Page 116 - Records of Bahrain (6)_Neat

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furthor employment as Ills appointment is not pensionable
and his Provident Fund, to which the State contributes
will not go very far in these days. Ho has told mo that
he lias mentioned the possibility of his retirement to the
Shaikh who at once showed extreme distress, askod him if
ho was not content with his pay and offered to rai30 it.
My own view is that wo should continue to pursue tho idoa
of Mr. Bolgruvo1 s'retirement at tho end of next year, but
should refrain from pressing tho matter to a conclusion
until wo are quite sure that we shall not bo worse off than
before. Thoro is a danger that the Shaikh may refuse to
accept another British adviser especially if ho becomes
aware, as ho is almost certain to do, that wo are solely or
mainly responsible for Mr. Belgrave's departure,
12. Thore remains the question of an assistant for
Mr. Belgruve. I mooted this proposal to the Shaikh in
September 1946. He probably realisod what lay behind it
and replied that tho appointment of an assistant was quite
unnecessary, as Mr. Belgrave, who ho hud ,1u3t remarked was
doing the work of four men, was not overworked. When I
discussed with Mr. Belgrave the question of his retirement
at the end of 1949 I suggested that in theso circumstances
an assistant ought to be appointed now and lie was inclined
to agree but was careful not to commit himself. I intend
to pursue the proposal but it v/ill not be easy to find a
suitable man. In addition to knowing Arabic ho will have to
be very patient as ho will almost certainly find Mr. Belgrave
difficult to work with and may even encounter obstruction
from him and his minions and ho v/ill also have to gain tho
confidence of tho Shaikh so that tho latter will readily
accept him when Mr. Belgrave goes. In fact it may be
desirable to allow Mr. Belgrave to stay on a fow years
longer to enable his assistant to create a position for
himself and almost imperceptibly 3lip into Mr. Belgrave*s
place.
13. As I have shov/n in paragraph 0 above there are
already a numbor of British advisors or executive officers
in Bahrain. It is too late now to nroos for tho appointment
of a British Director of Education but I hope to pursue a
proposal for the opening of a school for the training of
teachers under a British Council officer, if H.M.G. cun make
tho funds available for tho appointment aa it is unlikely
that the Stato will be willing to contribute much towards
his pay. I should like to soo a few more British police
sergeants appointed but do not propose to press this while
tho Shaikh's unfortunate experiences with somo previous
incumbents are still fresh in his memory.
14. Muscat is a poor and undeveloped State with an
extromely backward population. The Sultan for seven years
now has been asking us to find him a Britisli advisor who
will be designated Ministor of Foreign Affairs and will
conduct his relations with the Consulate, supervise tho
Customs and Municipal administration, and during his pro­
longed absences in Dhofar to all intents and purpooos rule
Muscat on his behalf. Every effort is being made, without
success up to date, to find a suitablo candidate.
15. In 1945 the Sultan asked tho Government of
India to find a British administrator for Gwadur. No
suitable British officer could bo spared and tho Sultan with
roluctanco