Page 89 - Personal Column (Charles Belgrave)_Neat

There was a great deal of competition for invitations to palace parties
On another clay the Captain, without consulting me, sent out fifty or
but it was impossible to include everybody. Often when invitations had sixty invitations to the leading Arabs for a tea party on board the ship.
gone out someone would ring up my secretary, Narayan, saying, ‘1 hear Five people turned up. The others sent a letter, which they all signed,
His Highness is giving a diimer next week, there must be some mistake, saying that in view of the American Government’s attitude over Palestine
they did not wish to go on board an American ship. It was quite a rude
as my invitation has not arrived, though I know that other people h a ve
had theirs.’ Narayan had to explain, tactfully, that the person in question letter and caused consternation. If the Captain had asked my advice I could
have told him what would happen. However, the Navy’s feelings were
was not on the list for that particular dinner. What we enjoyed most was
to dine quietly with the Shaikh at Rafaa, when he invited myself and assuaged, the Shaikh gave a big dinner party for them at Rafaa, and I was
Marjorie and perhaps one or two other Europeans, with no officials and interested to find that all of the ship’s officers to whom I spoke were very
therefore no ‘official’ conversation. It was then that the Shaikh was at his strongly opposed to the line which their Government had taken over
best, a pleasant, cheerful host, joking with his guests and making every­ Palestine.
body feel at case. These were very different occasions to the formal parties. Some time afterwards there was another naval visit. A high-ranking
Not long after Eden’s visit my son returned to Bahrain. He had done American admiral came out to the Gulf with a large staff, and the usual
his military service in the Palestine Police; for some time he had been in complement of cine-cameras and photographers. There was a call on the
Shaikh at the palace, where the party was received in the long reception-
the C.I.D. in Jerusalem. He had enjoyed his time in the Police, but we
were very thankful to have him back in Bahrain, safe and sound. After a room. They took their places on the chairs and sofas at the end of the
week or two the Shaikh gave him a post in the Bahrain Police in which he room, the Admiral on the Shaikh’s right and I on his left. At the other
served for about a year. During part of this time, owing to shortage of end of the room, near the door, there were some of the Shaikh’s servants
staff, he took on the rather unpleasant task of Government oil gauger, and followers, and one of his sons, who was then about fourteen or fifteen
checking the oil in the tanks and on the ships, but in this way he began to years old, a rather nervous young man, sat halfway down the room. The
know something about the oil business. Later he went to the School of Shaikh beckoned to his son to come over and meet the Admiral. The boy
walked down the room shyly, and put out his hand to shake hands with
African and Oriental Studies at London University, and got his deg reee.
He then worked for some time in the Public Relations Department of the the Admiral. Before I had time to explain who he was the Admiral handed
Bahrain Petroleum Company until the Shaikh gave him the appointment him his hat and two other officers, who were sitting next to him, leant
°f Director of Public Relations in the Bahrain Government. over and gave him their hats as well. There was a gasp from the people
In May 1948 the United States recognized the State of Israel, and I at the other end of the room and the Shaikh’s son stood for a moment in
expected trouble in Bahrain. I took all possible precautions and had the confusion. The only person who kept his head was the Shaikh. He gave
police ready to deal with any riots, but nothing happened. A few days me a look and said to his son, ‘Take their hats and put them down some­
later an American aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Rendova, called at Bahrain. where.’ He then turned to the Admiral, who was completely unaware of
There were the usual official visits and the Shaikh went to tea on board the faux pas which he had unwittingly committed, and continued the
the ship, which much impressed him. There was a great deal of photo­ i conversation.
That night the Shaikh gave a dinner for the Admiral at the palace.
graphy by the naval camera men. While the Shaikh was being photo­
graphed one of the officers said to me, ‘Tell His Highness that Broadway Marjorie and I used to arrive early, as the Shaikh liked me to be there
Glamour Girls, when they are photographed, are told to say “Cheese!” ’ before the guests came. Stationed on each side of the door were two of the
I did not even try to translate this remark, which would not have been palace servants, large black men wearing daggers and slung swords. As
the Admiral and his staff arrived their hats were grabbed from their hands
appreciated. The Shaikh would have wanted to know a great deal more
about ‘Broadway Glamour Girls’ than I could have told him, and it and placed on a chair near the door. They must have been surprised at the
would have been very difficult to explain why they should say ‘Cheese’. fordble manner in which their hats were removed from them.
Besides, the Shaikh, as I knew, had a definite dislike for cheese, he thought It is easy enough to laugh at some of the mistakes made by Americans
it tasted like something that had gone bad. in'the Middle East but quite often the British, who should have known
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