"ملف 19/243 IV الزبارة" [و‎‎٢‎١] (٣٢٢/٤١)

THE AGENCY
BAHRAIN
D.o. No.c/165.
4
The 8th of February, 1947,
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Will you please refer to the correspondence
ending with my demi-official letter No.c/14, dated
the 5th of January, 1947? v.. ^
2. A further point which is now confirmed is that
the Shaikh of Bahrain himself is not acting upon the
terms of the Agreement of 1944. Recently he has for
bidden the export of lorries (3 in number I think) to
Qatar. This is in contravention of the Agreement since
Qatar should be entitled to the benefits of R.E.
3. I tackled the Shaikh on the subject and he
replied that any article for P.C.L. itself would be
subjected to no restrictions, but that for Qatar sub
jects he proposed to maintain an embargo pending a
settlement of the Zubarah dispute. He said that he
regarded the prevention of the export of lorries with
particular importance because it was by means of lorries
that »his people' were attacked at Zubarah. This is
rather childish, but his whole attitude is impossible
over the present dispute.
,4. Actually the situation in Zubarah itself has
slightly improved for I understand that the Shaikh of
Qatar has sent an official with a representative of the
Shaikh of Bahrain and has publicly told villagers and
nomads in the Zubarah area that they will be left in
peace and that they may import food from Bahrain free
from payment of dues. The Shaikh of Bahrain has not
admitted this to me because, and I presume that he
prefers to maintain his attitude that all that he does
is right, and all that Abdullah does is wicked.
5. This morning the shaikh attacked me from a new
angle, and pointed out that for old friends like the
A1 Khalifah His Majesty's Government did nothing to assist
in obtaining their rights for them, but for Arabs newly
settled in a territory we did everything. The raising of
the status of the ex-Amir of Trans Jordan to that of King
seemed particularly aggravating and Glubb came in for much
praise as an efficient Adviser. At first I thought that
the Shaikh was striking out towards a revision of his
treaties, but on enquiry I learnt that this was not the
case, and that Zubarah was being pressed once again.
Nevertheless the point is of interest and shows a working
of the Shaikh's mind.
6. As regards re-export of P.C.L. equipment, I am
discussing the point with Lermitte.
UN GULF RESIDEN CY
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The Hon'ble Lt-Col. W.R. Hay,
C.S.I., C.I.E.,
Political Resident in the Persian Gulf,
Bahrain.
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