Page 814 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

Mrs Russell & Mrs Steele run here, and Mrs Steele suddenly, in the middle of dinner, began to cry & went on
sobbing for a long time - so silly & so awkward. Two RAF men were there, as usual one of the flying boats has
broken down and is here being repaired. They are always having engine difficulties now-a-days. One of the
RAF men, Chick, is very nice but the other is an odious youth. Flew our flags at half mast in mourning for King
Faisal, met Mohammed & Abdulla on the way from the Fort, they seemed genuinely disturbed at Faisal's
death. Chick talked to me yesterday about the Basidu incident. We have come out very badly on it I think. A
Persian gunboat went to Basidu where there is a little sort of British naval station and a flag staff with the
British flag flying. They landed, pulled down the Union Jack, stamped on it & tore it to pieces, then sailed
away. It was a deliberate insult to England. The Navy were furious, naturally, and the Admiralty were all for
strong reprisals but as usual the Foreign Office took up a mild attitude and all that happened was a polite
"note" to Persia and one of our sloops went down and ran the flag up again on the mast. Chick had seen all
the telegrams and some of them are amazing, one, from Mallett, the first secretary Teheran Legation, said
that he had met the Persian Foreign Minister at a tea party in somebody's garden and when he remonstrated
with him - at a tea party! - the F. M said "Basidu - where is it, I have never heard of it!" Therefore Mallett
reported he could not have known about the incident and it must have been done by the Captain of the
Persian sloop without authority! all of which is absurd. The matter has damaged our reputation a great deal
in the Gulf as the Arabs here think nothing of diplomatic notes, replies & apologies. We should have done as
the Admiralty suggested, insisted on a Persian sloop, under British naval escort, going down and hoisting the
flag again - but in these days the British Government is a lamb not a lion in the Gulf at all events!

10th Sunday [September]

Court. The new court house is much cooler & more comfortable but for the first few sittings both I & Shaikh
Sulman felt rather sick - then I realised it was the strong smell of paint. Motored out in the afternoon, with
M, to look for sites for a new golf course. Went to various places, about four cars full of people, & eventually
settled on a site on Budeya road. Russell was the only one against it. We went round to Mespers later &
then dined with Major Holmes, quite a big party. We played Bridge & the others played silly romping games
and made a lot of noise. On these occasions Gastrell behaves like a small & noisy silly child.

Monday 11th [September]

Fort. Abdulla & Mohammed came to see me and tried to persuade me to sign some papers about the
Khalifah property question, refused to as I said the matter was under discussion. Mohammed was cross.
They went off meaning to pursue the Shaikh and persuade him to sign which doubtless he will do. M was
very tiresome as usual always asking for things from the Shaikh, I rounded on him by saying how much
d
money the Shaikh owed & Moh then eased off. He said at first that all he had, money or gardens, were the
Shaikhs - the usual way of speaking & means nothing - so I took it up & implied that instead of asking for
presents he might help his brother the Shaikh to pay off his debts. Motored along the Rafaa road. Hussein
Yatim gave a party at his garden, the "Bright young things" went out & had mixed bathing, we were glad to
have a good excuse for refusing as we had Major Holmes and Mohommed Ali Zainal to dinner, he is the big
pearl merchant who goes to England every year & who we stayed with once at the Savoy. Mohammed Ali
talked most interestingly, he knows well, personally, most of the oriental crowned heads and discussed the
late King Faisal, his brother, Ibn Saoud, and the new Afhghan King Nadir Shah. He talked about Education &
modern manners among eastern people, all most interesting. Holmes, in the morning, showed me draft of a
letter about himself & about the things Govt disapproved of his having done.