Page 312 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

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302 Records oj Bahrain

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v. to oontinuo to oxpoao our proposals to rejection without ronson. I fed in fiiot
I \ that wo havo reached a point at which wo must either oleot to drop tho
;ix|o ;/v' quostion ajtogothor during Sheikh lisa’s lifetime or put the requisite moasuros
1 through without consulting him further. The record leads mo to think that
ft it is the' fonnqr^‘ioureo whioh Government will profor to take, if tho political
outlook is held to admit of it.
5. I would ask roforonco hero to tho passage in tho summary of my interviow
with Shoikh Esa, in which I asked him if it would not ho hotter for him to con-
form to our advice with a good graoo rathor than ohligo Qovornmont to take
muasuros without consulting him. Ho ropliod to tins quito casually without
exhibiting tho least surprise or concern, audit is my opinion, which I think
Captain Pridcaux shares, that this stubborn -refusal to accept our advico is in a
great moasuro duo to a dosiro to play to tho gallery, and to savo his amour
propre. It is tho samo sontiment which has mado him pretend outwardly to
bo intonsoly injured by Sheikh Ali’s bauishruont, though ho is no doubt very
glad at hoart to bo sparod life troublesomo company.
Sheikh Esa knows that wo can assume control when woohooscand probably
expects us to do so, aud when ouco this is dono in a way whioh will enablo
him to satisfy his ignoraut ontourago that it was boyoud his powor to provent
it. I bolicvo ho will soon sottln dowiy quietly to tho inpyitablo aud will bo
thaulcful to us in tho sequel for having carriod out'th6“mu»suro.~'
I vonture to rocoramond thoroforo that tho Govornmeut of India take
over tho Customs as oarly as can bo conveniently arranged.
6. In expressing this viow I should not omit to allude briefly to tho fol­
lowing attendant considerations:—
(i) Any salient measuro which wo tako in tho Gulf region now*a-davs
is suro to evoke hostilo oriticism from unfriendly quarters. It
goes without saying that the courso now proposed will provo no
exception ; but tho longor wo dolny tho moro criticism wo nru
likely to havo to faoo and thoro is suroly no reason why suoh a
consideration should dotor us from a fixed purpose.
(ii) Secondly, our action at Bahrein will no doubt havo an influonco
one way or tho othor, on tho parallel question whioh is pending
at Maskat. I am personally inclined to think that tho offcct
will bojavourable and usciuLtcms, a_nd will tond to dispose the
Sultanto aooopt tho~~inevitablo oithor at onco, or a littlo later
uMVotPho sees tho favourable financial results of tho chaugo at
Bahroin. This howovor is a problem in regard to which l
would prefer that the Government of India should bo influenced
by Major Grey’s viows rather than my own as ho is tho oflioer
who has immediately to deal with tho Sultan in regard to tho
Maskat quostion. For tho rest, apart from broad considerations of
.international policy lying bo.vond my horizon, it appears to my
humble judgment not only convoniont but necessary t lmfc wo
should tako somo early' step of a kind which will, within tho
limits proscribed l>y tho policy of His Mnjosty’s Government,
publicly strengthen and affirm our authority over Bahrein. At
\ tho prosent moment as tho Qovornmont of India nro awaro, tho
Persion Foroign Offico, tutored no doubt by tho Russian Legation
aud encouraged by tho Artioloin the “ Hablol Matiu ” of tho 27th
of March 1905, is encrgotioally attempting to revivo tho old
assertion of Porsian rights ovor Bahrein. Agniu, Foreign
European Morohants oontinuo from time to time to discuss their
claims to ox-torritoriulity and Consular intervention in regard to
their affairs. Tho ossumptionj/f tho Bahrein Gust on 8 wilij.a all.
probability^ put a sto]rlo sucjMtTd.icatibns, wlicrons thoro can ho
little douhrthat'if wo'do^not’ nip thorn iu tho bud they will
gather forco as timo goes on,.
7. As to the financial nspeot of tho quostion, I solicit roforoooo to my
predecessor’s letter No. 38, datod 18th February 1004-, of whioh littlo modifica­
tion is nooded to bring tho information oontainod in it up to dato.