"ملف 8/16 ملخصات استخباراتية بشأن البحرين" [و‎‎٨‎٣] (٣٣٠/١٦٥)

2
250* ’Id-ul-flhuhcu
The ’Id uas celebrated on the 7th and 8th and the
Political Agent Accompanied by the Assistant Political Agent
and the Under Secretary to the Hon’ble the Political Resident
in the Persian Gulf paid the usual calls on the leading mer
chants in the morning and on His Highness on the afternoon of
the 7th*
251. Merchants Advisory Committee
t
On the 11th v;as held the first meeting of a small com
mittee comprising^repr esentfitives of all interests of the
mercantile community. The Political Agent has asked these
gentlemen to meet him once a week with a view to mutual dis
cussion of trading and shipping problems# The Bahrain Govern
ment is represented at these meetings by the Director of
Customs#
\ i
252. Basrah Dates
Reference paragraph 241 of Intelligence Summary No.22
of 1943.
The dates position has not improved# The Bahrain
Government f s agent in Basrah has reported that the price of
dates is rising in oho Basrah area and that even Messrs.
Andrew Weir & Company are encountering difficulty in making
purchases. It must be emphasised that Messrs. Andrew Weir
& Company are making these purchases on their own account,
according to information available here, and not to supply
the Persian Gulf quota.
Information received fr^m various S'-urces make a the
outlook unsatisfactory for it is stated that at the end of
this month the ban on the export of dates by rail from Khor-
ramshahr will.be raised and that the present average monthly
freight of 500 tons wqll bo increased to two to three thousand
tons a month. This will naturally cause an immediate rise in
the price of dates in Persia with a corresponding rise in the
price of the Basrah dates.
253. Food Supplies
Reference paragraph 242 of Intelligence Summary No.22
of 1943.
The cereal stocks in Bahrain for practical purposes
ceased to exist on the 1st of December and up to the 15th
of this month there was no indication when further supplies
would arrive. Most fortunately there were in Bahrain some
1,250 tons of wheat destined for Bastern Saudi Arabia which
has been retained and is being issued to the? Bahrain Govern
ment* If this wheat had net been present in the Island
there is nu doubt that the population of 95,000 persons would
h'VG had to live on a diet of dates and fish. Severe criti
cism is heard daily with regard to those responsible for
providing Bahrain with cereals. This criticism comes from
nil classes of society.
254. T he Trucial Coast.
The Political Agent r.rriVed at Sharjah on the 13th r,n&
after discussion with Wing Couimander Rothram, Commanding the
Royal Air Force, called on Shaikh Sultan bin Saqor al Qasimi
the Shaikh of Sharjah. On'the 14th the Political Agent
visited Dubai and called on Shaikh Said bin Maktoom, 0.o.,j.,
and later attended a mooting of the leading merchants of Dubai.
/The