Page 129 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

Constitutional reforms, 1955 115

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comported with the past, I do not moan by this
that there would necessarily be actual unrest

among the population but men's minds have already
been unsettled by the political developments of
the past nine months or so and by the realization
that Bahrain's prosperity may have reached its height
and I do not therefore think they will ever recover
their former tranquillity.

5. The problems which now face us have already
been set forth.J.n Your Excellency's despatches
Nos. 100 and 101 of October 25 and 26, and No. 113
of December 29, 1954 to the Foreign Office, which
the Foreign Office answered in despatches Nos. 203
of December 14, 1954 and 13 of January 25, 1955.
' While it is true that there is a limit beyond which

we must not press the Ruler lest he either lose
his confidence in us, or, as a last resort, abdicate,
I consider that events in Bahrain may move more
quickly than we perhaps expect. I feel therefore
that we should now consider once more pressing
the Bahrain Government to make some more obvious

move towards reforming or, better, improving
its methods of governing. In the last few days
the High Executive Committee has announced that
if the Government fails to act within a reasonable
period, it will organise demonstrations against
/ the