Page 257 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

Administration council, 1956 243

COmWMNTIilL

Hah ruin telegram No. to Foreign Office

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Lcading in umber of the Commit too lino since told member of my
staff that tho Committee was extremely pieused at the results
of the meeting und partioulurly ut tho friendly atmosphere
which hud prevailed*
4. 'flic Ruler insis ted, in spite of the Commit too representatives *
unwillingness, thut u public statement on general lines should
be put out, This will be done over the Government wireless
station tonight.

5. It is a pity in 30tne ways that there will be no members
of the Ruling family on the Departmental Committees and we may
expect some rather peculiar results from the highly independent
position which these Committees will now assume. It must be
doubtful how long the ubsenoe of uctunl censorship can be
safely maintained, though at least u major relaxation would, ■
in any case, have been necossory before the Gulf Times could
be satisfactorily produced. There is likely to be much
•{renter difficulty when ut the next or a subsequent meeting
discussion takes place on issues arising from enquiry into
previous disturbances. Nevertheless, it is in general a
considerable g..in that friendly contact and comparatively frunk
discussion ol concrete questions should at last have taken pluoc
between the Ruler and the Committee and, short of some entirely i
unexpected incident, this should land to ut least temporary
improvement in tho security situation.
Foreign Ol'l ice pass to KjJfcK as my telegram llo. 91.

[Repeated to 1OURF].

ADVAllCl) COPI.W:-
Priva t e Go ore tary
Sir I. kirkpatrick
Mr. Chuckburgh
Head oi' lias tern Department
Resident Clerk

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