Page 433 - Records of Bahrain (6)_Neat

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Effect of Zubarah dispute on relations, 1949 421

Confidential British Agency.
Doha,
M/50. 16til February 1050.

I enclose tlie .Sheikh's reply to your letter
CAc 02 of 7th February, i am sorry to have kept, you
waiting so long, but the arbitration proceedings arid
his father's health have provided the Sheikh with un­
rivalled opportunities for evasion, and as I have/been /not
making the pace, there v-ere limits lo v-hrt. 1 could do
to hurry him up.
\ 2. You will see that vhrt the Sheikh has done-is
less than you asked in one respect, in that, he lies not
left the fort completely empty, nor was I able to per­
suade him to do so. despite lengthy efforts. V.dien it
became clear that this was so, out/.that what ^/
he was offerings-Awa war. a general undertaking to
reduce the guards progressively and at. unspecified
future dates.,1 made it. clear that, he would have to
do a lot better than that if lie wished us to believe
his protestations of willingness to do everything we
asked. 1 said that yon vore writing now to see what
he would do, not what lie would say, and that unless
his letter could report some concrete action taken,
you would not be impressed. Ho finally agreed to
remove the guards etc. at once, and hrs given orders
to this effect, but insisted on leaving two caretakers
whom ho promised should he unrrmed. The word which
he has now used to describe these two men dorr not
necessarily mean an unarmed man, and he may again be
trying, to Leave himself r loop-hole. I shall 'return
to this point at the first, opportunity, and sha.IL also
moke investigations as soon as possible to see who in
in fact still in the fort.
3. lie grasped the point without any difficulty
when 1 suggested that you vore too preoccupied with
the Zubnra matter to think of ^rms or anything else,
and I have not so far admitted to having received a
reply from you in lb*Y mat.I or. I ernnot stall him
indefinitely however, and ho is now feeling virtuous
and expecting his reward, if you wish mo therefore
to make further representation’s in the matter of his
letter enclosed, 1 should he grateful if you would
telegraph instructions. If not, 1 should he glad of
vour assurance that I should now go ahead and release
the.< arms. It does no harm to allow the connection
between the acLion and its conseeuences to a-gear
fairly obviously. - it is the way ho thinks himself,
and he is not offended by it.
4. I should bo glad to have a co,*y of the
trahslation of this letter when one is made.

jC,J. i-'elly Esq. QBE.,
{Political Agent, llahrnin.
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