"الملف 38/3 II شركة امتيازات النفط المحدودة: امتياز قطر" [و‎‎١‎٠‎٧] (٣٣٦/٢١٣)

When this was seen the conversations were broken off and he four men
rushed at the coolies shouting threats and hustling them from the site.
In so doing the Indian Foreman was roughly hustled by a rather
fierce looking guard who had a rifle. I immediately told Mr. Copty to tell
Hassan Sahair that if any violence were done to a foreigner under the
protection of the Company there would be a serious reaction.
This appeared to have an immediate and steadying effect on them. They
all went quiet and rather sheepish. Whatever was said,the guard himself looked
scared and tfcied to edge away. I demanded the name of the guard and this was
withheld.
We then had another discussion and we were requested to undo the work
that had been done and withdraw. To this demand I gave a categoric refusal.
The man called Ameer therefore gave some instruction and a man ran to
each of the four guy ropes to undo them. They started to sever them with
knives but Hassan Sahair stopped them and they then simply loosed the knots.
I then requested my party excluding Qataris to retie the guys and this
was done. Me. McQuaid and Mr. Copty assisting the Indians.
No action was taken by the Waqrahi but immediately the work was finished
and the guys were left unattended they were again untied.
I then decided that there had been resistance to operation and
aggression sufficient to make work impossible and gave instructions to abandon
the work.
Mr. Copty gathered from the many conversations going on that the people
active were not very happy but that their fear of Sheikh Saud was very great.
At about this point the two guards from Umm Said who had been left
there since the previous day approached Mr. Copty and prayed that they be
brought by us to Umm Said as they were very much afraid. To this I agreed.
I called Hassan Sahair and told him that I was leaving some stores on
the site and depended upon the honour of the Sheikh of Waqrah that these
would not be stolen. He and his colleagues seemed much dismayed at this and
implored that we take all. I refused and ordered that the cement (12 cwts.)
be left. They kept on asking and practically pleading that we come and speak
with the Sheikh. My answer was as before.
We were then informed that Sheikh Saud had given instructions that
this evening all the structure would be completely removed. It was also
stated however that the Waqrahi were very honest people and all the materials
would be held in safe custody except the cement.
We waited while the working party loaded up and then proceeded to
Umm Said arriving there at 1330 hrs.
J. HEWITT
Area Civil Engineer
Umm Said
24th July 1949.
cpd/ACM