'File 8/16 Bahrain Intelligence Summaries' [‎98r] (195/330)

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43. The B ahrain Petrol eu m Co^Tp an? /' LlInit ec , .
Mr. S.h. Bechtel of the Bechtel McCone Parsons Corporation
arr ived from the United States on the 25th in the comparative!^,
short time of 7 days two of which were spent in Cairo. Mr.Bechtel
accompanied by Mr. L, IT. Hamilton Chairman of the Bahrain Petroleum
Company and Mr. Andreson the Chief Bn^ineer of the aforesaid Compary
lefo for Tehran on txhe 30th for consultations with Major General
Connolly of the Persia and Iran Command. Mr. Bechtel appeared to
be satisfied with the progress bein£ made by his Corporation in the
construction of the Refinery extension and was optimistic about the
completion of the work within the specified period.
44. Messr s. Gray Macken z ie & C o.. Ltd.
Mr. J.M. Campbell the Manager of Messrs. Gray Mackenzie £ Co.,
left for Ira^; en route to the United Kinrdom on the 25th. There
is some doubt whether Mr, Campbell will return to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
as his servic-i of more than -30 years in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. area has
seriously impaired his health.
45. The Easter n B ank Limited
Mr. Mi Gunn of the Eastern Bank havinr handed over the manager
-ship to Mr. d.S.b. Brown has, like a yreat many other people, been
waiting with what patience he can for transport to India. Ho ves
sel prepared to carry passengers from Bahrain to India has called
here since 28bh February.
46. Ths Arab ian Am erican Oil Company —(Late California Arabian
S t and ar1 Oil C omp any. )
^nsutrol
It has been learnt that drilling has stopped at the Arabian
A*merican Oil Company^ experimental well at Abra’aIrlTabrit to the
south of the Kuwait—Saudi Arabia^zone. It is 'understood that as
no traces of oil were discovered after a depth of 10,400 feet had
been reached the Company decided to.abandon the experiment and the
camp at Abrak-alvKabrit is reported to have been closed down.
47. Locusts
During the period under review locuste appeared in Bahrain .
Very luckily they did practically no damage and after a stay of two
or three days disappeared in a southerly direction. Appeals were
made to the Anti-Locust Mission but much to the surprise of the
local inhabitants a reply was received to the effect that the Anti-
Locust Mission were unable to deal with adult locusts. It seems
that they can only take effective action against the creatures in
an immature state as eggs or hoppers.
4 8. Exp ar t Permit s fr om India
At the weekly Commercial Advisory Committee meeting at the
Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. on the 27th certain of the 1 members alleged that established
shinpers in Indip were selling the actual export permits to the
higuest bidder. There were also complaints that merchants in India
who prior to the war were the agents for business houses in Bahrain
having now become ’’established shippers” are refusing to do business
wi"h bheir old principals on the same terms. They are insisting on
Bab.ain business men acting as their agents and Bahrain'merchants
are forced to acquiesce or to cease trading in that particular line.
Slave T raffic
It-was reported to 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. that Said al ITaser,
Abdullah bin Ghanim, and Suleiman ITejdi persons who have previously
taken a leading cart in the slave traffic had arrived in Brraini
from Saudi Arabia. In order to refresh the memories of the Trucial
Shaikhs with "’egard to their undertakinr s 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. thought
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