'File No: E.7. Qatar & Anglo-Turkish Convention of 1913' [‎56r] (128/460)

I do not think that any agroonont might mako with
Abdullah oould be kept secret,aa Yucuf Kanoo 3Ugge;3to;
or#if it could be,that a secret agreement would help him.
If Government is prepared to settle the cuestlon
outright I think the beat plan would be to tell Bin Saud
perfectly plainly that he must keep hie hands off ^atr.
Then for me to visit atr and,after consulting Shaikh
Abdullah, call all hie ralaticns together, Ml tell them
plainly that Torkey/renounced all clHi^n to <Htr,and con-
senent3.y,Bin «aud,as a Turkish official,has been warned
ofi ^ <i.a.vi6e them to remain at peace among themselves and
prevent the coaet villages from harbouring bad characters
oJt
especially during the distress that would encue this
winter#
From the attitude of Shaikh Abdullah and hie relatione,
then and in the irmediate future wo cmld Judge whether
it would be advisable to support him personally,and make
an agreement with him.
/or me to go to -atr in the ,, Lawrence w merely to
form an opinion on Abdullah^s capacity and the chances of
the success of his rule would I think be a mistake.
The minor Shaikhs would certainly think I had come to
make an agreement♦ If they think I have failed,it will
give confidence to the Bin Saud faction. If they think I
have succeeded they will raise the cry that Abdullah has
sold his country to us t tliis probably means his flight
or assaesination.
Yesterday I received a parcel from Shakespeare con
taining a present for Bin Laud* I would suggest that
pending Government's decision I should send it to him
with a private letter congratulating him on his new
Turkish honour, laying strees on its making him a Turkish
official, congratulating him on the imppcrvement in Uatif,
expressing my confidence in hie maintaining Justice and
peace in the Turkish province with which Bahrein has