'File 7/4 Aviation and Air Force Matters' [‎193r] (396/506)

and Page 2.
that it would be ' alchyar '(best) if the Shaikh*s agreement
was obtained, I said that you were busy and that it was
very unlikely that you could spare the time, and I said that
I could not go without your orders, and that in any case I
had been there on the same errand over a year ago, without
the Shaikh agreeing to the proposal.
4# He then urged that I should give him a letter
for the Shaikh, which I did simply saying that the work was
what had been explained to him and was being done with your
orders, and that it was not possible to discontinue it. As
the only writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. available seemed to be less proficient than
rzgxMtt. me, I was obliged to write it myself. The represen
tative asked with ome nervousness what buildings it was pro
posed to erect, and appeared relieved when I told him that
I knew of none other save the tank. Ke said that the Shaikh
was very afraid that it might be damaged by Bed%in and I
reassured him on this point,telling him that it would
be almost entirely under the ground and incapable of damage
without explosives. I think that if my suggestion of show
ing the Shaikh a photograph of one in situ in Iraq, much of
his apprehension would have been allayed at the start.
5. The messenger had come in a small jollyboat an^
only seemed to have 3-4 unarmed men with him. Since he took 1
five days in a jolly boat to come and since it would presuma
bly take nearly twice as much to go to Abu Dhabi and back
again I consider that the work will be practically complete
before the Shaikh can do anything further, and though the
date given for final completion is January the 8th, the
last
fxsxi few days will be taken up la allowing the concrete
to set. I neither heard nor saw any signs of any other
persons likely to interfere with the work, and as this cor
ner of Arabia is almost empty, I think any further difii-
culty unlikely. It should be noted however, that the
have exhausted their petrol at Bahrain and cannot send a ma-
4^, MX ^ 7
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