Page 728 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

726

1932

very well considering it. Had a dinner party in the evening, the D.Gs and Prior, Russell and Gastrell, I was rather tired
and they left early.

Friday 27th May

Didnt have much of a holiday though I got up fairly late. Abdulla bin Jabr came round in the morning with a letter
from the Shaikh thanking me for what I had done and approving of measures to be taken against the people who were
in the show. Abdulla said he was very angry with the divers and at the idea of their daring to attack the Police Office
which is a Government building but he seems to have been even more angry with them because it was reported to him
that they made rude gestures to Shaikh Abdulla when he met them in their boats as he returned to Muharraq from
Manama, he told me this himself. Prior came over and we composed a long telegram to the P.R. reporting the matter,
then Haji Sulman came in and after some time I went with him up to the Fort where I spent the whole morning till two
oclock interrogating the prisoners, at first they wouldnt speak but I beat a few of them till they did speak, it was all very
barbarous and illegal but on some occasions one has to behave illegally. They gave me the information that I needed
and on that I was able to make a list of the names of the men who were the ringleaders and who actually broke into the
Police Office and took the man out. In the afternoon I went over to Muharraq with a lot of Police and naturs and some
of the Shaikh's people and we solemnly demolished a house which is used by the divers to meet in and then we arrested
a lot more men and then drove out to Hedd where we caught a few more. We brought them all back in a launch and
again there was a huge crowd on the pier at Muharraq and a good many at Manama. I got in too late to go across to the
Agency.

Saturday [28 May]
Went up to the Fort in the morning and had a long time with the men we got yesterday and then came back to the Court
to relieve Sulman. The whole show seems to have been caused by a few men who started the idea of making the divers
go and release the men I had put in jug. I am sorry for some of the men as they really didnt mean any harm but as they
found themselves in a scrap they naturally took part in it. They mostly said they thought they were coming to see me
and had no idea that there was an idea of raiding the Police Office until the men ahead went on and did so. Slept in the
afternoon and to tea and Bridge at the D.Gs in the afternoon. The Foey came in and some young officers came ashore
to the D.Gs after hockey.

Sunday 29 May 1932

Shaikh Abdulla and Shaikh Rashid came in in the morning and talked about the situation, both urging that we should
carry out the public punishment on the men who we have caught as soon as possible so I decided to do it today and
went up to the Fort to look over them again leaving Shaikh Sulman to deal with the court. I had each man up and made
sure that he was mixed up in the show, two of them were not so I let them go which they were very glad to do. Came
back and sat on the court after making all arrangements to go to Muharraq and Hedd in the afternoon. Went across in a
launch with some Police and Abdulla bin Jabr and the Amir of Manama, we sent the prisoners ahead. Old Shaikh
Rashid met me at Muharraq where there was a huge crowd all round the square at the back of the Customs and on the