Page 145 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

Constitutional reforms, 1955 131

CONFIDENTIAL
Bahrain telegram No: H3 to Foreign Office

- i, -
8, Bahi'ain police are now In a somewhat Letter state than
prevituslyV but they have not completed their reorganization
ro-equipment and lnorease In numbers, They could probably oope
with peaceful demonstrations, but If these turned Into an
organized attompt to upset the forces of order it oannot be assumed
that the police would In all olroumstonnes remain In control,
9, A move in the direction of labour organizations will haye
Important repercussions elsewhere In the Gulf, but there ai*e
already signs of a similar evolution in Kuwait, and the over­
riding consideration probably is that a labour movement is bound to
start hero anyway also, and tho Bahrain Government will do better
to guide it from the start rather than let it grow up on its own
in opposition Bahrain Petroleum Company warmly support this view
but it will bo very hard to get the Ruler to aocopt it.

10, I should be glad to know, ns soon pa possible, whether
you agree to my proceeding generally on the lines of paragraphs
1 and 5 above.

Foreign Office pass B,M,E,0J as my telegram Not 11 Saving,

[Repeated Saving to B,M.E,0,],
DISTRIBUTED TO:
Eastern Department,
Labour Adviser,
Information Policy Department,
Regional Advisors.
News Department,

JJJJJ