Page 271 - Records of Bahrain (4) (ii)_Neat

Bahrain reforms, 1929 573

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replace him by aono foreign Oriental about whoso integrity
und Vfhone intrigues one can never bo oure ?
6. Ouptain Prior, the preoont Political Agent at
Bahrain, ounmed up the situation very well in one of his
reports to mo when ho otated thut Ur do Oronier collects
the revonuoo of the Htate and Ur Uolgrave conoorvoa them.

If the efficient colleotor und conoarver are romoved, what
in to happon to u Stute, which haa become aoouutoined to a
tox hlghor rate of public expenditure than evor bofore in
lte hlotory ? Hot only have the claims of the idle and
ever increasing Al Khalifa been generouuly met, but for the
first time Bahrain lias been admlnlsterod for the good of its
people and not merely for the benefit of its ruling family.
With a decline in revenue, discontent lo sure to roturn.
If the Burope&n Advloer wo re removed, his place would be JtnkJ
taken by an Arab from Bahruin — almost certainly one of
the Al Khalifa, With the exception of Hhuikh Abdulla
thore lo at the moment not u single membor of the Al

Khalifa fit either by character or education to fill the
post, Bahruin in the proBont day iu not ouch a principally
as those of.the Truclal Coaot, ulumboring in the conditions
of the seventh century. Thanks/to lto geographical situa­
tion as the gatewuy to Mujd and to the pearl trade of which
it lo the centre, it has alwnyo been a trading centre,'
of
and has attracted to itself a numbor^foroignoro, who are in
contact with the outside world, Thunks to the Interest

taken by tho Government of India in 1023, lto administra­
tion, once a by-word, is now the admiration of the Oulf.
The more enlightened citiaeno of Dubaii for instance, envy1
Bahrain though the ruling Bhulkhs have no douiro to copy it*j
7, It has repeatedly boon sold that Bahrain has beep
westernised too hurriedly. It is hpotfthhty to examine thil
statement for although there is a substratum of truth in it,
I think it conveys a wrong impression thut all nutlye
institutions