'File 8/16 Bahrain Intelligence Reports' [‎127r] (253/432)

\
assured by Colonel Hall that, the Levies were being raised for
local service only and that there would be no interference
with the performance of their religious rites, promised their
assistanceo Within a few days of the start of recruitment
over 100 levies had been enlisted <> Progress has not been so
fast as it was at Bahrain and it is not certain yet whether
the full number of men required will come forward 0 Progress
in recruitment would have been much faster had there been a
Political Officer at Sharjah to persuade the Shaikhs into
really active cooperation.
85« Missing Aircraft .
A. Boston airoraf j bound for Shaibah was last heard
of 50 miles North of Bahrain at 7c30 hours GoM.T. on May 31st,
Searches by land, sea and air have been organised, but so far
no trace of the missing machine has been discovered.
86 o Defence.
(i) Major Hills, who has been appointed D.C.R^E. Bahrain,
arrived on May 1.8th. His chief duty will be supervision of
the programme of works designed to protect the Refinery and
Tanks at Awali against air attack.
(ii) On May 30th a detachmen
It is not yet known whether they
at the Muhar-raq aerodrome. At p
Awali.
t of 40 Indian troops arrived,
are to be on duty at Av/ali or
scent they are quartered at
87. Economic
Food Su pplies“
(i) The question of food supplies in Bahrain is causing
increasing anxiety. The flour famine is merely an inconven
ience to the wealthier classes-, who can supplement their diet
with an additional ration of rics° / for the" poorer ^classes,
however, - and especially fev the foreign element in the Bah
rain population, which depends for its basic diet more on flour
than on rice - the shortage of bread constitutes a domestic
disaster of the first ma| nlvudo. A temporary shortage, with
its salutary effects In bringing homo to'ordinary people the
fact that they cannot be immunised from the economic consequen
ces of world war,
n<
without its advantage!
but a chron
ic bread famine, into which the temporary shortage is now
developing, will lead
serious political and
SO(
wiecsprcac. discontent which may have
dal r noercu ssi ons.
Local reserve
of rice are also diminishing rapidly
This is partly due to the increase in rice consumption v/hich
has resulted from the shortage of flour, but is mainly due to
the fact that for over two months the amount of rice imported
from India has been negligible. Local merchants state that,
since the time when the expert from India of rice, flour etc.
was restricted to persons holding export permits, they have
b*een unable to bring to. Bahrain the stocks which they have
purchased in Karachi, Export permits are obtainable - but
only on payment of large bribes to the clerical staff of the
Export Control authorities 5 and Bahrain merchants are unable
to afford bribes on the scale demanded out of the 10 % margin
of profit which local Price Control allows to them, ^The mer
chants have accordingly asked either that export permits may^
be granted 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. , Bahrain, or that the margin
of profit allowed to them may be increased to 20%. The former
suggestion could presumably be entertained on3.y if and when
export quotas for Bahrain have been fixed; the^latter sugges
tion, which involves acceptance of the proposition that the
people of Bahrain should pay more for their rice or flour^
because certain Indian clerks are corrupt, will only be given
consideration if the position deteriorates .-still further.
(ii) C urrency s At Dubai and Charjah Indian
currency
/ are
notes