Page 232 - Records of Bahrain (5) (i)_Neat

220 Records of Bahrain
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"cffloienor wo should aotively interfere in the adminiotrat ion
of tho Stato, run it on our own linen, do overything for tne
Bahrainio, and thereby not only undormino their powers of self-

government, hut give frean powdor and shot for oritioiamo of
"Colonisation", both from inoide and outaide Bahrain, wnlch
have already appeared in tne Arab Press# (Air policy in
Bahrain, as I oee it, io to toaon tho Bahrainis to govern tnera-

ooIvob. 'i'hia ia more difficult, leas opeotaoular, and slower
in producing results, than would bo the opposite policy of
administering, or partially administering, the State ourselves,

but in the long run it will nave a more enduring effect*
In other words, as you will see, ray personal predilec­
tions are Btrongly for 'indirect* r&tner tnan 'direct* rule#
It io the former whioh wo nave pursued of late years in
Bahrain witn satisfactory results# Mow tnat Progress, witn a

oh? ital P, is in full awing tnere may be a temptation to revert
to more direot mothodo. This should bo resisted#

3. Incidentally, tne work of indirect rule will throw
(ia indeed already throwing) much extra work on tne shoulders
of the Political Agent, Bahrain, and on those of the Resident,

who naturally has to be consulted on all important developments#
It is fortunate therefore that tne Political Agent naa an
Assistant Politioal Agent - a post of fairly recent creation -
to help him#

4. To oome down to details, Stewart will doubtless like to
know in brief wnat steps are being taken in tne direction I
indicated in our conversation#
Administration# In the first place in order to

relieve Belgrave of a plethora of petty details, and leave him
free /