Page 342 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

Gd Persian gulp administration report
work. Arrangements were made for passages to the Persian Coast for as
little as Re. 1 a head and some hundreds accordingly left in sailing boats.
The winter thus started more favourably than hadbeon expected, and those
divors who remain are showing great adaptability. The consumption of fish
has increased and dates arc very plentiful and cheap. Stocks of rice are
sufficient and the price normal. There is, however, little chance of the pearl
market recovering for some years, and the real pinch will be folt soon. Shaikh
Isa is feeling it already, as his Customs’ receipts have fallen 80 per cont. and
the people have already bogun to sell ornaments, utensils and clothes- One of
the few Arab merchants who are solvent distributed about Us. 3,000 In charity
in Dccombor.
Messrs. Robert Wonckhaus and Co., owing probably to a subsidy, are
able to pay higher prices for shells
Gorman Tmdo.
than any British or Italian firms. They
collected large stocks, but were only ablo to ship a very small amount ta
Europe before the War began.
Their import trade is also not conducted on genuine business principles, and
is not of great volumo. Their branch -was closed when the manager was made
ft prisoner of War.
Eight ships of the Hamburg-Amerika line called at Bahrain during the
year.
Ecw even among the more intelligent of the Bahrain merchants realised
at first what far-reaching effects on their
Atlifndc of Bahrain daring the War.
trado the War in Europo was to have-
The Germans, since the Bahnson episode, were very unpopular with the Bahr-
jiinis, while France, as the centre of the pearl trade of the world, bulked much
larger iu their eyes. At the beginning the universal desire, except among
the Persian merchants, was that Germany should be speedily and cheaply
crushed, and the world he at liberty to buy pearls again. Bahrain contributed
nearly Pus. 14,000 to various British Relief Funds, cut of which the Shaikh and his
family gave Rs. 9,600. Unfortunately no British telegrams had been received
Jor over a fortnight when, in the beginning of September, German telegrams
began to arrive from Basrah and Bus hire in native boats. The most was
naturally made of the British retirement to the Seine, and belief in cur invin­
cibility -was shaken. Germany then became the favourite, and the German
tales of British reverses, further embroidered in the bazaar, wore hailed with,
delight. One of the Shaikhs even called his favourite hawk “ Guiiliaume **
after the German Emperor. When Turkey first came upon tho scene the
purport of the German “ news ” was that Russia was Germany’s one dan­
gerous opponent, and that she, the arch-enemy of Islam, was meditating the
conquest of Stambul. From now on the British shared the Muhammadans*
hatred for Russia.
On October 23rd a portion of the Indian Expeditionary Force arrived off
Bahrain, where the troops remained for fnine days without aisembarking. The
attitude of the Shaikh and his family was perfectly loyal, but the common
people and oven a number of the merchants were much disturbed ; and when
hostilities broke out with Turkey, there was a certain amount of religious
feeling displayed. Though Shaikh Isa was pressed from several quarters ^ to
hedge he remained firm. This, and the sensible attitude of Kazi Shaikh
ifasim contributed largely to the excitement being kept within bounds. The
cessation of German “ news 99 on the arrest of Messrs. Wonckhaus* Manager,
and Ithe speedy capture of Basrah had an instantaneous effect, though one
Mullah fainted on hearing of the latter and another tried to. The year dosed
peacefully, though the anxiety as to the future is very great.

J. KEYES, Captain,
Political Agent, Bahrain.

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