Page 293 - Records of Bahrain (4) (ii)_Neat

Bahrain reforms, 1929
595
yliuute Paper, POLITICAL Department.

Please soe previous submission on P. 6258/29
covering Colonel Barrett's despatch of the 28th August
on the question of British interference in the

administration of Bahrein. The views of tho
Government of India aro given in their telegram of the
26th November on P. 7575/29.
'2. oir Denys Bray has always felt uneasy at the
extent of European representation in Bahrein, and tho
present telegram shows traces of this: but on tho
3a
broad iosuoftie^to* in general agreement with the
conclusions of tho Political Resident, and trio ground
is now clear. It should bo remarked, howevor, on two
minor points, that firstly, while tiioro arc indeed four
British subjects employed in the administration of.
Bahrein, one only of those - the Political Agent - is
I
! the servant of His Majesty's Government, tho remainder
being sorvunts of the Sheikh, serving under contracts
i
I
! with himsecondly, the late Acting Political Resident,
who has wide experience of tho Arab coast, is probably
in a hotter position than the Government of India to
assoso tho Arab reactions of British intorferonco in
I tho Bahrom administration. The incidont regarding
i
:
the Dowaoir tribesmen to which the Viceroy's tologram
x
roforo is not in itself of groat importance; is now
nearly three years old, and is largely an illustration
of the weakness of character of Bhoikli Hamad.
3. The general conclusions reachod by the
Government of India and the Political Resident arc -
I
(1) that thero can bo no question of relaxing
U(i<«
our essential hold on and that any reduction
of the European element and of European control must
UlKA
f.000 H/JU be/