Page 19 - Records of Bahrain (4) (i)_Neat

Appointment of Shaikh Hamad b/Isa A l Khalifah, 1923 9
2
in the fact that a man who has reached the ripe age of sev­
enty five years has not been found capable of responding to
this demand. For some years, Shaikh 'Isa's easy tolerant
rule - some may perhaps call it misrule : I personally prefer
to call it lack of rule - has led to the growth of a number of
petty tyrannies and independencies which were fast crystallis­
ing into vested interests and seriously weakening the Admin-
istration, Rights were being lost which it would be hard

to recover and the British Government, looking to the gen­
eral good, have in their wisdom decided that it is time that
new blood was introduced and the Administration strengthened.
Shaikh 'Isa is still titular Shaikh of these Islands and
Shaikh Hamad is only his Agent, although the fully empowered
Agent, for his father, and he has assumed a very difficult

and thankless task.
Gentlemen, you know Shaikh Hamad far better than I.
a foreigner, can know him. You know he is a modest, unassum
-ing man, but I should like to tell you that throughout the
negotiations that have preceded this decision Shaikh Hamad

has valiantly fought for his father's retention and it was no
greed for power that led him to assume the Administration.
It is rather a regard for his father's good name, for the
benefit of the Al-Khalifa and for the welfare of the Sunni
community that has induced him,despite some diffidence, to
take upon his shoulders the weight and burden of the Admin­
istration. He relies greatly on the promise of unstinted

and loyal assistance from his brother Shaikh Abdullah, and I
am here, as the mouthpiece of my Government, to promise the
help of that Government to Shaikh Hamad in all paths of law­
ful endeavour both against external aggression and internal
sedition.
It is quite possible that many of you present here

today, especially Sunnis, may view with regret the disappear­
ance of a Sunni ruler who has ruled over you for so many
years. It is a very natural feeling and I venture to ex­
press the very earnest hope, almost the belief, that our

proceedings