"ملف 10/1 الامتياز النفطي بالبحرين" [و‎‎١‎٥‎٣] (٤٧٦/٣١٨)

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be succeeded by Wr. skinner, the present Field ilanager. -
I coulci not) bay how tiiati would bo viewed, li iu were put
up oiiicially, but thought it not improbable that as a
comprouiise it might meet the case. Mr, Baliantyne
oojecoed that kx» Skinner was an junerican. I said that
I recognised tnat that was, of course, the case, and that
while there was no specific term in the conditions of
assignment requiring the Chief Local Representative to be
a British subject we, as ne knew, had always attached great
importance to the post being held by a British subject.
Mr. Ballantyne agreed, if, therefore, Mr. Skinner's name
were put forward and were to be accepted by K,M,G. in
buostitution lor Major Holmes, it would probably be with
a specific proviso that we considered that the post should
ordinarily be filled by a British subject. We should
certainly see strong objection to any suggestion to put In
ah American of whom we knew nothing. But Mr, skinner,
iiiough an American subject, had, we understood, got on very
well with the local officials and population and was,
therefore, known to us ana might be not unacceptable,
ivir, Ballantyne took note of this ana, without making any
definite statement, gave the Impression that the suggestion
was one which might form the basis of a compromise. He
mentioned that Mr. Skinner was, of course, a technical
sxpert and not a statesman. Moreover he had the
disadvantage that he was incapable of telling a lie. I
... ♦
saia that that might not be such a disadvantage from our
Point of view.
8/