Page 292 - Records of Bahrain (7) (ii)_Neat

682 Records of Bahrain

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ouoh olncc hio illness, He looked In excellent health and
was certainly In a happy mood. In the absence of the
Political Resident, Morgan Man and I, and our wives were
invited, and a number of American and English couples and
personalities, but comparatively few Bahrainis, During the
final conversation the Ruler expressed to mo hio satisfaction
with Mr, Arnold's promises and asked me to aay that he hoped
work off-shore would begin within a year.
7. The company's reassurances do not, on the face of it,
seem to differ from those given telegraphically in June last
(see my letter dated’June 25), but of course BAPCO has bought
time by offering to relinquish a part of ito marine areas;
the poroonal visit of the President and hio direct verbal
undertakings undoubtedly seem to have made Ills Ilighneos
happier, at least for the moment, Mr, Arnold will also have
acquired a closer acquaintance of the present position here,
and one presumes that he and his companions will succeed In
persuading the other; directors in New York to do as the Ruler
desires,
;
0. Mr. Smith has jjuet informed me that His Highness* has
decided to sign tho pecond copy accepting the area relinquished
by BAPCO without, after all, waiting for our reply to him
regarding the boundary of the sea-bed with Qatar, ao he at
first proposed to do|. He has also, as expected, signed the
extension of the royalties agreement refex'red to in paragraph
6 of my letter dated December 3*
9. I am sending a copy of jthis letter to the Rooidency.
i
i
j sy-t.vCCk'

(E.P. Y/iltshire)

CONFIDENTIAL