'File 19/165 III (C 24) Bahrain Reforms' [‎36r] (80/426)

. jsirr 1 mwHt TmwT J ft O
if/c, yop.
yj* I . >1+,
> — OONFlDtBllA.
Bahrain.i'Qraian ^ulf.
. 18/2/24.
Colonel,
iift«r receipt of your letter *z D.O. regarding the appoint^aenl
of Colonel ^rideaux as your successor. I was on the ooint of going over to
::see Shsils: iiasa,whcn I heard that he had been rather seedy with somr sores
on his leg cc a cough. I thought thit he would probably excuse himself, or
possibly be somewhat rude,^. that I h^d better at first seund Hamad.
accordingly one dc rj y sent for Hansid & Abdulla, to make the occasion seem
important .When they arrived expecting some matter of importance,! said
that I wished to talk to them privately on a matter which caused me great
lenxiety. I then said that I had,in the past, given their aged father auch
friendly advice ,which had he only ftllowed in a small measure,might have
enabled us to shield him from the position which has come about through
his failure tox put his house in order. I then went on to say that I had
heard privately thet Colonel .frideaux was shortly to succeed you as
xtesident A that Government had got the impression that reennt disorders &
opposition to ohaik aamad,w&s,if not actually instigated by Shaiks iSasa &
iibdulla,at least connived at by them.I felt that Colonel j^rideaux's
appointment was by no means a coincidence,but obviously ^er the express
*
object of upholding the new regime & pressing through the reforms,as he
ha3 intimate knowloago 01 Bahrain affairs ^ hi*nself,on rruny occasions
when he waa had fdnd fault with ihaik Easa/inablity to rule. I adocd
/
that I felt a personrl responsibility^ cb would like to shi^l tn. ir
^ fi thnr 1 ^L.rther di 'ficultiof ii. hib ol 1 & would not liJCc to
fflel thsit he had got himself into trouble & th* t I hi C\ not Gone bost
to Advise hiu.T f okod v, v t" or thoy M" not think,Dut of ki^dnas^ to th-3
old nan,I on. -'it to visit hi:. >ur:jly In "-.-iendly ^ si v - ^'arn hi.i.
Hasaafl said that tin 0id : u had baenrrtcentl^ so peevish & rad« tt hin
that he feared he might take it badly & be ru^e,which would preduce an_
Oi^siikafetAnn. -abdulla seemed scared & said he agreed & suggested that
he sheuld first see his Mether & tell her what he had heard r & try te
get her te help him te influence his father. Accordingly this plan was
agreed upen ,as 1 thought it unwise te lay myself epen te pessi
t
insult in seme ferm,which it might be difficult for us te overlook.