'Abdication of Sultan Taimur bin Faisal and accession of Sultan Saiyid Said ibn Taimur' [‎125v] (264/354)

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eager to see the State flourishing and well administered. On the other hand he
is sensible and does realise how dependent he is upon the support of the Govern
ment of India, and he is most genuinely grateful for the help they have given
him lately. When one gets to know him well he is a very attractive personality
and I do not think he will be difficult to deal with provided he is not, if I m / v
use an expression so much in vogue on this side of the Gulf, " pin-pricked " over
minor matters, and is given at least that measure of autonomy which is enjoyed
, by the States in India.
5. To illustrate my meaning, I would mention that in a discussion which
I had with His Highness at Sur regarding the finances of the State, the question
of the increase of tariff came up and His Highness asked me about the difficulties
that had arisen in connexion with obtaining the consent of the American Govern
ment. I mentioned that, as he was aware, the American Government in return
for their consent were asking for most-favoured-nation treatment in respect of
personal status for their citizens. In my express letter No. 75-S of the
12th February, 1932, I expressed the view that the State were unwilling to give
this most-favoured-nation treatment to American citizens largely for reasons of
amour-fropre. In their telegram No. 669 of the 1st March, 1932, to the Secretary
of State for India, the Government of India expressed the view that I had
perhaps exaggerated somewhat this sentiment. I can assure the Government of
India that this is not so. His Highness spoke very strongly on the subject of
these treaties, and asked whether the State was to be bound for ever by treaties
entered into a century ago with his ignorant forefathers, and whether the State
could not denounce them. " Surely," he said, " there must be some way of ending
a treaty." He went on to ask why he should give the same treatment to American
citizens as he accorded to British subjects; his relations with the British were
totally different to those with any other State. He owed much to the British,
but nothing to other countries. I could not help feeling much sympathy with
His Highness's point of view.
6. Again, some Muscat subjects in Charbar are encountering certain
difficulties about passports with the Persians, and have appealed to the Muscat
State for assistance. His Highness has addressed a letter 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.
saying that if his subjects in Charbar are ill-treated he will retaliate on Persian
subjects resident in Muscat. I am investigating the matter, but merely mention
these incidents now as examples of the feelings and character of the Sultan with
whom we are called on to deal.
]■ Ihave always been anxious to encourage Arab rulers in the Persian
Gult to administer their own States with as little interference by us in internal
a airs as possible, ^ e are adopting this policy elsewhere, and it is in accordance
with present-day views and sentiment; moreover, I believe it to be the most
advantageous policy for ourselves, as was strongly emphasised by the Govern-
, , 1 LJ eSpe T ct . of Bahrein 5 in their telegram No. 3458-S of the
oyember, 1929, to His Majesty's Secretary of State for India. As regards
e par icular case of Bahrein, owing to the total ineffectiveness and incompetence
ot the present ruler, I see little alternative but virtually to carry on the
administration of the State ourselves through the financial adviser, but I
venture to express my entire concurrence with the general policy outlined in the
e egram re eTred to above. I think there is no doubt that not only Bahrein, but
wM ^ r i!? 8 ! a J cau f 1 of " sl ^ ns of Arab uneasiness on the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. ,"
nnf nr.1 S - a ^ ^ considerably to our difficulties there, and that " after all it is
Amh v ? s ~? T 1 * J 1 . 6 Ara bs that it is politic for us to work through a genuinely
intrnrW m ^ lstratlon - . ^ actually increases our power vis-a-vis foreign
WAV fnwV'K 8 ' ai K ° bvi< ? us ty autonomous Arab State can close its doors in a
way m which an obviously British-run State cannot "
hnnHW ^ aVe n0W in Muscat a young Sultan who, if tactfully
everv ohVnpp t ' ri i ^ a r uler. He should, I think, be given
made to frPA h ad f mmis ^ r hls ^te on Arab lines, and every effort should be
which are galling to him., while
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of the wnrlH T sai 4 n ®^ n } e ' to build up a facade of independence in the eyes
undertake tn there is an y risk of his failing to abide by his
of retaining (•.. t i .''""/',. iv ' us In . im portant matters; he is certainly desirous
felt that h^wrMH f bari s services as long as possible, and told me that he
or many years to come need the services of a European to