"ملف رقم ٢٤/٢ الامتيازات النفطية، المجلد الثاني" [و‎‎٥‎٨] (٤٠٤/١١٥)

II
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busiftoco dealings* complained bliftrerly that the
generous terms of the Qatar Concession had put prices
up all round# I told Holrues that I did not follow business
methods but felt that firm negotiation and a rise in the
financial terns originally suggested would result in a
concluded Concession agreement in Sharjah#
2. I told Holmes that X had seen the Shaikh of
Um- al ~ Q&iwain that morning, June lCth 5 on a Political
matter and was surprised to learn from him that he had
never received a copy of the draft Concession agreement#
Holmes said th^t he had never sent him one nor hod he sent
one to Ajraan and no intention of sending either of them
copies and tliat he could not understand why I was surprised#
I told him I was surprised as he liaa himself assured me
that all the Shaikhs had copies of the proposed agreements#
Holmes denied ever hi ving made such a statement and said that
I always seemed to misunderstand him# I said apparently
I had on several occasions such as at Dubai before the
Concession agreement was signed, when 1 asked him in the
presence of the assembled Shaikhs and witnesses if all was
in order with the agreement from his Company's point of
view and he had stated that as far as the Company was
concerned all was in order# He said that he must be pezmltted
-ed to negotiate in his own way and not be hindered by
Political complications and that the recent action at
tin - al - Qaiwain had frightened the Shaikhs# I pointed
out to him that no one wished to hamper his negotiations
but tliat although a number of matters requiring attention
had been allowed to remain in abeyance so that hie negotiat
ions would not be disturbed, it was not possible to refrain
from action in all cases and that on this occasion any
action that had been taken had, in zny opinion, rather
advanced than retarded his interests# X further pointed
out that his change of attitude was difficult to understand
as he hud stated, after the Vubzi. agreement was signed, th*'*
if /