'F 83 File 82/27-II QATAR OIL' [‎182r] (379/630)

yj 9 !vi
mis oonnection see my despatch C-17, dated the 18th
January).
His jUxcellency then went on to say that this •
unsatisfactory situation was entirely due to our failure
to .instil a ^ feelin^ of confidence ** into the mind of the
Shaikh of v ^atar. The latter clearly (and the sams, said
the Shaikh, applied to every other Shaikh on the xxrab
Coast) felt today that we (Hick Majesty* 5 Government) were
a ^broken reed** and not to he relied on* talked a great
deal about the importance of treaties where they affected
her own interests, but apparently were not out to remember
our obligations to our friends who were in treaty relations
with us, Mien strcmg persons like Bin Saud, who we wanted
to keep in v/ith, exerted pressure on them* The latter had
only to bully and threaten, and his victims despairing of
getting any but verbal backing from us, whom they looked to
for active support, naturally took the line of least re-
si stence, and secretly agreed with Bin Saud to do all he
asked of theyx. This, of course, entirely suited the King , s
policy. He did not coioe out into the open and so had no
occasion to cross swords with His Majesty's Grovernment.
I next enquired from His Excellency how he would
deal with ftatar sk situation if he himself had the managing
of ity His reply rwas quick and to the point: "I
should immediately warn Bin Saud that Q,atar was entirely
independent of Saudi Arabia and under my protection only;
that I considered the boundaiy to be so and so, between the
two States, and that being the case, he. Bin Saud, should
be careful to see that none of his Bedouin tribes committed
any acts of aggression against ^atar territory". Bin Saud,
said the Shaikh, would perfectly well understand the threat
behind such letter* • n At the same time Tt , added His ICxcellen-
cy, "I would send a copy of my letter to the Shaikh of
Q.atar