Please see Naval Commander-in-Chief's
telegrams to Admiralty of 30th December and 1st January. I have sent the
following telegram to Colonel Cox ; —
" No. 3. Government of India are not satisfied with situation that has
arisen at Debai. They gather from your telegram of 30th December that the
house-search took place without the presence of Sheikh. If this is so, action
of Co mirander was hardly prudent, and was likely to provoke reprisals.
They tTinTlv some oFcoriditions imposed onerous, such as imposition of fine of
Ks. 50,000, and that Government of India should have been first consulted.
They do not approve idea of installing a British Agent at Debai by bom
bardment, and the employment of a force of 1,000 men, since it might
become impossible to remove them without danger to the Agent. They
consider an occasional visit of Vice-Consul from Lingah in one of His
Majesty's ships would suffice until such cordial relations were re-established
as would justify location of an Agent. Situation has been created on trucial
coast that may be fraught with dangerous developments, and object
originally in view was hardly worth the risk. In any case situation requires
careful handling lest the other Chiefs should combine with the Sheikh of
Debai, and it is very desirable that friendly relations should be restored with
the least possible delay. If it has not already been done. Government of
India think that it should be clearly explained to the tribesmen at Debai, as
elsewhere, that they have no intention of weakening their independence, or
of preventing their own possession of arms, their only object being to stop
export of arms to Persia, in which course they are acting as Agents of the
Persian Government, and at their request.' 1