§ 10. Mr. HALL-CAINEasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether British interests were consulted before the oil concession in the Bahrein Islands was permitted to be acquired by an 1370 American company; and why, in view of the special relationships which exist between His Majesty's Government and the Government of those islands, no steps were taken to obtain such concession for this country?
§ Sir J. SIMONThe Bahrein oil concession was originally acquired by a British syndicate, and was subsequently transferred to United States interests by them. The British syndicate who first acquired the concession have stated that before they transferred it to United States interests they endeavoured unsuccessfully to attract possible British concessionnaires.