Page 86 - Records of Bahrain (6)_Neat

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74 Records of Bahrain

They huvo a logltimato griovunce and If tho Bahrain Petroleum
Company'a propoaod offor of incrououd paymonts to tho Ruler
: goos through, c.f. my tologram No.157 of tho 29th May, I hope
to talco tho opportunity of-*trying to porsuade him to hand over
tho markota to tho Municipality. Another cause of discontont
la that tho Ruler has rocontly boon roconatrue ting in an
improved form a largo number of small a ho pa which uro his
personal property in tho town. Thoao shops wore mostly
occupiod by poor Baharlnah who aro unablo to pay tho incroaaod
rents which tho Ruler is charging as a result of tho improvements*

4. Up tp dato, there has boon no concrete expression of this
discontent though thoro have boon rumours of. impending strikes
and it is gonerully stated that tho Baharlnah are only waiting
for Mr Bolgruvo's departure on louvo on tho nth Juno noxt to
stage some kind of demonstration. The Bahrain Petroleum Company
fear a strilco of thoir employees and huvo suggested to mo certain
improvements in tho conditions of their unskilled labouft With
which I propose to doal in a separato despatch. Actually thoso
improvomonts liavo no- direct bearing on tho troublo with tho
Baharlnah in Manamah. About 5a/ of thoir unskilled labour aro
Baharlnah, mostly drawn from tho villages, and if thoao were to
go on strike in sympathy with thoir brethren in Manamah it can
be taken for granted that the Sunnis would not join thorn and
would do thoir best to assist the company in breaking tho strike.
The Bahrani villagers aro generally speaking quiet and woll -
behuvod and aro believed to bo content with tho conditions under
which they are at present serving tho oil company, and Mr Belgrave
considers it moat improbable that they could bo Induced to go on
strike in sympathy with the grievances of thoir brothron ih
Manamah. What Mr Belgrave fears hub t is a strike by the Baharlnah
in tho employ of tho Buhrain Govornmont as they hold many
important positions in the Govornmont officos. Ho considera this
and a strike by the shopkeepers and vendors :in tho town possible
but not probable, but doos not expect any demonstrations
involving violence to take place. Ho emphasises that tho uttitudo
of tho Ruler towurds the Baharlnah has boon most sympathetic and
that ho has always beon careful to look after thoir interests,
but says that tho stubbornnoss of tho Bahrani members of tho
Municipality has now somov/hat oxasporatod him.

5. An nrab friend of mine has remarked to mo that trouble with
the Shiahs in Bahrain usually occurs when there is agitation in
Porsia. It is possible that tho Baharlnah havo beon encouraged by
events in Porsia to adopt thoir proaont attitude, but generally
speaking thoy aro loyul to tho Ruler and do not support tho Torsiah
claim to tho islands, and thoro is no reason to hollovo that tho
proaont agitation has boon directly incitod from Persia. One
young schoolmus ter, hov/ovor, who is tho son of one of tho dissidont
j
Municipality mombors, has openly advocatod an appoal to tho
Persians for ussistanco.
6. So far as I can judge tho situation, I do not think any
serious developments are likely. I have consldorod it dosirablo,
however, to inform you of tho facts a3 tempers at timos become
short in this part of tho world in the hot woather and especially
during tho month of tho fast, and it is possible that some quite
small incidont might havo sorioua consequences.
7. I am sending copies ol\ this doaputch to the British Middle
East Office and Tohruffc’*, j;. /)>\.
I havo tho honour to bo,
0: ': k with tho highost respect,
mf ■ Sir,
fc- Your mos Jt.qbodiont Sorvant,
Vv..
<*• /
lYV.w. H&