'ملف رقم 9/50 (B 16) حادث دبي' [و‎‎٤‎٨] (٤٩٢/١٠٦)

49
Under any circumstances it was only intended to demolish the fort and
then some of the outlying houses, sufficiently to demonstrate the power of
modern guns. Fire was only to he continued for ahout ten minutes and then
to cease for a period in order to give them every chance of coming in, our
whole object being to do as little damage as possible with the achievement of
autli the object in view. After a short time we anticipated that the populace
eapjin would get used to the presence of the British Agent, and he could then be left
with a strong guard which could gradually be reduced; the more quickly if
1 Sl) jj a wireless station be created.
oitlj 6. The Government of India consider an occasional vi
esanj Consul in one of His Majesty's Ships will he sufficient for the pr sent.
tain I shall be discussinsc the question of the need for a British Agent at Debai
on its general merits in a later paragraph, and beg to defer my remarks on
^1 this point until then.
mom, 7. A situation has been created
ithojij dangerous development', and the
tionj] hining has to be guarded against, —I do not think it is at all the
case in fact that a dangerous situation has been created on the coast
e j l generally. I have close personal acquaintance with all the Shaikhs indi
vidually. Shargah and Umm-el-Kawain displayed no more than a detached
,, interest in what had happened, accompanied by the expression of a some
i friendly regret that the Shaikh of Debai had fallen out with Government.
!I1 2J They both gave their effective co-operation. Bas-el-Khaima has been most
w friendly to His Majesty's ships as also has Umm-el-Kawain. Among them-
n p selves the Shaikhs' interests and tribes are quite distinct, and I do not at present
see the least grounds to apprehend any combination. On the contrary, I hope
that the action taken so far as the Trucial Coast is concerned will have a
salutary effect. In this connection I may add that wireless reports from the
coast received up to date show that the position is quite satisfactory.
8. The Shaikhs and their peop
^ 51 Hfl 1
' have no intention of weakening their
ing arms for their own use —There is, I am confident, no misapprehension
among them on this score. The above facts were specifically reiterated
to the three Shaikhs above mentioned when present at Bebai. They
were well aware of them and gratefully acknowledged them. Up to
ml quite recently I have been dealing with applications from them for permits
ion if ; for the passage of a few arms for their own use, and they do not hesitate
ifem to make them or I to grant them in reason.
9. The object of our action on
ii-1 arms to Petsia in which course the British Government are "acting as
Agents to the Persian Government and at their request." —I venture with
eyitj the highest respect to ask the Government of India to consider whether
primi it is correct vis-a-vis the Trucial Shaikhs to say that we are acting as
aV es far as their coast is concerned as "Agents for the Persian Government"
point or at their request ?
jniifi We have no delegation from the Persian Government to act for them in
Jiattl the territorial waters of the Trucial Shaikhs. I submit that in those waters
we are acting as Agents of the Shaikhs themselves, in their interests
Sbatf and in our own, in order to prevent arms going through Persia
peaif to arm the tribesmen on both sides of our North-West Frontier,
tlie c As protecting Power we have decided to take their delegation of authority for
[ biitf granted and they fully recognise the position. So far as they know we are
^jjonii acting in defence of our own vital interests and it is on that understanding that
ia teft I have repeatedly impressed upon them their obligation to cooperate with us,
| 01fe [s and I consequently submit any communication to them in the sense of the
0( [ at concluding sentence of your telegram is in any case inexpedient and in fact
■jj-dft unnecessary.
roiii' What 1 have understood to be the position as above described was again
\\.0 impressed on the Shaikhs of Debai, Umm-el-Kawain and Shargah and at our
forcti recent interview with them at Debai, and I feel confident that they are under
majoii no misapprehension in regard thereto.