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Coll 28/39(2) ‘Persia. Printed Correspondence, 1937–’ [38r] (75/320)
The record is made up of 1 file (158 folios). It was created in 11 Oct 1937-25 Nov 1942. It was written in English and French. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
73
despatch from His Majesty’s Consul at Ahwaz which has been written in reply
to Mr. Butler’s letter No. 151/6/37 of February 20th, a copy of which was forwarded
to Mr. Baggallay.
2. It will be observed that although Mr. Gardener considers it possible that
at some future date Bandar Shahpur may be destined to become the only Persian
Gulf port for imports for North and Central Iran, there are at present no signs
that the Ahwaz Customs house will shortly be closed nor, so far as he is aware,
are active steps being taken to divert traffic from Khorramshahr to Bandar Shahpur.
Since that despatch was written, His Majesty’s Vice-Consul at Khorramshahr has,
however, reported that he has heard from a reliable source that the customs house at
Khorramshahr is to be transferred to Bandar Shahpur and that the move is to be
made as soon as possible. • Captain Bazalgette is nevertheless of opinion that
large sums of money would have to be spent and considerable time would have to
elapse before Bandar Shahpur would be capable of dealing with the increase in
shipping caused by such a move.
3. With regard to the general question of congestion at the Gulf ports, I have
the honour to transmit to you herewith a copy of a memorandum which has been
prepared by Captain Bazalgette dealing with the congestion at the Khorramshahr
Customs, its causes and the part it has played in bringing about the formation
of the monopolistic Iranian landing Company (Shirkat Kashtirani Karun).
4. I am sending copies of this despatch to His Majesty’s Ambassador at
Baghdad, No. 36 and to His Majesty’s Consul at Ahwaz, No. 27.
Enclosure to Serial No. (54).
Letter from the British Consulate, Ahwaz, to the British Legation, Tehran,
No. 50, dated 17th April 1937.
I have the honour to refer to Mr. Butler’s letter to me No. 151/6/37 of the 20th
February received on March 21st, last, calling for a report on the prospect of traffic
being diverted from the port of Khorramshahr to Bandar Shahpur.
2. From recent despatches addressed to the Legation you will have learnt that
the general chaotic conditions in the Customs and harbours of the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
have been worsened by the action of the Iranian Navy in forming a monopolistic
landing company at Khorramshahr with no effective guarantees of speedy despatch
of ocean ships or of the safe delivery of the cargo they discharge. Just before this
event the Strick and Hansa Lines (being the largest shippers to Bandar Shahpur)
had decided to restrict if not to refuse cargo for the ports ofBushire and Bandar
Shahpur and to continue their traffic with Khorramshahr. I imagine that the
two companies had decided to continue their trade with Khorramshahr because in
that port at any event they had control of the discharge of their ships and so could
prevent inordinate delays. Now the situation in Khorramshahr is equally con
fused. With such a background of chaos and ineptitude it is difficult to trace any
long term policy of the Iranian Government in determining the route to be followed
by future imports. All the views and inferences mentioned hereafter are therefore
offered with all reserves.
3. It is certainly logical to assume that the Iranian Government after creating
a port, not on the Shatt-el-Arab, and linking it by rail to the North had in mind
the prospect of canalising along that route all imports, destined for the interior
and the North. As regards the meeting held at Ahwaz in September last between
the Governor General and the shipping agents, the account of it given in paragraph
2 of Mr. Butler’s letter under reference is confirmed by Mr. Spence of Mespers,
except that a representative of Mespers was not present. I have been unable to
see Mr. Wengoborski. No attempt would seem to have been made since to enforce
the use of Banda>r Shahpur at the expense of Khorramshahr. I im gine this may
have been because the limitations of Bandar Shahpur were recognised.
4. However when the Shah was recently in Khorramshahr he is reported to
have asked why such quantities of cargo were discharged in that port instead of in
Bandar Shahpur. I am informed (but I cannot guarantee the information) that
the Provincial Director of Customs at Khorramshahr and a high military officer
explained that the capacity of Bandar Shahpur was limited. I am inclined to
MCI84EAD
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- Content
Printed correspondence from the Government of India’s Foreign and Political Department (later referred to as the External Affairs Department), collated into yearly collections under the heading ‘Iran Series’. The original correspondence was sent by British representatives in Iran (chiefly the British Legation in Tehran) to the Foreign Office. The correspondence concerns: the announcement of laws, decrees, regulations, and budgets by the Government of Iran, the texts of which were frequently published in the newspaper Le Journal de Tehran ; reports from British consular officials covering a range of subjects, including commercial activities, foreign relations and the commercial activities of foreign individuals and companies in Iran, provincial affairs, and the activities of the Shah; in 1939 and 1940, reports concerning the impact of the Second World War on Iran, with a large number of reports from the Press Attaché to the British Legation in Tehran, reporting the dissemination of propaganda and public opinion in Iran.
At the end of the file is a single item of original correspondence, sent by the Secretary to the Government of India. Dated 24 August 1942, it announces the discontinuation of the printing of the Persia [Iran] series for the duration of the war (f 159).
A large number of items in the file are in French. These include the texts of Iranian Government laws, regulations and announcements that were published in Le Journal de Tehran .
The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (158 folios)
- Arrangement
The file’s contents are arranged in approximate chronological order, from the earliest item at the front to the latest at the end.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 160; these numbers are written in pencil and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.
- Written in
- English and French in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/3443
- Title
- Coll 28/39(2) ‘Persia. Printed Correspondence, 1937–’
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:7r, 8r:11r, 12v:14v, 16r:16v, 20r, 23r:32r, 34r:41v, 42v:48r, 50v:55r, 56r:61r, 63r:65r, 68r:69r, 71v, 75v:77v, 79r:81v, 82v:85v, 89r, 91r:91v, 92v:93r, 94v:96v, 97v:101r, 102v:108v, 115r:118r, 124r, 125r:130v, 132r:134r, 136r:139r, 141r:141v, 145r:146v, 149r:151r, 152r:153v, 154v:159v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence