ملف ١٩١٤/٢٨٣٠، الجزء ١، "الخليج الفارسي: مصائد الإسفنج. مؤسسة استكشاف الإسفنج". [ظ‎‎٣‎٨] (٤٨٨/٨١)

Annex 1.
Foreign Office to Messrs. Paddison, Trevor, and de la Chapelle.
*N 0 23 778 Foreign Office,
Gentlemen Angnst 1907.
With reference to my letter No. 20,633, of the 21st ultimo relative
to the concession for the fishing for sponges granted by the bultan ot
Muscat to the Sponge Exploration Syndicate, Limited, 1 am directed by
Secretary Sir E. Grey to inform you that a report on the subject has been
received from the Government of India.
I am in the first place to explain that there was found to be an
important discrepancy between the wording of the translation of the
concession forwarded by you in your letter of 3rd May, and that which
had already reached this Department through the India Office, and of
which a copy is enclosed herewith, for whereas the preamble of the
latter only states that the Sultan gives the Syndicate the permission to
produce sponges from his waters, that of your version declares that he
“ leases ” to them the “ sea of his Kingdoms ” for this purpose.
If fihp, latter were the correct translation of the Arabic text the
concession would grant to the Syndicate an exclusive right to fish for
sponges in Muscat waters during the period of the lease, and would,
in the opinion of His Majesty’s Government, constitute a violation of
Article IV. of the treaty between Great Britain and Muscat of 19th July
1891, which forbids the establishment of any kind of monoply or
exclusive privilege of trade in the dominions of the Sultan of Muscat.
The Government of India, having now compared both versions with
the original text, have declared their own version to be the correct one,
so that the concession is not open to objection on this score.
With regard, however, to the statement contained in the preamble
of both versions alike that the permission or right to fish for sponges is
granted to a distance of 10 miles in breadth, I am to point out that
His Majesty’s Government are unable to recognise the right of the Sultan
of Muscat to confer such a privilege outside the territorial waters and
over high seas situated between 3 and 10 miles from the coast, and that
it is proposed to make a communication in this sense to the Sultan.
I am to add that if the syndicate or company formed to work the
concession—subject, of course, to the above-mentioned limitations—-is
able to satisfy His Majesty’s Government that it is a bond fide British
undertaking and is satisfactorily constituted, and that it is willing to
respect the rights of the Arab tribes in the pearl fisheries, His Majesty’s
Government are prepared to assure it of their due support in the legitimate
exploitation of its concession.
Messrs. Paddison, Trevor, and
de la Chapelle.
I am, &c.,
Annex 2.
Foreign Office to Messrs. Russell and Arnholz.
Draft.
No. 23,778. Foreign Office,
Gentlemen, August 1907.
AVith reference to your letter of 26th April, relative to con
cessions to fish for sponges granted to the Sponge Exploration Syndicate,
Limited, by the Shah of Persia and the Sultan of Muscat, I am directed
by Secretary Sir E. Grey to inform you that His Majesty’s Government
are aware of the granting of these concessions, but that whereas the
Persian concession is for 50 years, and grants exclusive rights to fish