Page 28 - Records of Bahrain (6)_Neat

16 Records oj Bahrain

- 8 -

to place Shaikh Hamad's testament in l alkh Salman's hands,

and mji unofficial concurrence In the/issue of Shaikh Salman'a
proclamation of Pobrunry 22nd. I'should like to place on
/
record, however, that the responsibilities which devolved
on mo when Shaikh Hamad diod Wore greatly lightened by tho
knowledge of tho policy t.o ba pursued In ouch a contingency
which I derived from study ‘of the records of 1938 and 1939
when, it will be recalled, the quostlon of a successor to
Shaikh Hamad was discussed from every angle, Aa matters
have turned out Shaikh Hamad' a testament appointing hie
eldest eon to succeed him has proved f ortunate as the terms
of that testament havo added the sanction of Shaikh Hamad'a

authority to the independent choice of the Khalifah famllyi
■ •*//*■ ft•"!*• y/O
and the testament which Hr. Vei§htman was at such pains to
secure from Shaikh Hamad has proved an invaluable asset to
Shaikh 3almon in securing general assent to his euoceeslon.
In clightly altered circumstances, however, Shaikh Hamad* a
testament (the secret of which was almost too well kept)
might have proved an erabarrasament, If, for instance, at
tho interview between Shaikhs Salman and Abdullah beforo
Shaikh Hamod died, the decision had been that Shaikh Abdullah
should succeed, it would have boon very difficult for the

Political Agont to know whether to vritlihold the testament -
and bo guilty of duplicity - or produce it - and create
strife. A similar difficulty would have arloon if, events
occurring es thoy have occurred, Shaikh Hamad's testament
had been in favour of Shaikh Abdullah. The factor which
wafl not, and could not have been, forooeen vme that the
quostlon of the ouocession would virtually be decided before
Shaikh Hamad was dead, and, therefore, before‘the contents
of his testament could be known. Happily, however, tho

/ secret

J