Page 265 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

British influence and foreign interests, 1904-1906 255

(Confidential.)

No. 1873 E.-B.
From
The 8ECRETARY to the
GOVERNMENT op INDIA
in the Foreign Department%

To
Major P. Z. COX, c.i.e.,
POLITICAL RESIDENT in the
PERSIAN GULF.

Dated Simla, the 17th May 1906,
Sir,
I am dircctod to acknowlodgo tlio receipt of your loltor No. 123, dated
thollth March 1005, regarding tlio affairs of Bahrein, and your proposals for
improving tho administration of tlio island.
2. Tho Government of India are prepared to aocopt your viow that
Sheikh Esa, although ho has boon brought to a sonse of his obligations towards
tho Government of India by tlio recent demonstration of his poworlessnoss to
maintain a recalcitrant attitudo in tho faco of their disploasuro, is, at tho
samo timo, so lacking in vigour and natural qualifications as to nmko
it unlikoly that lie will ovor dischareo adequately his duties as Rulor of nn
island possessing tho possibilities of uovolopmout presented by Bahrein. From
this consideration you havo beon tempted to oxpress the opinion that it is a
matter for regrot that tho exigencies of Imporial politics do not admit of our
making our moral protectorate ovor tho island into an open and offeotivo one,
and you have proccodod to adumbrato I ho picture of Bahrein under British
rulo as a convenient centre of British influonco in these wators. Tho even­
tualities you havo skotchod are, in your own words, visionary and remote, and
their rolcYanoy is not apparent iu any discussion of tlio problems conneotod
with tho government of Bahrein in tho immediate future. With regard to
this portion of your letter thoroforo, I am to sny that it would bo superfluous to
discuss, or even to contoranlato, a contingency colling for any moasurcs so
distasteful to tho viowa oi His Majesty's Government, and so foreign to tho
policy which they are pursuing in the Persian Gulf.
3. Turning now to tho actual situation, os it presents itself in Bahrein,
tho Govornmont of India canuot but share tho disappointment which you must
oxpericnco that the immediate results of tho ultimatum are hardly what might
havo been oxpccted, so far ns tho improvement in the administration of tho
island is conccrnod. For this 6tato of all'airs, it is admitted, tho doficioncies of
tho Chief himsolf nro to blamo, and ns tho remody of sotting usido Sheikh Elsa
is oho which tlioy soo no proaont oxpodiouov in oontomplating, tho Govern­
ment of India concur with you in holding that tho offcot of tho reoont
demonstration must not bo saorificod, and that tho Sheikh ought to bo
required, and required at onco, to introduco such reforms into his administra­
tion as aro hold to bo nocossnry. At the same timo it is necessary to boar in
mind that our now proposals must bo both so framed and ao presented to tho
Chiof as to obviato tho necessity for another intorvontionond furthor throatonod
bombardmont; and, in order to offoot this end, it appoars to tho Govornmont
of Iudia that tho influonco whioh they should now bo ablo to oxcrciso through