Page 27 - Records of Bahrain (6)_Neat

Accession of Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifah, 1942 15

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phaikh Hamad and with the approval of his uncles, his brothers

ind of his tribe. The Proclamation contained the following
words i-
11 I shall continue to strengthen the proved ties with
tha British Empire, and shall always maintain ita friendship".
Hr, Belgrave consulted me unofficially before the proclamation
was issued. To delay ito issue would have been to promote
looally speculation and disquiotj if, on the other hand, I.
were officially to authorise ita issue I should be anticipating
the decision of His Majesty’s Government, I decided that,
on the whole, the iesuo of the proclamation xae justified
since His Majesty’s Government wore definitely opposed to

official interference in the succession - though, of course,
they could withold recognition of a successor if they so
wiebedi Moreover, there was reason to boliove that Hie
Majesty's Government would wolcomo Shaikh Salman as Ruler
of Bahrain and would, therefore, welcome any stop which
helped to establish him firmly end peaceably in that position.
I thorofore suggested to Mr.Belgrave that the proclamation
f
should be issued without reference xo me.
11. The formal rooognition of Hie Majesty’s Government

and tho Government of India to the ouccosoion of His Highness
Shaikh Salman was communicated to the Shailch in a letter which
I personally handed to him on the 1st of March, 1942, Hia
Highness was very pleased at tho prompt recognition of his
succession and expresood the hope, v/hich I cordially recipro­
cated, that I ohould always bo the bearer of good tidings.
12. It is satisfactory that Shaikh Hamad's successor
has established himslef aa Ruler of Bahrain without the
active intervention of the Political Agent, The only positive
steps which I took to assist the coureo of events were my
request to Mr.Belgrave that ho should take immediate steps

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