'File 14/115 VII Annex (B 9) Abu Musa oxide: collected background material on the case' [‎46v] (103/1904)

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-after consulting his partners in order to avoid trouble. You have entered into this work
without having his opinion ; for this reason my son Isa does not agree to the contract
which exists between you and the Germans, because Isa fears the trouble that may arise
in consequence of taking strangers into this business. The cession (cessation ?) of this
. f / ' contract would be preferable to its continuance. I have written you before not to engage
yourself in the oxide business with the Germans, because he fears bad consequences. So
" .j- says my son Isa. Be this known to you.
'' ^ (Signed) ABDUL LATIE-BEN-AEDUIl RAHMAN.
(Inclosure 9.)
Huge Hassan-ben-Ali to Abdul
(After compliments.) Lingah, loth Sliaban^ 1323.
It is a long while since we have heard from you. I have written you a letter some
time ago, and hope you have received it. Therein I informed you that three months
previous I had sold to the Germans about 800 tons beaten oxide as desired by them.
In order to facilitate work, I have sent my brother Hamed with coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. to dig the
oxide and put it into bags, and up to now we have been waiting for bags, but have
not yet obtained a sufficient number. I hope, after arrival of this quantity and approval
of it, they will arrange to take a quantity from us every year.
(Inclosure 10.)
Abdul Latif < Hx*
(After compliments.) 1325.
I have received your letter and noted contents. When I received your letter
saying that you had sold to the Germans of the oxide of the Island of Abu Musa
2,000 tons every year at 15s. per ton, my reply, under date of 21st Rebic-el-Thani, 1324,
shows that I agreed, but it contained a warning that your engagements should not
a leasehold or something which might occasion a row, and which would
j / /displease our officials. We requested you to give us a guarantee that there would be no
'b 'ire*?. -trayble ; the mentioned letter is certainly in your possession, the contents admit of do
doubt After receipt of the copy of the contract, which we demanded frequently, on
the oth Dhul Kada, 1324, and which was written in English, and of which we acknow-
2 j / ; - ledged receipt on the? StU Dhul Kada.; 1324. and after we found somebody to translate
it, we found that you had entered engagements against which we had warned you, and
that you had bound yourself to a leasehold, for which reason my son Isa does not agree
to the contract which takes the working and management of the mines from our hands.
We informed you of this before on th e 8th Dhul H adj. when Isa saw the conditions of
•"*•/'/ $ the contract; and when you see the inclosed translation of t he contract you will
^ understand tha t the question is not as you h ave understood it. only a sale, but a
leasehold against which we warned you? Sheikh" Seger-ben-Khalet does not agree "to
your giving a leasehold of oxide to strangers of foreign Powers, and asserts that the
arrangement is that the partners themselves only work as they have done for the
last few years. It is not known that you gave leaseholds before this. This it was
necessary to inform you, so that you might know it and do something to undo all the
trouble.
(Signed) ABDUL LATIE -BEN- ABDUll BAHMaN.
(Inclosure 11.)
HageHassan-ben-Alt Semey to
- '!
(After compliments.) 15^ Safar, 1325.
1 have received your letter and noted contents. Regarding the contract with the
Germans, which you say is not, as I have explained before, sale of oxide only, my
friend, I am convinced that it is a sale of oxide only for a certain period, and a certain
quantity every year until the contract expires. It is not a leasehold for the island.