"ملف ٢١/٣ المسؤول السياسي في قطر والشؤون السياسية بها" [و‎‎٦] (٩٤/١١)

political agency,
. BAHRAIN,
S.0.No.C/R-P6. Dated POth January, 1949.
Dear Sir Rupert, r v ,‘ : ^
Please refer to the correspondence ending
with your semi-official letter No.B/197, dated the
26th June, 1948.
2. When I was in Qatar before Christmas I asked
the Shaikh if he would let ire have a house to stay
in during visits and he said he would have to think
about it. I again brought uo the sutject during our
recent visit. The old man was very frank and said
that he welcomed the move as evidence of "Government's"
coming near to him but, he added,.that if the Political
Agent was going to stay 4 or 6 days or a week at a time
4
in Dohah (which was my idea) every slave in the place
would be at his door clamouring to leave his master;
and this would he very difficult for the Shaikh's
people. He suggested, but not very hopefully, that
perhaps we could give a guarantee not to interfere
for a definite period. I said that I was sure that
His Majesty's Government could not give up the principle
it held in respect of slavery nor did I think that His
Majesty's Government wished to bring about, of a sudden,
grave social disturbance. At the same time present
developments made it essential for us to devote more
attention to Qatar and it would be to the Shaikh’s
advantage to have his needs and conditions in his State
better known to His Majesty's Government etc. Shaikh
Abdullah
His Excellency Sir Rupert Hay, KCIE, CSI,
Political Resident, Persian Gulf,
BAHRAIN.