'File 8/16 Bahrain Intelligence Summaries' [‎34r] (67/330)

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102* Bconopic Ccadit|>ons
The SecretajTy of the Muharraq Municipality has reported
that in the four months January to April over Fs 1000/- has been
spent by tha Municipality in providing winding sheets for pauper
burials. This ie approximately three times the normal expenditure
The increase is believed by the Municipality to be due to "more
paupers, mere deaths and dearer winding sheets".
103. Bahrain Cen s us and Food Rationing
It las been mentioned in previous Intelligence Summaries
how useful the census taken in January 1941 has proved as a basis
for the organization of a system of food rationing throughout the
island. Comparison of census figures with ration card registers
shows that the census was remarkably complete and accurate in
regard to the total number of the population of Bahrain; but
there is a very great discrepancy in the division of the popula
tion into adults and infants. In 1941 a disproportionately
large section of the population was entered as infants; in the
ration card registers of 1943 a disproportionately large section
has been entered as adults. The explanation is simple. In 1941
it was generally believed that the census was being undertaken
as a preliminary to compulsory recruitment for military service,
and a great many adults were deliberately and dishonestly report
ed to be infants. In 1943, since children under 12 years of age
are only entitled to half the authorised food ration, exactly
the reverse has happened, and many children under 12 years of
age have been registered as adults.
104• Bahrain Po lice »
On the night of May 5th eight members of the police force
stationed at the Manama Fort refused to go on duty as a protest
against the Bahrain Government 1 s decision not to grant them a
"war allowance" such as has been given to other local Government
employees to enable them to meet the increased cost^ of living.
On the morning of May 6th another 40 or 45 men at the Fort
handed in their uniforms and resigned from the Police service*
The places of those who had resigned were at once filled by
transfers of personnel from the locally recruited H.A.F*Levies,
whose strength is in excess of current requirements. Thereafter
no further trouble was experienced.
The Bahrain Police are well paid and exceptionally well
fed, and the unfortunate incident was caused by a stupid mis
take on tha part of the Adviser's Secretary. The rates of the
war allowance granted to Bahrain Government employees who are
not in receipt of free rations have recently been revised, and
the police clerk at the Fort inquired from the Adviser's Sec
retary whether police personnel would be entitled to the
allowance at the revised rates. The Adviser's Secretary, in a
moment of inexplicable aberration, replied in the affirmative.
The police at the Fort (though not at other stations) were
therefore led to expect an increase in psy, nnd when, on pay
day, this increase did not materialise, the reaction caused
by their disappointment was extreme»
Mr. Belgrave, Adviser to the Shaikh of Bahrain, who is
Commandant of the State Police Force, and has built it up and
nurtured it with loving care, was deeply distressed at the
attitude adopted by so many of his men. He discovered (to
quote a character from Thackeray) "How sharper than a thankless
tooth It is to have a serpent child'.
105. Tunisian V i ctorv
!
Th' success of Allied arms in North Africa has made a
tremendou impression on the Shaikhs and people of Bahrain.