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informed of the article by the Ruler’s uncle, who as Belgrave noted, was upset at its

content. 319

Akher Sa’ah, like other media outlets in Egypt following the fall of King

Farouk, was heavily monitored by the Egyptian regime. The press became an

instrument of influence and propaganda echoing Egypt’s own policy. For each print

publication a government representative was assigned so that nothing was to be

published outside set boundaries. 320 The timing of the attack on British interests in

the Gulf followed Egypt’s protest at the formation of the Baghdad Pact was critical

and was part of the regime’s policy of undermining British interests in the Arab

World.

The allegation of Belgrave being dismissed from his role in Egypt and later

aided by his wife in landing the new post in Bahrain was not accompanied by any

proof. But it was repeated by Al-Bakir in his speech to the Kuwaiti Studentship

Union in Cairo in 1956. 321 Al-Bakir’s repetition of the claims points to two

possibilities: either he reiterated what Akher Sa’ah had stated regarding Belgrave or

he was that ‘special messenger’ who passed on to the Arab League’s General

Secretary the claims the magazine had published.

The Government Labour Committee’s elections for the three elected seats

took place as scheduled and there was no call to boycott them. The results were

announced on 24 April and included the names appointed by the Government to the

Committee. It consisted of the following persons from the Government of Bahrain:

319 Sir Charles Dalrymple Belgrave’s Personal Diaries, 19 April 1955.
320 Nutting, Nasser, 297-98.
321 Al-Bakir, The Political Situation in Bahrain, 47.

© Hamad E. Abdulla 107