Page 444 - Records of Bahrain (6)_Neat

432 Records of Bahrain

f». I should be ('lad if Sheikh Salman could bo persuaded
to make some such goaturo, as wo must not, X fool, discount ent­
irely the real difficulties which Sheikh All does encounter and
vdll in future encounter incrousingly no ho tries to pursue tho
policies which wo urge upon him, but which make no appeal at
all to the obscurantist and bigoted elements x# which form a
largo port of tho population of Qatar. It is perhaps amusing to
think of All as a liberal, however unwilling, but if he continues
to tread tho path wo wish, oven ns hl.a present reluctant gait, ho
rrill soon outstrip a large and inllu&nlial body of his subjects
by u considerable distance. Ho Is not a strong man, and if wo
wish him to 3Lund up against his father and those to whose opin­
ions ne hus for so long baon accustomed to defer, ?« should do
the he31 wo can to boLster him up against their criticisms. I
cannot easily think of any other member of Ills family who, had
ihu bean in his place, would have (••n.von as much ground in this
matter as Ali has done, 1 should be grataful if you could write
to lii:n, when you acknowledge his letter, repeating your assurance
that you intend to see that ho does not id suffer in any way as a
result of.the concessions ho has made over Zubura* This, I think,
ia whit he was driving at in tho .somewhat obscure final sentence
of hi* letter of liith February.

6. .Salih has done very vialj. for us in a difficult and
thank Lears task (as I.have said bo fora, Abdullah Darwlsli leaves
Uil:; sort oJ* thing to Salih) and X have assured him that you
uru u.varo of Iris efforts and /rriti.ful to him for thorn.

?.s. 3 dluJel Aik* u