'File 8/46 Staff Officer (Intelligence), Persian Gulf, Intelligence Reports' [‎31r] (61/70)

~ 6 ~
SECRET.
u
51 (:i) contd.
vf * Sunt or had a talk with tho Hinictcr shout tho harbour, and ho told
"donoral that his firm could conaidcr handling a greater volume of
aninping if sufficient lighters and barges wore available. (Shins have
^ 0 ari ° 1n or .six or seven miles off-slioro). At vresent the firm 1 s branch
in Bus,dro is^being run at a oonsidorable loss because of tho paucity of
orders. It is rumoured nor/, however, that the imminent arrival of tho
first cargoes of American arms and equipment at Khorramshahr and Bandar
olAhpur will displace much of the commercial shipping normally routed to
those ports; and. tnat Bus hire will handle this shiprinrr instead. That
remains to^bo soon, (And in tho light of past experience of promises to
Bus)lire this observation is not too cynical).
[xxj Tno arrival rf ilr. Crimson, Surveying Engineer, caused satisfaction in
Aie ttvm and. has off-set, to_ a certain extent, the gloom created by the
gewspaper and. radio news concerning the purchase of the Old British
"esidency property by the Iranian Government. The local populace lr.ro.
p, fixed, conviction that the property of Bushi.ro depends on the i.o;rroo of
interest taken in the town by the British^ If the British wore to
abandon Bus.'’ire entirely, it is felt that the town, would revert to what
it was before they came originally, a small fishing village. The belief
h as a certain foundation on fact as the original establishment of the
Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. at Buahiro coincided with the omening un of Iran to poa-bomo
trade, when the torm was developed because of its harbour.
(iii) ..i coroain amount ox work is being done in repairing the rougher patches
on > the Busliire - Shiraz road. The road metal used is a soft sandstone
which does not stand up to tho wear imposed on it by the heavy tankers
of the A,I,O.C, and. the 3“ton lorries of the Etamadioh Spinning and
Weaving Mill.
(iv) Reports from M.T. drivers using the road between Bushire and Shiraz
indicate that it is in fair condition and that no trouble has been
experienced during past period from bandits.
(v) I AT. using the track linking Khorranshahr and Busbiro are advised to
carry snare water, particularly on last 150 mile stretch, as wells etc,
are becoming exhausted.
(vi) j.x branch tf the Tehran Travel Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. "Levantour' 1 was opened in Bushire
in readiness, for operations by a new (said to be English) airline
company for whom they are to act as agents. Tho company will fly Dove
aircraft to and from Tehran.
52, SmiOTS. Mia.i SimAS DL'-ET.
(i) Work has now begun »n tho roservoirs for the Shiraz Water supply.
The contract has been av/ardod to the Danvar G'cmpany. Some of'the
pipes hove already arrived in Shiraz whilst more are reported to bo
in Bushire together with large quantities of cement, awaiting
transport.
(ii). The local authorities are going ahead at an astounding speed with
tho asphalting of tho city’s streets. According to the Eamandar
the Municipality have so far this summer completed the asphalting of
56,000 square meters of roads.
(iii) It is also reported that tho Ministry of Roads has agreed to~lay
down tarmac runways on the Shiraz airfield and to construct a suitable
building there for tho use of passengers.
•r ' v ■
(iv) In the town asphalting continues and the Governor-Gonoral hopes to
got money to rebuild tho awkward and rather decrepit bridge at the
entrance to tho tovm on tho Isfahan road.
m
A-
-6