'File 3/21 Political Officer, Qatar and Political Affairs, Qatar' [‎32r] (63/94)

He has already once been to Mecca but that is no reason
why he should not go again. As the appropriate season
has now started he should be induced to perform the
pilgrimage by stages, i.e., he should go overland and
not by air. That means he should absent himself from
Qatar at the present moment and allow Ali to establish
himself securely,
10. The first essential is the assuring of local
security. Shaikh Abdullah seems to have a number of
guards and it is desirable that it should be reduced
to a negligible number. If he leaves the country
tills can be done early. What must be done Is to es
tablish a trained disciplinary police force under the
orders of Shaikh Ali. This is a matter which is
more proper for the adviser to arrange. But as he
is not likely to arrive for another two months the
P.K. considers that you should take steps for this
for your personal security and for the withdrawal of
the Naval landing party. Shaikh Ali has asked us
*
to provide him with ammunition and we are going ke Into
the question. Under the Treaty the Shaikh is entitled
to 500 rifles and you may well go into this matter at
a very early date and get the rifles which are obviously
with Shaikh Abdullah’s men. If they do not total 500
we might well supply the balance immediately. This ques
tion you should go into immediately after your arrival.
It is understood that Jalawi, the Amir of Hassa,
has recently given the Darwish family a motor car.
Tankers are expected to start loading oil at the
end of the year.