Page 375 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

373

1928

Wednesday 7th March

The boat arrived with the PR, Mrs Haworth, the child, a Persian nurse, Baselgette, the Secretary & six enormous
Persian servants dressed in scarlet & lilac. They looked like a circus party driving past on the back of a lorry heaped
with luggage. Got some photos back from Basra, quite good ones of Ayesha. Stevenson departed on the boat, also
Mrs Parke. Quite good weather for a change & smooth sea after all the storms. Koseibi & his brother Abdulla called,
the former is going away. Talked about the electric light business, also Zayani. Went in the garden & then over to the
Agency to call on P.R. Had a talk with him. He has come about the Persian question & is very angry & anti Persian.
He is terribly pompous. Seyed Ednan wrote & said I had been neglecting him lately. Holmes & Straker to dinner.

Thursday March 8th

Shaikh Isa called on the Resident at the Agency in the morning. I did not go across but saw him getting out of his car.
He seemed very feeble. Parke provided a guard of honour. Afterwards the Shaikh called & I went across, also present
Sulman, Abdulla & Mubarak & Mohamed. A long talk about bin Saoud. The Resident very pompous, carefully
explained how troops were waiting his orders, in Karachi, ready to proceed instantly to Kuwait when he ordered it, also
said that if he could have had one hour's conversation with bin Saoud he could have settled everything satisfactorily.
His conceit is colossal. He tried to get the Shaikhs to say what they really thought about the situation over there, the
Shaikhs, mostly Abdulla, said that either bin Saoud was encouraging the raiding or his tribes were out of control so
though disapproving of it he was not checking it. Sh Hamed, as usual, agreed with whatever the Resident said and
tried to reply as he thought the Resident wished him to reply. Then talk about Persia. The P.R. is very bitter about
Persia's behaviour. He discussed the whole question, as usual the Shaikh said that he depended entirely on us, the
British, to settle the business. All the old arguments brought up again. Stayed on afterwards & talked to the P.R. He
wants to get the Shaikhs to give us a Power of Attourney to represent them at Geneva & would like them, in the
document, to admit that they are under our protection. It is all very complicated and difficult & the Resident doesnt
seem to know exactly what he wants himself. Afterwards he talked about the question of English officials here &
again said that the idea was to cut them down to one, ie to me only. Walked up to the new garden at the Palace & then
people to tea & Bridge, only 7 came, awkward as an odd number for Bridge. Holmes stayed on for dinner. He is really
very good company though I never believe anything he says. Told people that Barrett said his "day" was off, no tea &
tennis. Everyone very annoyed.

Friday 9th [March]

Went down bazaar & took some photos, one of the Shia mosque behind the town. The P.R. & Barrett called on Sh. Isa
in the morning & on Shaikh Hamed in the afternoon. In the afternoon we motored out to Mohamed Yatim's garden, he
was working there. Showed us a letter with news from Kuwait, the raiding Arabs ordered the Shaikh to given them
provisions, he temporised. Called at Agency before dinner to have cards. Mrs Haworth & Mrs B & the child were in.
Didnt stay long as Mrs B had been seedy, in bed all day. The little girl is very ill mannered & spoilt. The Resident
retires in Sept. Dined with Straker & played Bridge. Holmes was there, very pleasant warmer day.