Page 59 - Records of Bahrain (6)_Neat

47
Local politics
M2SS.1

Shalkh iialman oamo to seo mo on the 2nd September
a» a result of a letter which 1 wrote to him to the
offoot that 1 was not willing to enter into disoussions
about Zubarah until aftor Colonel (Jallownor*B return fro*-
leavo but that there were other matter* of a more urgent
nature about which I wished to npeak to him after Romadhan.

2. In spite of my letter ao soon ao formalities
were over the Shaikh started off at onoo on the subject
of Zubarah and reeisted all my attempts to stop him*
Y/hm 1 eventually did get him to talk about other subjects
he kept on breaking off and returning to Zubarah. Ho
said he had brought paper* with him whloh ho wished to
show me but 1 refused to seo them. He talked at great
length about "my right*4 and ’’my land" and so on and .
oomplainod that it wa* two y*ar* and two month* nlnoe
he had signed the agreement and nothing had been done to
implement it. He oomplalned of the further d*lay caused
by my refusal to discuse the matter until Golaiel Calloway ■
return and Bald that no doubt the matter would be further
poAtponed owing to my departure on l*av*. He said he
was b*ooming a laughing otook of all th* Arabs b*cau**
in spite of hi* friendship with the British he was unable
to obtain nis rights. He did not refer at all to the
tower in the course of the conversation but mentioned
chiefly the restriction* the Bhaikh of ^atar was placing
on Bahrain subject* entering and leaving Zubarah. If
I understood him rightly he stated V t he did not olaim
sovereignty over Zubarah but only w< d his grass and
water. When X r«arked that there r&* no profit for him
in Zubarah he replied that it was not a matter of profit
as h* knew that there was nothing of value in Zubarah
but one of prestige. Ks said that Zubarah was of more
importance to him than anything els* in the world nnd that
so long as the present position existed he would oontlnue
to remain in a state of anguleh. He finally said that
he could not bear the present uncertainty and wanted a
decision one way or the other oven though it was unfavourable*
1 replied that 1 oould not possibly give a decision until
X had heard what the Shaikh of tyitar hod to say on the
subjeot and suggested that 1 might even have to lnspeot
the spot.
d. A* soon as 1 was able 1 brought the conversation
round to the subject that 1 wished to talk to the Shaikh
about• 1 laid that now that the life of the oilfield
and the iuoome from it was assured for 50 years I thought
that more ought to be spent on Improving conditions in
Manama and Uuharraq. X referred to the la ok of any
development plan* the bad state of the road*» to the need
for a notol| tovu planning etc. I also mentioned the
difficulty that Colonel Bloodworth hod experienced In
obtaining land for on automatic exohangs at Muharraq and
to the unsatisfactory position that had been created by
tho foot that although Ur. Tunnioliff# is nominally Oroup
Captain Leigh's assistant he has not been placed In subordin­
ation to him. Bhaikh Salman first said that he oould not
do anything until the Zubarah question had been settled*
at whloh 1 showed obvious signs of annoyanoe. He then said
that Bahrain wue greatly lit advanoe of the other Qulf States
so far itu administration was oonaerned, and that he oould
not,be blamed for being conservative in expenditure when
the oil refinery oould be ooaplotely destroyed by one bomb*
I did uot argue matters at great length but oontented myself
on this oooaslon by giving the Shaikh my views. X think
he had probably been informed beforehand the subject regarding
whioh 1 wished to speak to him and briefed by Mjr. Belgrave* *
RILL •