'File 8/16 Bahrain Intelligence Summaries' [‎137r] (273/330)

SECRET
Intelligence Summary of the
Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , Bahrain, for
the period 17th to 50th Sep-
No.18 of 1944 tember 1944.
158. Shipping
Pour British and one Panamanian ships called at Bahrain
during the period under report and landed a cargo of 212 tons.
The exports consisted of 81 tons general cargo and 8,900 tons
petroleum products.
159. Visitors
(i) Major Pox, G.S.O.II, Air Headquarters, Paiforce, arrived
on the 17th and left on the 19th. He was accompanied by the
G.S.O.II., Basrah Brigade area, and the purpose of his visit
was to discuss the provision of provost personnel.
(ii) On the 24th Sir Theodore Gregory, Economic Adviser to the
Government of India, Sir Gurunath Bewoor, a Member of His Excel
lency the Viceroy’s Executive Council, and'Sir Frederick Tymns,
Director-General of Civil' Aviation, arrived by air and le ft on
the morning of the 25th for India.
(iii) On the 28th His Highness the Nawab An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India. of Bhahawalpur passed
through Bahrain on his way to Italy,
(iv) On the 30th Air Commodore Whitney Straight, C.B.E., M.C.,
D.P.C., accompanied by Group Captain Carey, arrived by air from
Cairo and discussed various taatters concerning the Maharraq
landing ground with particular reference to the hardness of the
surface and means of rendering it suitable for taking the
heaviest type of aircraft.
160. American Vice-Consul. Dhahran .
On the 26th 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. paid an informal call on
His Highness the Shaikh and introduced the American Vice-Consul
from Dhghran.
161. ’Id-ul-Fitr
On the 17th it was learnt that .the temporal and spiritual
authorities in Bahrain were in dispute over the actual day on
which the ’Id should be celebrated. The Qadis maintained that
the moon must be seen by the requisite number of v/itnesses while
His Highness the Shaikh declared that the ’Id should take place
on the 18th as both their Majesties of Saudi Arabia and Egypt had
decided to hold the ’Id on that date. The state of suspense
became more acute as sunset came and the moon failed to appear.
The Qadis were distinctly pleased whereas the Shaikh with a tele
gram from Ibn Saud In his pocket signifying that the ’Id uld be
on the 18th was seriously annoyed. About 11 p.m. the crew of a
small dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. arrived and swore roundly' that they had seen the moon
when they were some five miles from the coast off Bahrain. So
the ’Id was held on the 18th by consent of the Qadis and by order
of the Shaikh.
On the 18th and 19th 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. paid the usual
’Id calls on His Highness, members of the Ruling family, and
leading merchamte*.
162. American Seamen
On the 21st a meeting took place between a representative
of the War Shipping Administration, Commander Hight of the U.S.
Navy, Mr. Meikle the Manager of Messrs. Gray Mackenzie & Co.,
end 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. ,, with a view to reaching a satisfactory
/settlement
• *