Page 544 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

Sunday 13th April 1930

Aeroplane left but at quite a reasonable hour. They dont expect to be down again till June so we shall have a
rest from them for a while. They took a lot of plants from here to plant at Basra, we have sent quite a lot up
from here and they seem to have been a success, mostly shrubs and creepers. Went over to the Agency with
Shaikh Sulman in the morning to discuss with Prior various alterations in our court fees. Afterwards a man
called O'Conner, Indian army, who is staying at the Agency and making a military report on the Gulf came
over to ask about various local things. Quite a pleasant man. He stayed till lunch time. Drove out to Rafaa to
see the work on the main road. It is getting on quite well. Road work here is difficult as in some places one
can get no water. Prior asked me to go sailing but I didnt. He is very fond of it and goes out most days, in the
early mornings he rides. Prior keeps a very showy establishment and it seems to cause much annoyance
among both the Europeans and the Arabs. Both consider it unnecessary showing off. He has many very
expensive looking servants, a large very conspicuous car three ponies and two sailing boats. More pomp and
show than any other P.A. who has been here.

Monday [14 April]

Court. Went sailing with Prior in the afternoon. I didnt much care for it. If at all I should prefer to sail about
in a leisurely way among the islands, not do a course in and out of the boats that are anchored in the
harbour. M took James out for a drive in the car. Nothing to write about.

Tuesday [15 April]

Meeting of the Muharrak Municipal Council. Went across with Prior in the Agency launch. A very dull
meeting. Came back before it finished as the tide was going out. Went to the Customs where I stayed till
lunchtime. The boat arrived with Major Holmes on board. He arrived in the afternoon and came to us to
stay till settled in his house. Very glad to see him again. I like him though like all these oil people he is very
dodgy and one cant believe much he says when about his oil business. Took him out in the afternoon and
showed him the changes since he was here last. Two of our Havildars departed on the boat as their time was
up. Parke very glad to have got rid of them, he was always complaining about them. They were lazy fellows
and too well paid and I found their work bad when I was looking after the Police. Parke wanted to let them
go, on leave, and then write and say we did not want them back, but I wouldnt allow this. He has rather
mean ideas over many things. Went across to the Agency after dinner. Prior showed me a lot of confidential
papers from London about the oil business. It is quite amazing the way the Colonial Office have behaved, in
about six months they have completly reversed their policy, instead of standing out against an American
Company they now allow it. All the arrangements have been done without consulting the Shaikh. It makes
me very angry. I suppose it is this Labour Government. The whole business is really disgraceful and there
looks as if some of the C.O. people were too intimate with these wealthy oil people. Holmes himself admits
that we have been badly treated. There is more of what I consider dishonest business about oil than about
any other thing out in this part of the world. As far as I can gather, and I have seen all the letters about it
from Passfield and the India office, they divided up all the oil bearing land in this part of the Near East
between England, France and America without even telling the rulers of the various countries to whom it
belonged. When they had done this they told Irak and Bahrain that it had been arranged. Of course we shall