Page 34 - Records of Bahrain (7) (ii)_Neat

424 Records of Bahrain

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FROM Mio Uiglmess 8h,.ikh Sulmon Uniiomud Alkhalifa K.C.M.G. ,K.C. I.E.
TO The Right Honourable Solwyn Lloyd P.C.,C.B.E.,Q.C. Her Majeoty'o
Secretary of State for Foreign Affaire.

AFTER COMPLIMENTS.
It is with muen regret that v/e find ouraclvc3 compelled to
address Your Excellency about matters which greatly aifect ourselves, tne
fuiwre of our State and our friendship with Britain.
It Is not necessary for us to remind Y.E. that wo and our
forefathers before us hove, over many years, been on tonn3 of friend­
ship with cue British Government and we hove never hesitated m giving
all assistance that 13 m our power to Britain, cooperating with her in
what is of benefit to nor and for the beneiit of tho people of Bahrain.
We depend u..on the protection of Britain according to old
treaties to defend us from attacks from outside and we ore grotoxul to
her for all the help which has uocn afforded In many different directions.
We think that our friendship is valuable to tno British Government
especially at the present time when most of the countries around us
snow on unfriendly attitude to Britain.
In the past it has not appeared to us that it was the
policy of tnc British Government to aim openly at interfering in the
internal affairs of our Stoto and in the administration of our Government
Dut it seems that, during tnc lost two years, this policy has changed.
It appears to the people of our Country that the British, not the Khalifoh,
hove taken over the control of Bahrain. When wo make decisions we are
told not to carry them out and all our people know what 13 taking place.
Y.E. is fully aware that these lost two years have been
a difficult tune m Bahrain. It is during a tune of such difficulty that
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we hope to profit more than at any other tunc from tnc oupport of tne
British Government and from pur traditional friendship.

It Is thereiore with amazement that wo and most of our
people nave seen that recently Britain has taken to giving, as it appears,
its support to tne movement led by a group of persons who are known to
be both irresponsible and mischievous and who are supported by a foreign
power not at present m friendly relations with Britain.
The British Authorities in Bahrain m their endeavour
to placate tne Committee of National Union are willing to sacx'il'ice tno
pooition and the authority of the Rulor m order to appoaeo an
organisation which is m opposition to him.
Is this the thanks which v/e deserve for our friendship
with Britain?
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