"الملف 14/115 VII الملحق (B 9) أكسيد جزيرة أبو موسى: مواد خلفية حول هذه القضية" [و‎‎٥‎٢] (١٩٠٤/١١٤)

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these circumstances the Sheikh would not unnaturally have deemed it advisable to
protest against the contract with Herr Wonckhaus so soon as he became aware of its
purport, rather than to allow this gentleman to acquire, with the lapse of time, a
vested interest in the output of the mines.
The position at the present time appears to His Majesty's Government to be that
Herr Robert Wonckhaus has entered into a contract with Hassan Samaiyeh. who, I
having acted without authority from his partners, is unable to carry out his contract, f
and is consequently liable to Herr Wonckhaus in damages. If, therefore, further
steps are taken they should be of a legal character, and it will be at the discretion of
Herr Wonckhaus whether they are taken or not.
His Majesty's Government appreciate the friendly manner in which the German
Government have dealt with the case, and, pending a final decision of the whole
question, they are prepared to use their good offices in order that temporary arrange
ments may be made whereby Messrs. Wonckhaus will be enabled to procure a limited
amount ot red oxide to place them in a position to fulfil such contracts as they may
lioA e entered into before the cancellation of the lease, instructions have accordingly
heen issued to the British Resident in the Persian Gulf to ask the local representative
of Messrs. Wonckhaus to give due notice when the firm intend to resume operations
in order that the necessary arrangements may be made.
His Majesty's Government are, however, informed that, for climatic reasons, no
serious operations are possible during the next three or four months for transporting
the accumulated minerals from inland to the beach.
Foreign Office, July 10, 1908.
APPENDIX.
No. 1.
Sheikh Salim-bin-Sultan to S a gar-h in - Kh olid.
-{After compliments.) IMi 1326 21, 1908).
I WRITE to inform your honour that whereas I have come to know that Haji
Hassan-bin-Ali Samayieh and the friends who advise him assert that the oxide mines
which are in the Island of Abu Musa are my personal property, and that the lease
which was issued by me to Haji Hassan and his partners was given by me in my own
right, and not by proxy, in your behalf. I fear that this statement may become a
cause of ill-feeling between us ; I have therefore thought it necessary to apprise your
honour ot it, and to acquaint you with what is in my mind, namely, that I absolutely
made no such claim as that which interested parties allege: and I hereby admit that
when I came before you in the presence of the British Agent on the 4th Shaaban,
IdOl, 1 had no pension or means of subsistence, and you were kind enough to place
the Island of Abu Musa under my supervision, so that I might cultivate therein, and
reap from it the means of subsistence, and you did so conditionally that I showed
loy^y-and Concord and obedience to you in ali respects; and I am well aware that
the island in question and the mines which are in it belong to your honour, and that
you might at ^ any time decide to take the island from my charge—it is at your
disposition to do so, and I have no status or power to gainsay you; and when I leased
the mines of Abu Musa I was officiating on your behalf, and the Concession was given
by proxy for you ; and I was well aware that on your return from the pilgrimage to
Mecca, if you considered that my action in the matter of the Concession was 'rood,
you would confirm what I had agreed to, and if in your opinion it was objectionable 5 ,
you could annul it either at the time or at any other time ; and I altogether disapprove
ot the proceedings of Haji Hassan-bin-Ali Samayieh in regard to this lease, and in
respect of whatever action you took in this connection, that is, in cancelling the
document, I was acting in accord with you, seeing that your action was taken in
consultation with me and for the interests of us all, and in no respect have I any view
contrary to yours; and it is in order to dispel doubt from your mind and as an
evidence of my singleness of view with you that I have written" this, so that you may
nave cognizance. ■ ' J
(Signature and seal of Salim-bin-Sultan.)