'Administration Reports of the Persian Gulf, 1945 [-1946]' [‎196r] (404/414)

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pany^to r the^^anian c «ii+h re ?r? Sen ^ a ^^ ons wepe made ^ the Co0 "
ofinsec^itv w^^ aUth0 ? ities P oin ting out that the state
The ailitarv affectin 6 the Company^ operations.
thieves Sd accor diiigly Increasedind over 100
varying terms Af we J| e arrested and sentenced to
of imDrovsmer t fr>^ en J n# brought about some measure
areas^ but "ai- ?u ^ the ^ompany^s works and residential
eansp'fnr v ? se of y ear > the Company had further
ean*s of thl^c 7 a $ 0Ut se ? UPi ty in their shipping area, where
n!™!J 4 n smu g« le rs continued to operate. Efforts
Trlrti in . DeC€mb er to enlist the assistance of the
^ i? S 4. ^ ai>p J el:iendin S these gangs, which took
f I? 4 0 the Iraqi side of the Shatt-el-Arab when
disturbed in their operations.
The state of security in the Tribal areas remained at
a reasonably good level throughout the year.
n % politisal
el'
The most Important political developments in this area
during the year were centred round the activities of the Tudeh
Party, whose various political manoeuvres were designed, inter
to gain administrative control over this and other parts
of the country In preparation for the general elections to the
Majlis.
Early in March a branch of the Tudeh Party held Its
first public meeting in Khorramshahr. Its subsequent meetings
Increased In number and intensity of feeling, which culminated
in the outbreak of the Illegal general strike throughout the
Anglo-Iranian Oil Company concessional area in July. Though
the ostensible reason for the strike was the demand of Friday
pay, it was evident that there was no industrial justification
for its outbreak whatsoever and that it had been engineered
exclusively for political ends, as all the points at issue
between the Angloflranian Oil Company management and the labour
ers were already under discussion before a Government Commission
in Tehran.
The Military Tribunal, which arrived from Tehran to
enquire into the causes of the strike, was composed of officials
with strong Tudeh sympathies and their main object was to
exonerate the Party completely and place the responsibility for
the disorders on the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. The/Cfci4i«*len
lu^/ took no action to punish the ring-leaders who had been arrested,
and actually ordered the release of some of them. When firm
representations were made in Tehran against this venemous antl-
/fcW / British campaign, the/toBB^^tct turned their attention to the
ry' Chief of Police and his Deputy, on whom they cast the responsi
bility for the whole disorders. It was only during the last
quarter of the year that those persons responsible for the
riots were rounded up by degrees and removed.
The arrival off Abadan during the riots of two of H.M , s
Ships and the concentration of British and Indian troops in
Basra brought immediate protests from the Persian Government in
Tehran and from the Press, but they actuated the former into
taking adequate measures to pro - i.her disorders.
Tho lannchine. and subsequent activities of the Prime
Minister's Democrat ^arty of Iran caused no little anxiety
amongst the Tudeh Party members in November
Pfl-rtv ooened a branch in Khorramshahr, and though
little enthusiasm was shown during its inauguration, its influ-
obtain /-