Page 359 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

Administration, 1957 345

CONFIDENTIAL,

BAHRAIN.
Flag A With Ills'lottor of March 19 to Mr. Ormsby-Qoro, Col.Cough M.P.
onclosod a long lottor to him from Sir Charles Bolgravo, the
Advisor to tho Rulor of Bahrain. In this letter Sir C.Bolgravo
says . that the Ruler does not roally wish him to retire as
arrangod this summer and ho goes on to glvo a tondontlous account
of ovonts in Bahrain during tlia loot two years alleging that If
tho Residency had given tho Rulor proper support at tho boginning
of tho troubles tho Rulor could have suppressed tho Committee of
National Union at a much earlier dato and have avoided the riots
and damage which resulted from their activities.

2. In his letter Col. Gough says that while recognising that
Sir O.Belgrave "Is not the man ho was" , he thinks it most unwise
that wo should try at thiB time to force tho Rulor 11 to part with
his best friend".
3. In view of tho serious allegations made by Sir C.Bolgravo
about the policy of H.M.G. In Bahrain and about tho attitude of
the Residency in particular, I thought it well before drafting
a reply to Col. Gough, to obtain tho commonts of tho Political
Reoldont. These are now available (eoe Sir B.Burrows's lottor of
Flag BApril 4 - EA 1016/54) and they reaffirm the view which Sir B.Burrowa
“Ibvl has always expressed and with which In the Department we have
" agreed, that:
(a) earlier action against tho C.N.U. would have alienated
tho moderate elements on Y/hom tho stability of Bahrain I
rests;
and (b) by persuading the Ruler to make reasonable reforms and to
glvo time for the more extreme domands of the Committee to
disgust moderate opinion we have ensured that there was In
fact a very wide measure of support in N0vembor for the
action eventually taken by the Rulor against the C.N.U.
4. Any postponement of tho departure of Sir C.Bolgravo might
alienate Just those moderate elements who have accepted the
dissolution of the C.N.U. with relief. They would conclude that
the Rulor has no Intention of reorganising tho administration of
Balirain on more progressive lines and that the oxtreme policy
advocated by tho C.N.U. had been right all along. Sir B.Burrowa
has already reported the growth of doubts about the Ruler's
Intentions amongst tho moderate merchants, and there seems little
doubt that these would be greatly Intensified if Sir O.Belgrave's
departure were postponed. Wo do not want the situation of the
summer of 1956 to build- up again when the alternatives seemed to bo
Either to thro?/ Bolgrave overboard or to have no Bahraini friends.
5. I submit a reply to Col. Gough drafted by Mr. Moberly, which
explains in detail our view of the wisdom of the waiting tactics
which wo persuaded the Ruler to employ in relation to the C.N.U.
and stressing the Importance of Bolgrave keoplng to his plan to
leave Bahrain this June, I have assumed that It is possible to
writo with considerable frankness and at length.
6. I shall submit separately Borne recent papers on constitutional
reform in Bahrain with which the question of the r rement of
8lr O.Belgrave Is intimately connected. (

L (D.M.H. Riches)
11 April. 1957.