المجموعة ٧٠/٣٠ "البحرين: تعديل عقود النقيب بارك، قائد الشرطة، والسيد بلجريف، مستشار شيخ البحرين: إجازة السيد بلجريف، إلخ." [و‎‎٥] (٣٧٩/٩)

FOKEIGN OFFICE, A
(E 2901/327/91)
coii?ireuTiAL
13 th March, 1948
Dear Hay
We have been reading with some interest
and concern some of the correspondence between you and
the Commonwealth Relations Office about British
advisers in the Gulf, In view of our imninent
assumption of responsibility I siould perhaps let you
know at once that we at the Foreign Office agree warmly
with the views expressed in paragraph 4 of Gibson’s
letter of the 3rd March, that His Majesty’s Government
with their special position in the Persian Gulf cannot
remain indifferent to the standard of administration
in the Sheikhdoms, for the shortcomings of whose
governments His Majesty’s Government, whatever the
legal position may be, will be held responsible, x
that the Sheikhs of Koweit and Bahrein, which are
relatively the two more important of the Sheikhdoms, do
not seem to have realised that the increasing strategic
and economic importance of their States demands an
improvement in their present standard of administration,
and the delegation to competent Advisers of sufficient
executive authority to carry out a programme of
administrative and social reform and economic development
if they are to avoid political agitation and economic
unrest in the future.
however, like to have a comprehensive appreciation from
you on the question of British advisers at Koweit and
Bahrein and also at Muscat. We should like to know
what advisers you would think it desirable to have in
these three states - e.g. financial adviser in Koweit,
assistant and possible successor to Belgrave in Bahrein,
adviser on Foreign Affairs in Muscat, possible British
police officers in Koweit and Bahrein, and any others you
would wish to suggest - and also your views on the chances
of securing the agreement of the various rulers to such
appointments.
British Middle j^ast Offices, and would be grateful for any
comments he may care to make.
It is therefore somewhat disquieting to fincT
Before taking the matter any further we should,
I am copying this letter to Troutbeck at the
5
(B.ii.. B. Burrows)
Sir Rupert Hay, K.C. I.E*, 0.3.1.
Bahrein.