Page 370 - Records of Bahrain (6)_Neat

358 Records oj Bahrain
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as those who for sons months now have boon. tfi'ltoting for hla
removal. The Shaikh*8 attitudo of lalsseg fairs ifl partly dua
to hlB obsession over Zubarah. He oonsiders that nothing else
matters and as a result is diolnolined to take any strong aotion
against the persons primarily responsible for the reoont disturb­
ances*
7. Bahrain in composed of heterogeneous elements which are
unlikely to coalesce and though isolated Incidents against
Americans may occur I consider anyghing in the nature of an
organised attack on the Refinery or the camp at Awali improbable*
The situation is however somewhat disturbing and Ur. Russell
Brown, the Manager of the Bahrain Petroleum Company and Ur*
Henderson, the American Consul at Dhahran are naturally anxious.
The latter recently called on me and mentioned that plans wore
boing made for tho evacuation of all Americans from Bahrain to
Dhahran should necessity arise. The main oause for anxiety is
that there is ordinarily no force available for the defence of
the refinery or Awali. The Bahrain police are only 300 strong
are locally recruited and not in all respeots reliable and in any
case in the event of any large scale disturbances would have
their hands full in Manama. When trouble ooours in tho Qulf
we normally turn to the Navy. At present however there is only
one sloop in the Qulf and that is often away from Bahrain.
I would requost therefore that if possible arrangements should
be made that in future there will be never less than two ships
of the Royal Navy in the Qulf and that for the present one of
those will alwyas bo available at short notice to render assist­
ance at Bahrain should necessity arise, I understand that the
sloop at present in the Gulf, the H.M.Q."Wren,,1 could in the
case of emergency put ashore a landing party 1Q0 strong and my
view is that if a force of this strength could bo made available
at tho refinery or at Awali at short notice it should be
sufficient to cope with any emergency likely to arise. I pro­
pose to disousB tho situation with tho Senior Naval Officer,
Persian Qulf, who is expected in Bahrain during the next few day
and with the Communder-in-Chlef, East Indies, who is paying us
a visit next month.
8, It la pleasant to turn from Bahrain to Kuwait where the
Shaikh although he has his faults is ui any rate a strong man
and in close touch with his people. No strike or demonstration
of any kind occurred in Kuwait and Shaikh Ahmed has assured the»
Political Agent that not a single Kuwaiti will leave for Palest
In the circumstances I am not asking the Political Agent to add i
ress the Shaikh formally on the lines proposed in your telegram
under reference.
9* There have been no reactions in Qatar or on the Truolal
Coast to the U.N.O. decision regarding Palestine beyond a sermtf
in a Mosque, These small Shalkhdoms are remote and backward f
the population of such towns as exist is largely non-Arab. Mu'n
the sano applies to Muscat territory where there is nothing th*
can be described as an-Arab town. I am not therefore asking
Political Agents concerned to make any representations for the
present to the Trucial Coast Shaikhs or Ills Highness the Sultazj
10, I am sending copies of this letter and its enclosures to
Ills Majesty*s Ambassador at Baghdad, the Senior Naval Officer,
Persian Gulf and the British Middle East Offloe, Cairo.
I have the honour to be
Sir.
Your moat obedient servant,

8d/~ W.R, Hay,
*LB* P ol ltlcal Resident, Persian Qulf*