Page 609 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

POLITICAL RESIDENCY FOB 19X1. 9
been disturbing the Mussulman world generally, and which has been specific­
ally enlivened lately by exaggerated newspaper accounts of Italian action in
Tripoli and Russian doings in Northern Persia, for which latter we-ourselves
have incurred a considerable share of odium. None of these influences will
necessarily be permanent, but they are sufficiently potent while they last to
add greatly to the difficulties of our task in the Gulf.
It is encouraging to record, however, that at the end of the year, pro­
posals for the early installation of a wireless station and the issue of an
Order in Council for the Trucial Coast were under lively consideration, with
a view to strengthening our control over this part of the Gulf.
The Abu Musa oxide dispute with the German Government remains
unsettled, but further investigations were pressed during the year, ending in
the presentation by us to the German Government of fresh arguments on
behalf of the Shaikh of Shargah and a proposal for settlement by compromise
which it is hoped will prove acceptable and effective.
The Bahrain report for the year conveys a somewhat gloomy picture of
_ . the condition of the* Principality, for
which I fear there is a good deal of
foundation. The position is undoubtedly difficult and unsatisfactory, and as
it is primarily due to the incompetence of Shaikh *Isa as an administrator,
there is not much hope of material improvement as long as he lives and con­
tinues to manage or mismanage his own affairs. As it is, a great deal of
work and worry devolving upon our Agency results from the attempt to
perform in the interest of the public, without adequate machinery, functions
which should properly appertain to the local administration, were it reason­
ably efficient.
The coercion which we were driven to apply to him in 1904-05 enabled
his first Political Agent, Major Prideaux, to do an immense deal towards the
consolidation of our general position at Bahrain, but all substantial progress
in the direction of good and enlightened administration is hampered at every
turn by the bigoted incapacity of the Shaikh; to which factor has of late
been added another, namely, the influence of the nationalist sentiment which
has agitated Islam for the last two or three years, and which, gathering
force from the trend of events in Turkey and Persia, has made itself felt in
Bahrain as well as other ports of the Gulf. But the particular difficulty
which has loomed largest on the Bahrain horizon throughout the year and
continues to do so at its close, as it did last year, is the unsatisfactory work­
ing of the cargo-landing arrangements.
On the occasion of his visit, in March 1911, the Resident had found the
various interests involved in the question all pulling in different ways, and
after discussion with Shaikh ’Isa he arranged to send over Mr. Chick, Com-
mercial Adviser to the Residency, to preside at the meetings of the merchants
and endeavour to bring the different elements to an understanding. This
course, however, proved abortive as the local Arab merchants got it into their
heads that Mr. Chick had come to favour the foreign element and merely
offered obstruction, from which Shaikh Tsa was too ineffective to discourage
them, and no satisfactory solution had been reached until the departure for
Delhi of the Resident, who remained in India to the close of the year.
It is probable that Government will eventually have to intervene in the
interests of our shipping and impose some arrangement upon the Shaikh,
but before making recommendations in the direction, it is intended to make
one further attempt, in consultation with the Shaikh and the Political Agent,
to induce the former to take some reasonably effective action calculated to
avert Government intervention.
This it would be inconvenient to take just before the introduction of the
Bahrain Order in Council, now under contemplation, which, it is hoped, will
soon receive approval in its final form and come into operation without fail
during the coming year.
It is pleasant to turn from the record of Bahrain to that of Kuwait,
Xtnmit. where a much more healthy administra­
tive atmosphere prevails and pervades
the Annual Report.