Page 112 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920

102 PERSIA* GULP ADMINISTRATION REPORT
It is hoped that it mav he possible to deal in a similar wav with more rw
cases against the new Contractor, whose administration has been little if
more successful than his predecessor’s. Difficulty was at first experienced \
finding Arab members to sit on the Court, but in November a Special Alaili
was formed which mot several times during December and soltlod a good mJ u
claims.
The old question of raising the landing rates was kept well to the fore
the Shaikh and interested parties during the year. The claim principally Uf J
was that of the donkeyraen for which there is.probably some slight 3ustificattoj
in fact. It was finally decided to accept the raising of the rates, pending the
result of the recent reference to Government on the whole landing question be.
coming known.
The war in Tripoli continued to engage the attention of the Arabs and the.
displayed much interest in the terms of the
Intercut in the Torco-Itnlian War.
settlement. Early in the year a suhserfu
tion list for the Rod Crescent Society and for the helping of the distressed
Muslim soldiers in Tripoli was opened and money was personally collected by
Haji Mukbil-ud-Dukair and Yusuf Kanoo. About Rs,- 28,000 was supposed to
have been promised, and it is known that Rs. 20,000 was actually remitted
to Basrah for transmission to Tripoli via Egypt. The reluctance to forward the
money through Constantinople was very marked.
Towards the end of the year, the Turco-Balkan "War naturally excited j
good deal of interest. Owing to the ab­
Interest in the Turco-Ball&n War.
sence of the telegraph, and a fortnight!*
mail service, Dews was received very late and authentic news was supple-
mented by fictitious reports of Turkish victories received from Basrah and by
bazaar rumours. The Agency endeavoured to supply correct news when pos-
ible.
In November a subscription was raised for the Red Crescent Society and
a sum of Rs. 1,04,000 was collected, the Shaikh subscribing Rs. 10,000 and
all the well-to-do merchants and others subscribing handsomely. At the end of
December, Yusuf Kanoo and Shaikh Abdul Wahab Zayyani proceeded 10
Basrah to transmit the amount to Constantinople, taking the precaution to
land at Bushire and send a telegram to the Sultan giving details of the amount
subscribed and of the fact that it had been subscribed by the Shaikh and
inhabitants of Bahrain for the Red Crescent Society. This was considered
necessary to prevent the TTali of Basrah interfering in the matter.
The Debai incident appears still to occupy a. place in the foreground of
the Arab mind, and frequent references to
Arab Newspaper*.
it are to he remarked in the Arab News­
papers, etc., in circulation in Bahrain. By way of example there was a long
reference to it in the Mujallat-ul- Hunar of July published in Cairo.
These papers also interest themselves in Bahrain affairs. In the article
just referred to there is a hostile reference to imaginary regulations for the
Pearl Fishery which the British Government was supposed to be going to
introduce.
. oX-Hfanir of Basrah, dated 27th September 1912, there were soatf
entirely fanciful remarks zegarding British activities in Bahrain.
The general position as regards Foreign Bad Characters in Bahrain remains
as described in last year’s report b69
Foreign Bad Character* in BaUrait.
_ .... . . . , , pressure was however brought to bear on
the Political Agent by the Chief Kazi p.nd other self-righteous reformers, wbo
also persisted in disregarding the only means of ameliorating the situation, ***•»
that of bringing definite charges against definite individuals supported by a
reasonable amount of proof.
In the absence of any Police or any efficient form of municipal %°ye%
ment for the town of Manama, it is highly improbable that matters w
improve.
Arab feeling in Bahrain towards the British is not, of course, precis^/
Relation* with Agency. COrdial, but is not “ SCt hostile.” 1 * \
always extremely fickle and subject
great degree to personal feeling. The local Arab appears to be very susc^F