Page 65 - Records of Bahrain (5) (i)_Neat

Financial arrangements of the ruling family, 1940 1941 53

(sh/v* ■
Conf.lcwitJ.al
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D.O. No. C/534-4/1 Dated the 27th June 1940.

My dear Prior,

I am forwarding to you separately His Highness the
ixo ^
Shaikh’s reply to your letter No. 370-S dated the 6th June
regarding the investment of some of his share of the oil
money. The letter can scarcely be described as effusive or

revealing and it certainly tells you nothing that you did
not know already.
2. So far I have not had time to do more than inform
Shaikh Abdullah and Shaikh Salman that I Intend to talk to
them very seriously about the whole question of finances.

We have all been preoccupied with the Additional Area Con­
cession and the war situation lately, but I intend to have
my first meeting with them in three or four days' time.
Meanwhile a somewhat unpleasant situation has arisen. His
Highness has demanded that the sum of fe 4 lakhs paid by the
Bahrain Petroleum Company on signature of the new concession
personally.
should be handed over to hiuj£ Belgrave has done his best to
resist this and has reminded His Highness that this sum of
is 4 lakhs is shown as a revenue receipt not only in the current
State budget but also in last year’s budget (when it was
expected it would accrue). He has reminded His Highness that

both these budgets were passed by him and that the last one
at any rate has actually been published He has further
reminded His Highness that the gift of it 4 lakhs to His
Majesty’s Government for war purposes was to be covered by
this particular receipt. His Highness has become more and
more /-

Lieutenant-Colonel
G. Prior, C.I.E.,
Political Resident in the
Persian Gulf, Bushire.