IOR/L/PS/12/3889

The file concerns the formulation of war emergency legislation for the Persian Gulf in the run-up to, and during, the Second World War. According to the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Lieutenant-Colonel Trenchard Craven William Fowle) in 1937, certain factors peculiar to the Persian Gulf made specific legislation of this kind necessary: (a) the air route to India and beyond; (b) oil; (c) political connections with the neighbouring states of Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq (folio 626).

The papers include: India Office minutes and correspondence (including letters sent to the Legal Adviser); correspondence from other British Government officials and departments (particularly the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, and the Foreign Office) concerning draft legislation and amendments; draft orders-in-council and defence regulations; copies of published orders-in-council and regulations (especially The Persian Gulf States (Emergency) Order in Council, 1939, and various Defence Regulations made under The Persian Gulf States (Emergency) Order in Council, 1939), 1939-44; copies of notices promulgating the legislation and regulations in the region; and correspondence concerning King's Regulation Made under Article 70 of the Bahrain Order in Council, 1913, No. 1 of 1947 (The Supplies and Services Regulation, 1947).

Additional powers were sought in particular by the need to detain enemy aliens found on board neutral ships (1940), and to deter looting (1942).

The file also contains copies of the Bahrain Order-in-Council, 1913, and subsequent legislation (1913-17).

The Arabic language content of the file consists of five folios of correspondence relating to alans issued by the Government of Kuwait (folios 201-205).

The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.