Page 358 - Records of Bahrain (3) (ii)_Neat

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of affairs .in Bahrain—would bo removed. With nil doforonco I venture to express
my sorious doubt whether tho stnto of things has really readied such n pass that
our credit is suffering, and whothor tho elaborate, far reaching, and costly scheme
of reforms which is contemplated is so urgently called for. I have it from Colonel
Trovor's own lips when ho was discussing this ease with me before he left, that
whonovor ho visited Bahrain the number of persons who flocked to him to lay their
complaints beforo him on all sorts of subjects was a serious nuisance. This very
fact of itself seems to argue no small degree of liberty and a disregard of tho Shaikh
which I cannot holp fading would not bo in evidence werohe the tyrant ho is often
pictured. Abuses there aro 'n plenty; but on the whole since tho establishment of
tho British Political Agency in the island, the lot of foreigners has greatly improved*
1 now come to a more detailed comment on the proposed reforms.
Firstly, as regards taxation. Tho * apparent injustice need not, I think,
seriously disturb us. Wherever Shiahs aro in powor, Sunnis arc correspondingly
oppressed’; and provided the Sunnis in Bahrain do not altogether escape the incid­
ence of taxation, their privileged-position does not appear open to grave objection:
it certainly seems to me to be far from a scandal. ■ But if the intention is to
tax Sunnis and Shiahs equally, I very much doubt whether tho influential opi­
nion of tho island will support such a proposal. Unless tho well understood
privileges of the Sunnis on the Sunni side of the Gulf arc to bo preserved to a mate-
1 rial extent, tho position of tho Sunni ruler will bo weakened wliilo he will
rcccivo no credit from tho Shiahs for benefits which will havo been extorted
from him.
Secondly, tho reform of tho judicial system. I have no comment to make
upon what is a comparatively simple matter, but not, I venture to suggest, of such
urgency as to require a settlement under threat of compulsion.
Thirdly, tho Pearling Trade Abuses.
As I suggested in my telegram of tho 9th May, the reform of the Pearl Trade is a
question of tho greatest complexity in which the A1 Khalifa'family of Bahrain arc
not alone concerned. Indeed I do not consider they can fairly be held responsible
for the abuses which prevail, or could be expected to deal with such a delicate and
difficult matter without the help of costly and elaborate British machinery. It
is not in any sense a Bahrain question, but a Gulf one ; and the only reason why
the same abuses in Kuwait and along the Trucial Coast arc not so much in evi­
dence is that we aro not in a position at these places to keep so close a watch on
the trade.
That there are cruelties and abuses in tho Pearl Trade is painfully truo. Per­
sonally I do not beliovo that the wretched business is ono bit worso (or better) than
it wfts ten years ago when I took an active interest in it. But if that fact does,
not absolve us from tho duty of trying to remedy a bad condition of things, it docs,.
I tliink, impose the necessity of caution in setting about a solution of so vast and
ancient a problem. The truth of tho matter is that the trade is a big gamble ;
Capital has to run great risks ; it expects a correspondingly big reward during tho
few intervals of prosperity; and its profits arc at the expense of an ignorant,
voiceless, and scattered population, collected from the dregs of tho subjects of
distant lands. The real road to reform lies, no doubt, tlirough the delicate and
hazardous machinery of trade unions, and co-operative societies, coupled with close
maritime supervision ; and further, to be effective, the reform must cover the whole
field of the Persian Gulf and not Bahrain only. The task is stupendous, and should;
I-think, be taken up by itself us a separate problem, and not confused with the
question of tho misrule of tho Shaikh of Bahrain. It must be plainly recognised
that tho only agency capable of carrying out such reform is tho British Govern--
mont, that it will be a difficult and costly business and that we should go slow and be
reasonable in our demands.
C. I have attempted to tlirpw a new light on the. advantages which it is hoped
to reap from the early introduction of the above reforms. It is no.w time to consider
whether sufficient weight has been given to the very obvious dangers which attond
this.policy.. Theso turn on the necessity, ns to which I fear there is no question, of
using force if they aro to be introduced in Shaikh Isa’s lifetimo, and tho consequences
which tho use of force may give rise to. That Shaikh- Isa is a blind and wilful