Page 144 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

1?0 Records oj Bahrain

pONPIBBNTIAL

Bahrain telegram No: U3 to Foreign Off loo
3 -
3, After dloousslon with ns and with Mr, Audsley, Sir 0,
Belgrayo Is gains ta put (a) and (b) above to the Ruler'at once,
If we oan get the Ruler ta agree ta aawo or all of the above a
reply ta the "High Kxeoutlye Committee^" letter would bo given ta
them or their representatives verbally, but from a prepared state­
ment by the Political Agent, This statement would rehearse
the steps taken by the Bahrain Government t© meet domanda far
reform and ta t avid* constitutional means foif British grievances
and suggastians, It would add that it was ttye duty ef all
Bahrainis, and particularly those with education and experience,
to make use of theoe constitutional moans of expression which wo
were sure would load to further reforms consistent with the
requirements of the country. In the light of our interest in its
welfare, wo would continue ta watch the progress of political
developments here with sympathy and would give advice if required,
But we could not reoagnlzo, or have dealings with, a oomiuittoe
which had set itself up without any constitutional basis and whloh
boycotted the domaoratlo processes which had been made available,
Y/e would support the Bahrain Government in carrying out the policy
of political progress and administrative reform which they had now
undertaken, and we would support them in maintaining law and order,
If any section of the population departed from constitutional
methods and stirred up demonstrations, or other violent methods
of political action, they would forfeit the sympathy of ourselves
and the rest of the outside world, and the necessary suppression
of any such action would undoubtedly retard progress to a
regrettable extent.

6. Wo would inform the Ruler in advance of the message to be
given to the committee, and wo would also inform leading merchants,
etc, of the gist of it.
7, Action on the above lines will not necessarily bring
about cooperation between the government and popular movement
and thei’o is no guarantee that it will prevent demonstrations, etc * r
but it seems about as far as we ought to go in the light of our
relations with the Ruler and our responsibilities in other Persian
Gulf territories, Probably the only thing likely to satisfy
the reformists at this stage would be the creation of an
Advisory council, partly nominated and portly eleoted, whloh would
have wide powers of investigation, e,g, into finance. If we were
to propose this now v/e should probably have a severe crisis in our
relations with the Ruler, and some loss of confidence on the part
of.tho Rulers of Kuwait and Qatar.
0, Bahrain. • •