Page 458 - Records of Bahrain (6)_Neat

446 Records of Bahrain

-6-
as yearning to return thuru, now want to go tack.
This somewhat comic situation Gheikli Salman la, not
unnaturally, not prepared to admit, Banco the luck
of emphasis on the second stipulation and concentra­
tion on the first. The shaikh derided tho Qatar
request that 1 should confirm that the ,,rostrictiouB,,
on Qatur should bo removed, etc.
13. On the 2.3rd of February, I wrote again to tho
Shaikh of Qatar asking that Miff his people should bo
withdrawn from the fort, pointing out that "this
matter of the removal of only two men is in itself
a email matter and the presence or absence of only
two watchmen should not ho allowed to prejudice a set­
tlement between two countries. On hearing from Your
Excellency that those two men huvo toen removed 1 will
ask the Shaikh of Bahrain to carry out his promise that
o^ily ?.f> transit duos should ho levied on goods for
t ator." I went on "You will appreciate that in return
or the removal of two men you aio In offact receiving
a concession worth thousands of pounds." On this
occasion also I wrote to for. Wilton asking him verbally
to ro-inforce my demand , and was again thanks to his
efforts and to Your Excellency's intervention that
tho Shaikh removed the two watchmen from the fort leaving
the door locked und the won living in a tent nearby.
Of thio ho informed wo in a letter dated the 6th of
Uarch.
14. .Tho second crisis in tills mutter soemod to me
to arise when Mr. Belgravu sent mo a draft proclamation
which I thought it would he Innocuous if issued in the
following form*

"We, Gulman bin Hamad j»1 tthullfoh, ttuler of
Bahrain, order the enactment of the following
luwt
ViZ., l3t
From the dalu of this proclamation j
Jurnutf Al Thuny 1369
1. Our Order contained in Proclamation Mo.
28/1368 dated 21st Jumud A'l Thuny 1368, on
tho subject of travelling to Qatar, is hereby
cancelled. There is therefore no objection
to our subjects travailing to Qatar.
2. Hone of our subjects may proceed to £uV«arah
without first, os In tho past, receiving per­
mission from us.
I.et this bo known,"

It waa issued on the 21st of March, 1960, and the local
bazaar immediately lucerne full of rumours which spread
all over the lularid 11...I tho Jhalkh of Bahrain had "won
his oase over Autarch" which lul .lit have meant (depending
upon the hearers Interest in the mutter) anything from
our admission of Bahrein sovereignty over Z.ubarah. to our
consent to its occupation by force by the Al Khalifuh*
Few people appreciate what is involved in "tribul rights"
and of course they arc so vugue that the loopholes for

wishful ........

9