IOR/L/PS/10/385

This volume contains part 2 of the subject 'Persia Gulf'. It primarily concerns British policy towards Bin Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] following the latter's occupation of Ottoman-ruled El Hassa [Al Hasa]. Included in the volume are the following:

• an account of a meeting between the Bahrain Political Agent (Major Arthur Prescott Trevor), the Koweit [Kuwait] Political Agent (Captain William Henry Irvine Shakespear), and Bin Saud, which took place at Ojair [Al ‘Uqayr] in December 1913;
• discussion as to how the British will form a working understanding with Bin Saud whilst also pursuing a policy of supporting and maintaining the Turkish Empire;
• a recommendation from the officiating Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, John Gordon Lorimer, that a British Native Agent be posted to Katif [Al Qaţīf] to mediate between the Political Agent in Bahrain and Bin Saud's local governors;
• discussion (between the Government of India, His Majesty's Ambassador to Constantinople, and the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs) as to whether or not Britain should act as a mediator between the Ottoman government and Bin Saud, in order to ensure that any arrangement made between the two parties is not hostile to British interests;
• a proposal from the British India Steam Navigation Company to run a local line of steamers between Bahrein [Bahrain], Katif, Ojair, and Katr [Qatar];
• debate over whether a British decoration should be bestowed upon Sheikh Mubarak bin Sabah [Shaikh Mubarak bin Ṣabāḥ Āl Ṣabāḥ] of Koweit prior to the Anglo-Turkish agreements being ratified, following reports that the Sheikh may be about to receive a Turkish decoration;
• Shakespear's account of further meetings with Bin Saud;
• reports of a settlement between the Turkish government and Bin Saud, and of Bin Saud's appointment as Vali of Nejd;
• a translated copy of the treaty between Bin Saud and the Turkish Government, dated 15 May 1914.

Correspondents include the following:

• Secretary to the Government of India's Foreign Department;
• Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Percy Zachariah Cox, followed by John Gordon Lorimer, Captain Richard Lockington Birdwood, and Major Stuart George Knox as successive officiating residents);
• Political Agent, Bahrain (Major Arthur Prescott Trevor);
• Political Agent, Kuwait (Captain William Henry Irvine Shakespear, succeeded by Lieutenant-Colonel William George Grey);
• Viceroy of India (Charles Hardinge);
• Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Sir Edward Grey);
• Foreign Office;
• His Majesty's Ambassador at Constantinople (Sir Louis du Pan Mallet);
• Permanent Under-Secretary of State for India (Thomas William Holderness);
• Bin Saud;
• Hakki Pasha [Ibrahim Hakki Pasha, in charge of negotiations with His Majesty's Government, concerning Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf].

The part includes a divider that gives the subject and part number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references contained in the part by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.