"الملف 35/85 IV A 11 التحكيم الخاص بمراكب الداو الشراعية في مسقط" [و‎‎١‎٠‎٤] (٤٩٢/٢٠٣)

Harbour, or cut defiantly across the bows of the " Nur-ul-Babr " at sea, under
the French Flag, they will still ignore the Sultan, at Maskat, and will form a dis
turbing leaven among the population at Sur.
His Highness Seyyid Feisal is so prone to let things drift for the sake of a
quiet life, that unless we are constantly vigilant in helping him to maintain his
authority and improve his administration at Sur, it is possible that he may, in
spite of the terms of the Award, continue to allow the French Mag element to
defy his local representatives and defraud him of his Customs revenues, sooner
than have unpleasant half-hours with Consuls or Naval Commanders of the
French Government. It remains to be seen what steps we can devise to prevent
such a contingency.
4. A great deal of course depends on the number of proteges who survive
the investigation of their claims to protection.
In this connection Mr, Ronald Graham estimates 10 or 12. Major Grey
thinks only 2, but judging from the list of names and approximate dates which he
furnishes, there will be a good many more than thai, who have received papers
between 1863 and 1892. This can only be ascertained by thorough investigation,
and the dates cannot be stated authoritatively pending Monsieur Laronce's return.
5. Then there are two points which I think might have been settled more
explicitly in the Award.
( a ) As to whether there is any inheritable right to carry the flag. (I
gather from the terms of lines 9 and 10 from the bottom of page
6 of the Award that there is not).
(^) As to the manner in which the claims are to be investigated. Definite
instructions on the latter point would have eliminated a fruitful
source of difficulty. Thus, clause 3 of the first part of the Actual
Award provides that the title to fly the Flag is conditional on the
applicant being able to establish that he had been treated as a
proteg^ before 1863,—
But establish before whom ?
6. Lastly, with regard to measures to be taken to make the Award effec
tive—
(0) Major Grey writes that the Sultan is averse to the issue of a procla
mation at Sur ; but I think this hesitation is only due to the
fact that the Sultan had not then seen the complete Award and did
not fully understand it. I quite agree, however, that any notification
would be premature until the titles of all the claimants have been
investigated and decided.
Once that is done, I am of opinion that the issue of a written
notification explaining the Award is indispensable, and that it
should not be left to the ignorant mercies of the Wali of Sur, a
very humble person at present.
If this course is not taken, the French Dragoman will be in a
position to misrepresent the terms of the Award to the Suris to
any extent, and keep alive their disaffection.
What I fear is that owing to Monsieur Laronce's delay, all the
French Dhows and their sea-going owners will have left Sur and
be absent for the next six months. If that proves to be the case,
I think the broad terms of the Award should be provisionally made
known forthwith, and repeated in great detail later when the claims
have been verified.
The notification might be issued by the Sultan in consultation
with and " with the concurrence of " the Consuls of England and