"ملف 8/16 تقارير استخباراتية بشأن البحرين" [و‎‎١‎٧‎٧] (٤٣٢/٣٥٣)

SECRET,
Intelligence Summary of the
Political Agent, Bahrain, for
NOol7 of 1942 . the period 1st to 15th September
1942 c
183c Shipping .
See Appendix to this Summary.
184* Movements of Officials ,,
(i) The Hon 1 ble Lieut .-Colonel W.R.Hay, Cd.Eo, Political
Resident in the Persian Gulf, left Bahrain for Bushire in the
LoTc ‘’Nearchus'’ on the morning of September 11th.
(ii) The Political Agent returned from recess in India by
B 0 O 0 A.C. flying-boat on September 12th,
185, Food Supplies ,
(i) Reference para 173 (i) of Intelligence Summary No,16
of 1942, which referred to a scheme for the issue of flour to
bakers instead of individual consumers and to the appointment
of a Food Control Committee,
The Committee were unanimously opposed to the ’bakers’
scheme and on this occasion the Food Controller agreed with
their recommendation. The scheme has accordingly been abandon
ed and flour will continue to be handed out to individual con
sumers, who will make their own arrangements for cooking it.
During the month of Ramadhan every one who requires and can
afford it is to be given 4 lbs, of Canadian wheat in addition
to the existing (but manifestly insufficient) ration of 4 lbs.
of flour, the smallness cf which is mainly due to the non
arrival of the monthly flour quotas ^rom IndiaThe only
milling machine in Bahrain being out of order,^individual con
sumers will make their own arrangements for grinding their
wheat ration on stone hand-mills.
(ii) At the end of July the Bahrain Government were asked
v/hether they could store sugar which was being collected by the
M.E.S.C. for eventual use in Iran and Iraq® they replied that
storage was available in their Customs warehouse for 4,000 tons.
In the last few weeks 7,835 tons of sugar have arrived and
the Bahrain Customs are busily hiring godowns all over the
town in which to accommodate this inconveniently large stock.
Though the Bahrain Government have agreed to levy only^ one
third of the usual storage charges and have, as a further
special concession, reduced Customs duty on the consignment
from 5% to 1%, their revenues should materially benefit from
this arrangement. Popular rumour, to which the Public Relations
Officer has been asked to give the lie, has it that all this
sugar was originally intended for Russia but had to be diverted
here because,if it were sent to its original destination, it
would be likely to fall into enemy hands.
186, Currency ,
Reference para 174 (iii) of Intelligence Summary No.
16 of 1942, which referred to the shortage of small coin in
Bahrain. On September 5th the Eastern Bank received by sea
a consignment of Ps 19,000 in small change, but most of it has
already vanished from circulation. Since August Isn the Bank
has paid out some Ps 25,000 in small change (of v/hich about
Ps 5,000 has gone to the Bahrain Petroleum Company,) and has
only about Ps 5,000 left. The arrival of a further consignment
is hoped for shortly.
187. Military .
On the afternoon of September 5th a military manoe uvre
cn the grand scale was performed by the detachnsnu cx tne 11th
Sikh Regiment stationed at Bahrain. It was watched by a
/ large