Page 254 - Records of Bahrain (5) (i)_Neat

242 Records oj Bahrain

-2-

wurthor the knowledge that Ills Majesty's OoTommont had
preventod the Bahrain State from lnoroanlng Ito inooiao
oono idorably would naturally have «v deplorable offeot not only
locally but In the noighb our inn Arab oountrlea, whero It
would of oourao beoome publlo property and tho subject of much
adverse ooioraent.

3. Similarly I do not Imagine that tho Bahrain Petroleum
Oorapany would aooept, with any equanimity, a olno die deoiolon
owing to the uncertainty in which thoy would be plaoed. In
this oonneot ion ploaoe see enoiosure to India Offloe letter No.
P..$.3234/38, dated the 14th May 1930, to we, recording a
conversation which Baliantyne had with Oiboon. In this record

the following sent once ooouroi
"'Yhethor the area should bo given wholly to one Company
or the other or divided betwoen then was a matter for
the Ghalkh to daolde and Hi a Majesty's Governments

attitude thereto was neutral and unbianoed.*
It Boemo t o mo quite probable that if Hlo Majesty'b Government
blook the Bahrain Petroleum Company at Bahrain tho Company may
oonaidor thoir agreement with Ilia Uajeety'o Government not to
enter the Truoial Coast (vide Mr.Ballantyne's letter dated the
19th March 1937 - India Office No.P.z, 11371/37) at an end, and
may entor that aroa. Thlo of oourse would be moat undesirable.
• .•
Against this particular argument lu the faot that onoe Petroleum
i
oonoeoaiona Limited have obtained the remaining oonoesoione on
the Truoial oouat they will not be able to
operate there. The
fact remains howover that at present Petroleum
Concessions
Limited have obtained only two out of
a pooaiblo seven.
4./