'Volume II. MEMORANDA REGARDING OTHER EXTERNAL AFFAIRS. 1905.' [‎32r] (68/228)

[ 5 ]
the coast, avoiding both Charbar and Gwadur,
thence proceeding north. If necessary, they
purchase a few donkeys at Maskat and bring
them with them in a boat.
20. \Vide paragraph 11(5) of Memo
randum for June 1905.] Major Cox repeated a
telegram from Major Grey enquiring when
the Hague Tribunal would assemble, and
whether the Erench could still send despatches
to be placed before the Tribunal, as he was
assured that the French Consul was still trying
to secure a confession of weakness from the
Sultan. Major Grey further telegraphed
direct to the Government of India that the
point was that he could not reasonably expect
to be able to explain the delay much longer to
the satisfaction of the Sultan. He was informed
through Major Cox on the 25th July that,
according to the latest information, the argu
ments were due on 10th July; the Tribunal
would meet on 25th July; and a decision be
given on 24th August 1905 ; hence despatches
now sent by French Consul would only be
available under paragraph 3 of Article III of
the Agreement of 13th October 1901.
21. (Vide paragraph 15 of Memorandum
for June 1905.) Major Cox telegraphed on the
11th July, in connection with the maintenance
of flagstaffs on Telegraph Island, that Major
Grey was of the opinion that, in the circums
tances, there was no advantage in maintain
ing a flagstaff, and considered that it might be
abandoned with the other two; but that, if for
any reason it was thought necessary to retain
it, he could arrange it with the Sultan. It
appeared to Major Cox that, if Henjam were
turned into a sanitary station, Great Britain
would want some other place at the entrance
to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. for a war signal station,
and Elphinstone Inlet might have been useful
for this purpose, instead of Khor Kawi; but if
the reoccupation of Telegraph Island would
constitute a parallel to the Bunder Gisseh
incident, he saw no alternative but to abandon
the flagstaff for the present, and trust to seiz
ing the locality when necessity for it actually
arises. In his opinion, our claims to the
island on telegraph grounds would be as good
ten years hence as they are at the present
moment. After considering the views of the
local officers, the Secretary of State was in
formed by telegraph, on the 22nd July, that
it was proposed to defer, until the declaration of
the Maskat Arbitration Award, the actual
removal of the staffs on Isthmus and Sheep
Island. Their presence had hitherto attracted
the notice neither of the French nor of the
Sultan, and their removal now, or their consign
ment to the Sultan’s care, might result in the
Tribunal’s attention being drawn to our pre
vious action. There might be some advantage
in the retention of the Telegraph Island flag
staff, as evidence that our right to reoccupy was