Page 66 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

53
(i) Post Offices
134. A Government of India Post Office was opened in Bahrain in 1884. In
1911 the Ruler agreed not to permit any foreign power to open a post office in
Bahrain.(”’) In 1931 the Bahrain Government asked that the stamps sold by the
Government of India Post Office should be surcharged “ Bahrain.”(*70) It was agreed
to grant the request and the Universal Postal Union was notified accordingly. This
led to protests from the Persians (paragraph 82 above) and some delay ensued but
the surcharged stamps were eventually issued in 1933. In 1946 a Post Office was
opened in Muharraq. On the transfer of power in India in 1947 the Government of
Pakistan assumed charge of the Post Offices temporarily and on April 1, 1948, they
were taken over by the General Post Office who issued British stamps surcharged
with “ Bahrain ” and rupee values. A British Postal Superintendent was appointed
for all the Gulf Post Offices administered by the General Post Office with his
headquarters at Bahrain.
135. In 1946 the Ruler informed the Political Agent that he would like to
examine the possibility of Bahrain having its own stamps and postal serviced271) In
1947 when consulted about the proposed transfer of the Post Offices from the
Government of India to His Majesty’s Government he replied expressing a desire
to take over the postal administration and issue his own stamps, but eventually
agreed that His Majesty’s Government should take over the administration as a
tentative step and that for the time being surcharged British stamps should be
used.T72) He returned to the charge from time to time and in 1952 while stating that
his ultimate object was to operate and administer all the postal services at Bahrain,
asked that as a temporary measure stamps bearing his likeness should be used for
the internal postal service and enquired whether it was possible for his State to
begin to operate this service.(273) In commenting on this representation the Secretary
of State for Foreign Affairs remarked that although in the long term it might be
inevitable that the Bahrain Government should take over all the postal services in
Bahrain, the objection to this had already been explained to the Ruler and that it
was hoped that it would be possible to concentrate on the immediate problem of
the local services.(2T4) It was agreed that the Ruler should issue stamps bearing his
likeness for internal use and that the internal postal service should be transferred to
the Bahrain Government in stages. Stamps were issued accordingly and the transfer
of the internal postal service initiated. It was also agreed that the British Postal
Superintendent should be appointed by the Bahrain Government as their postal
adviser and paid an allowance by them for his work in this capacity.
(/) Telecommunications and Broadcasting
136. In 1928 the Indo-European Telegraph Department were in charge of
the telegraph station at Bahrain*273) which had been established in 1916 on the basis
of the undertaking!276) given to His Majesty’s Government by Shaikh Isa in 1912. In
1931 they were succeeded by the Imperial and International Communications
Company which in 1934 changed it name to Cable and Wireless Ltd. In that year
the company took over all responsibility for communications with aircraft. In
1935 Bahrain was connected by cable with the Bushire-Karachi cable, the Ruler’s
consent having been obtained to the landing of the cable.!277) Since the war Bushire
has been disconnected and the cable has become unservicable.
137. After the Italian air-raid on the refinery in 1940 (paragraph 15 above)
the Bahrain Petroleum Company asked for permission to establish communications
by radio-telephone for both defence and operational purposes with the Californian
Arabian Standard (later Arabian American) Oil Company at Dhahran. Permission
was granted on certain conditions*27*) and the service began in June 1952.
138. In 1945 an agreement was reached between Cable and Wireless Ltd. and
the Bahrain Government for the installation and operation by the former of an

(,,f) No. 9 I. T.C.
<”') J O-10 F.O. P.Z. 6338/31 of October 7. 1931 (E 5081/221/91 of 1931).
k ) O-10 F.O. Ext. 1894/47 of September 4. 1947 (E 8196/66/91 of 1947).
( . ) J-O-lo F.O. Ext. 2243/47 of October 21. 1947 (E 8784/66/91 of 1947).
< ) 10 F O. Despatch 53 of May 22. 1952 (EA 1442/2 of 1952).
J ) F °. to P.R. Despatch 122 (EA 1442/6) of July 18. 1952.
( ) Paragraph 4 at p. 125, P.G. 13.
(27‘) 10I.T.C.
J S-10 EZ- ^7/1935 of Dcccmber 6. 1935 (E 7115/2174/65 of 1935).
( ) I.O. to F.O. Ext. 2967/42 of June 10, 1942 (W 8514/155/801 of 1942).