Coll 30/111 'British Naval Stations in: Establishments at Khor Quwai and Bahrain. Evacuation of Henjam and Basidu.' [‎550v] (1107/1154)

10
P. 4262/21.
P. 1682/22.
Tel. from
P.A., Mus
cat, to Gr. of
I., 28.2.99.
G. of 1.
Desp. 39,
of 2.3.99,
P. 345$9.
P.Z. 4963/
34.
The French Coal Shed at Muscat, 1900 20.
, , • , • pr i f^pir coal sited until December 1920-21, when they
38. The French —lease for one year of their interest in it.
abandoned it, H.M.G Government i rl f orme d the French Government that they
Later m • to resume t h e site, for which they had themselves no
proposed f* d y ls , c h'ence of France they took action accordingly. In December
use, and w»* M;uisters , a f ter acknowledging the abandonment of the
1921 the Muscat .. We vv ;|] i, e honoured if you inform your High Govern-
French coal depo , ^ rtjon to her acC ording to the past gift to her from His
ment that we i T ^ e Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. in reporting this offer, which was
St^byH-M. Government, stated that while the word used by the Council was
“ C gift,” the intention was “ use of the site.
History and Position of the British Goal Depot at Muscat, 1874-1934.
39 Unto the year 1875 the Government of India used to stock their coal in
three o-odowms in Muscat, and the Rritish-India Steam Navigation Company had a
small coal shed in the Makalla cove in Muscat harbour for which no rent was paid,
small coal s , Government for one godown, the others
Wi” n^en rentfree by Z Sultan. Two fires, which endangered the safety
of thetown of Muscat, having broken out in the coal godown S m 187o Sa.yid Tnrki
/ffenM 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 them. In 18(6
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 A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. for the use of Government As seated m
paragraphs 31 and 33 above, a portion of the British site was m 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.
40. The ground on which the Makalla coal sheds stand was not purchased by
Government, nor was it rented, and the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. reported in February
that there was nothing in the records of the Muscat Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. to show whether the
Sultan made a gift to the British Government of the site or whether he mere J
allowed the British coal sheds to be built there out of courtesy. 1 he Political
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 coat snei ,
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
the Muscat coal sheds, nor has rent been paid for them. They have not been
actively used for many years, and in June 1934 they were transferred to the • •
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 o
long standing and dates back to the eighteenth century ; that it is based essen ia
on the Commercial Treaty of 1844 and the Anglo-French Declaration of Dm ,
that it has been of active importance only between 1890 and 1914, althoug
Treaty provisions referred to still remain in force. Any sentimental attac me^
based on long historical association apart, the French have in the past, even ^ rin ^
the period of the Entente Cordiale and immediately prior to the Great Vv ar, s ow
themselves fully alive to the “nuisance value” of their position in Muscat, aa
oetween 1908 and 1912 they declined offers made by H.M. Government °i a , n ^
ungenerous territorial compensation elsewhere in return for an abrogation ol iel ^
treaty rights. While France might be expected not to raise difficulties so orq,
as the importance of any anchorage or rights acquired is minimised, anc
long as H.M. Government are in a position to claim that no infringement o
Declaration of 1862 is involved, it is 'primd facie unlikely, even now, when
many years her active interest in Muscat has been slight, that her consent to
abrogation of the Declaration of 1862 or of the Commercial Treaty of 181 T/ 01 ,
be secured without long discussion and a quid pro quo which mig
disproportionately large.
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