Page 265 - Records of Bahrain (7) (ii)_Neat

Petroleum affairs 655

whole aroa could ho sustained. If however this is
tho offoot of the legal advice which wo receive,
the disadvantage v/ould he less. If it were decided
to inako such a proposal it could perhaps best he
made as a second part of a personal appeal, supposing,

as is most likely, that the Saudis rejected the suggestion
that Bahrain should he given undisputed rights over
the area.
V. I v/ould hope that if it is found that the
Ruler of Bahrain's legal case is weak, v/c shall riot

he content merely so to inform him, hut that we shall
first consider the political implications referred
to above and tho possibility of a settlement on political
rather than legal lines cither in the manner suggested
in the preceding paragraph or in any other manner which

may he thought useful. We could then indicate to the
R lor, at the same time that we told him what \yO
thought of his legal case, that we were prepared to
attempt to reach a settlement reasonably satisfactory
to him by these other means if lie wished us to do so.

y. I am .sending copies of this despatch to
Her Majesty's representatives at Jcdda and Washington,
to the Head of the British Middle Best Offico and
to the Political Agent Bahrain.
I have the honour1 to he,

with the highest respect,
.Sir,
Your obedient Servant.
Maa ■'CTK/

(B. A. B. Burrows)