Page 29 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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and has never been raised by Salman though he is bringing Isa more and more into
prominence in the hope, it is believed, that he will eventually be selected to succeed
him. Other possible candidates are his brothers mentioned above, of whom
Abdullah is particularly ambitious, the sons of his uncle Muhammad, some of
whom are well-educated and can speak English, and his uncle Abdullah if he is
still alive. Salman is fortunately in good health and the attitude to be adopted by
Her Majesty’s Government in the event of a disputed succession has not yet been
considered.
5. There has been little change in the Treaty position so far as Bahrain is
concernedO since 1928. The most important development is a written assurance
which was given to the Ruler in 1951 that His Majesty’s Government (a) accepted
responsibility to protect his State against any external aggression in the same
manner as any British Territory and (b) would protect the interests of his subjects
in foreign countries to the same extent as they did those of their own nationals
(Appendix A (i)). The Ruler in replying undertook that he and his successors
would always faithfully observe all existing engagements (Appendix A (ii)). He
was asked not to allow the correspondence to become public and promised to treat
it as secret.f) Apart from this in 1932 His Majesty’s Government agreed to a
modification of Article 4 of the Convention of 1861(10) so as to permit of customs
duties being levied in excess of 5 per cent, ad valorem.?1) In 1950 the Ruler asked
for the modification of a provision in the same article that British subjects might
reside in and carry on their lawful trade in the territories of Bahrain.(,2) No
modification was made but it was proposed that the Bahrain Government should
be consulted on all cases before a Residence Permit was granted under a Regulation
which was in draft form at the time and which was issued in the following year.(*a)
The Ruler protested strongly when this Regulation came to his notice because it
authorised the Political Agent to give Residence Permits to persons subject to the
Order in Council and he considered that this was his prerogative. He was given
an assurance that his Government would be consulted about all applications for
residence permits by persons subject to Her Majesty’s jurisdiction for the purpose
of setting up business in Bahrain.(14)
6. From Isa’s deposition until 1928 the Political Agent was the virtual ruler
of Bahrain.(ia) Hamad was indolent and took little interest in State affairs and from
1928 until his death in 1942 Mr. C. (now Sir Charles) Dalrymple Belgrave, who had
been appointed Financial Adviser in 1926, so far as internal administration was I
concerned, was to all intents and purposes the ruler of the State. Salman, as already
noted, takes a much closer interest in affairs than his father and though he trusts
Belgrave, who is still Financial Adviser, he exerts his own authority in
matters both great and small and the latter now takes second place. In addition to
a British Financial Adviser a British Director of Customs and a number of British
doctors, engineers and other experts are employed by the Bahrain Government and
the general state of its administration is generally admitted to be second to none in
the Middle East. In 1931 it was reported that Bahrain was becoming more and
more the centre of the Gulf and its good administration and the state of security that
prevailed attracted to it businessmen from the United Kingdom, Arabia, Persia
and India. Its importance was still further increased by the transfer to it of the
British Naval Base in the Persian Gulf in 1935 and of the Persian Gulf Political
Residency in 1946.
7. A British Political Agent has resided in Bahrain since 1904 and since 1934
there has also been an Assistant Political Agent. The entire cost of the Agency
except in respect of the suppression of the slave-trade and of sanitary arrangements
was until 1947 borne by the Government of India.(,8) When the Foreign Office took
over responsibility for the Persian Gulf posts in 1948 it was proposed that the
Persian Gulf Residency and the Bahrain Political Agency should be amalgamated
and that a Deputy Political Resident should perform the functions of Political

(•) Para. 2 at p. 61. P.G. 13.
(•) P.R. to F.O. Despatch 89 of July 10. 1951 (EA 1057/4 of 1951).
(,0) 4 1 T.C.
(**) 13 I T.C.
('*) P.R. to F.O. 11013/1 of March 23. 1951 (EA 1151/2—1951).
(,s) No. 2 of 1952.
(»<) P.R. to F.O. 16419/12/53 of June 10. 1953 (EA 1265/8 of 1953).
(,4) Para. 15 at p. 64, P.G. 13.
(‘•) Para. 6 at p. 62, P.G. 13.