‘File 28/7 II War: Propaganda – Local Opinion’ [48r] (95/686)
The record is made up of 1 file (341 folios). It was created in 12 Mar 1942-12 Aug 1944. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
' I
2.
Thl* 1» not to «U 4 e*t t OuXf Arabo • act
afroctod by propaganda# llioy aro# ut propaganda
approaciiea of an Idaallatlc klnd f con/ nlal to our alapa
of . ind f are not so affective hare at* no e realistic
approaches# Individualism Is txietiiw strongly marked
eiaracte istle# Hanes the essmntlon of *a coraon
ideallss: 1 , or oi l an ascertainable basis of sell-Interest
eanaen to our Arab supporters everywhere 1 * finds stall
suiv /-ort* I fear* In backward ar?ae such ae oura* and
eearcely forwards the nope at tide t^ccant of a ca or*
iort^sla for capltallsin their s^ .patiles#
U Vhe
passl'm'tees of pro->rlti*h sympathisers Is directly
related with the indeelelve ptiaae ef the nWPe dellie
collaboration will be sthsulated by Allied vie tor lee#
X carrot think of any salf-lntereet cor; on to all the
Areb countries which we are not already exploitin| •
(eee 9#)
v lille we frequently eapoee the reel designs of the
Canaan* and their coneequ^cee for the Arabs* the local
Arabs ha' e not shown aiiy particular Interest In Gert^an
political phllosopi*y* or Indeed In ours# The best
tjedluai for foe us sin, attrition Is by talks with
th«a#
Broadcastlns is definitely a izomt vital orean of propa-
^anda In the towns; Indeed* In tils ares* It la the only
one open to the eneciy# rare In Bahrain a rest aany
9 1 sale 9 listen laore re t ulaily aixi attentively to
broa caste than the average European# Their favourite
Arabic station* are London* erlln* Ankara* Cairo and
Bahrain# They balance
with that from Lotwlon* but
lOOSb credible because It Is believed to be l&perilal#
At liw sasss tlas there is e isnexel consensus of opinion
t At the h#8«C« tive as c ood Arable bi'oedc* at pro t jvux*es
as any in the world# London# they say* imm two em.ouncere
without peer (SAfttR - AABAOd]| London*a nonpolltleal
talks are held to be of the first oi erj London 9 # prestige
stands hl#jb in
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
e«t hast ion (educated)
(a) They 0£ listen# The cafes never switch off
so lone a* London* cdlro or Bahrein is cm the air# In
the two principal iscrket squares of Setaraln bro* caste
in Arable Iron London (oornlng end evening) end from
are bellowed fron loud speakers# A
broadcasts is lot el news which always
acts as a draw#
Bahrain (evenlnr)
feature In local
(b) may believe in the reliability, end truth-
of our f new; 9 bulls tine# Oww 9 talks
on the
ow*er i#aad they se^asd ae tendentious#
(e) kot w/ioliy# iaperlence shows that It is
profitable to rub in Axis untruthful nsec # rat assertions
ed end
Iwared a
Inr # The
cc
rblnees oi
^■ras aa#|
lade treacle st
Of Axis
convlzic I
beautifully illustrated In im.trein lest year follow
an abortive Italian air raid here# ant hie Lee c
ivARX ^ooee lor all time# The Italian account of the
dassege to the 1 cal oil field was e travesty of the truth*
- the bombs fell wide*while the ships alleged to have been
the
About this item
- Content
The file, a direct chronological continuation of ‘File 28/7 I War: Propaganda: local opinion’ (IOR/R/15/2/687), comprises reports and correspondence concerning: the dissemination of pro-British and Allied propaganda in Bahrain and the wider Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. region, as prepared and coordinated by the Publicity Office in Bahrain; the reception and impact of propaganda (Allied and Axis) on local public opinion in Bahrain. The propaganda covers events from Germany’s advances in Russia and Japan’s advances in the Indian Ocean in early 1942, to the Allied Landings in Normandy in June 1944. The principal correspondents in the file are: the Public Relations Officer in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (Bertram Sidney Thomas); the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Bahrain (Major Reginald George Evelin William Alban; Edward Birkbeck Wakefield; Major Tom Hickinbotham); and the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Geoffrey Prior).
The file includes:
- weekly reports, prepared by Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. staff, summarising local opinion in Bahrain towards news of events in the war. These reports were sent by the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. in digested form and on a weekly basis to the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. ;
- throughout the file, minutes of the approximately monthly meetings held by the Bahrain Radio Listeners Committee between July 1942 and August 1943. The minutes chiefly comprise comments on the content, quality of reception, quality of delivery, and timing, of BBC Arabic radio broadcasts, and to a lesser extent that of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. radio station;
- throughout the file, summaries of ‘talking points’ for dissemination as propaganda, focusing on topics including: Russia’s military strength against Germany (ff 42-43); facts and figures of the air war in the Mediterranean (ff 135-136); facts and figures on the Allied bombing campaign over Germany, with a focus on damage in Berlin and Essen (f 173);
- a report by Thomas of his tour of Middle East publicity centres (in Cairo, Jerusalem, Baghdad), dated 28 February 1943, commenting on: printing resources at Cairo; mechanical monitoring of radio broadcasts in Baghdad; use of cinema vans in remote districts of Iraq; Thomas’s own recommendations for publicity in the Gulf, including use of additional film projectors, hospitality sessions; majlis sessions (ff 11-16);
- a copy of an undated letter from L H Hurst of the Ministry of Information in London, to Thomas, requesting advice on ‘the best ways of capitalising the sympathies of pro-British Arabs.’ Thomas’s lengthy reply is appended to the letter (ff 47-51, with an additional copy at ff 59-64);
- correspondence relating to Thomas’s planned trip across the Arabian Peninsula, in March 1943 (ff 141-156);
- correspondence relating to Thomas’s departure to take up a role as head of an Arab Centre for training new officers (f 227);
- arrangements to send coloured film and records for broadcast in Sharjah (f 202);
- Government of Bahrain public notices: a prohibition on listening to German and Italian radio broadcasts, dated 16 June 1940 (f 5); a prohibition on listening to Japanese radio broadcasts, dated 8 December 1941 (f 6); dimming of car headlamps and other air raid precautions, dated 16 April 1942 (f 22).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (341 folios)
- Arrangement
The file’s contents are arranged in approximate chronological order, from the earliest item at the front to the latest at the end. The file notes at the end of the file (ff 315-342) mirror the chronological arrangement.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 343; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-314; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence. An additional mixed foliation/pagination sequence is also present in parallel between ff 315-342.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/2/688
- Title
- ‘File 28/7 II War: Propaganda – Local Opinion’
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:4v, 7r:21v, 23r:342v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence