'File 36/2 (1 A/20) Foreign Consular Activities in Bahrain' [‎53v] (106/442)

3.
hiu attifitioa to tiit Exclusive #i la^E.
7* it is impossiblt to prtvini fortiga Consular Officers
from visiting Bftiuraia in their private capaciUea, hut i fell
tijii it would bt pruaeat to consider whether it is possible to
do scything to prevent these occasional private visits of a
Consul from a neighbouring post developing into regular visits,
acquiring an official or semi-official oharactwr and perhaps
serving as a precedent for Consuls or Agents of other countries*
i confess, however, that 1 see no line of motion that can be
ialen locally except to watch carefully for any definitive
infringement of our frt&ty position*
A possible course would be to bring the terms of our
Treaty iaf orsia iXj f^rbullj to the notice of any Consul,
who night cm® to Bahrain, $o that he would have no excuse for
infringing our position; but on the wheue I feci that it would
he preferable to wait until something is done to justify our
drawing attention to the Treaty*
d* 1 would, however, be glad of instructions
the reply to be given to enquiries by foreign Consular (or
liplomaiic) Officers about trade in .Bahrain* Our position is
not an easy one in the matter of commercial enquiries* On the
one nand, it is unneoir&ble to uo scything to help the trade of
foreign nations; one the other hand, the holer of Bahrain has
entrusted his foreign affairs to us and in our fiduciary
capacity it is incumbent upon ms ic do the beat that em be done
lor Bali rain
noluuo
encouraging iht
trad* of fsrai.pi caapaai**;; &ad it i* also passible taat unless
«-s akov a reasonable disposition to nelp foreign enquirers, our
failure to do so asj provide tbose vno eisk to sttask our
special position with t% useful weapon.
If is
vigils Bahrain, irom
W prevent a foreign Consul, who
enquiries about trade, or from