‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 1. September 26th, 1914 to October 17th, 1914.’ [‎21r] (50/128)

It is quite clear that, except the occupation of Abbadan, nothing can really secure the safety of the oil works, but we see no reason to anticipate an attack
tVl “ ' S J ' e d ‘X th ei value being so great as to outweigh the consequences of an apparent attack by us on Turkey. £u .
P "“'
hie nolitical obiection to this but from a military point of view the difficulties of water-supply on the island are almost insuperable.
ble political oojecuon 10 un&, uul j- ^ . . Ua r ^ and th-re seem to be no serious objections to this alternative.
Bahrain is politically the nearest approach to British territory ,n t - ‘ . There is also an advantage in favour of Bahrain in that the fact of our
The Shaikh is old and if the situation were explained to him is not li e y o e o s ^ ^ ^ shalkh ot - Qatar. The only objection to Bahrain from a military
^n^of^rewl 1 tre^X'ir^^elTaSgTnd 5 dTsembarking^oo" owing to the^ 'shallownes; of the water, but this could be mitigated by the supply of plenty of
b0atS ' Since Sir P. Cox's knowledge of the Chiefs and of Gulf politics is unique I propose to send him as Political Officer with any expedition to the Gulf.
APPENDIX S3.
Telegram P., dated Pera, the 6th October 1914. (Diary No. 5165.)
pj* om —His Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador at Constantinople,
To—The Viceroy (Foreign and Political Department.)
Following sent to Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and V | ce r°y» In< ? ia hf mus^obeyThe orde^s^e has received. These have just been
telegram No. 87. Your Excellency’s instructions have been came ou ut ? 1 h ' 1 shore is declared to be territorial waters and closed to ships of
communicated t'o me in writing The whole of Shatt-el-Arab and sea w.thm stx from the shorets ^ the even ., ng of Wednesda) . October
war. Any man-of-war disregarding prohibition will be fired on by guns at bao. Keg
7th - Communication is loosely worded but means that " Dalhousie'' at Abbadan and “ Espiegle ” in Karan River must leave before the time fixed or be
interned, “rence ” is not in (he Shatt-el-Arab. There is no other Brtttsh man-of-war th.s stde of Fao.
His Majesty’s Consul at Muhammareh has been informed of above. Ends.
APPENDIX 24.
\ „ . ^ . [Diary No. 5 / 67 .)
Telegram P., No. 132, dated 6th October 19' 4 -
p rom —His Britannic Majesty's Consul, Muhammareh,
To-The Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign and Political
(Addressed to Bushire, and repeated to Admiral by request of the Senior N a er. ^.Utinns which
Please refer to my last telegram. Yesterday Vali of Basrah handed His Majesty’s Consul, Basrah, a letter settmg forth new regulations wh.ch
ivere telegraphed to him from Constantinople. The clause of these regulations are as follows: ... f u- f .or- ^ ;<= tb^ “ Basrah
1. Turkish territorial waters are reckoned as extending to a distance of six miles from the shore, prohibited area or s ips The branch of the British Government of India with responsibility for managing political relations between British-ruled India and its surrounding states, and by extension the Gulf, during the period 1937-47. 0 w 5
Gulf ” (whatever that may be) the Shatt-el-Arab, between the shore and Bubiyan Island and Khur ..bdullah.
S 426 GSB