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Petitions are said to have been presented to the Shah, when he visited Shiraz
in the Spring, with a view to a revision of policy with regard to these Companies
and a deputation also visited Tehran. The organisation of such Companies now
depends largely on decisions arrived at in the Capital and much of the profit is at
tracted there. Private trade is only possible under permit from the Company
concerned. So much depends upon Government credit and foreign exchange policy
that it is not possible to predict what the future of foreign trade will be.
The Banks have been restricting credit to the utmost since the death of the
late Minister of Finance, which was expected to result in important changes of
Government policy with regard to commercial and economic matters.
Social —
The population of Pars is said to beTown of Shiraz 120,000 ; villages out
side Shiraz 80,000 ; tribesmen 200,000 ; making a total of 400,000. The popula
tion of the town has increased considerably in the last few years owing to arrivals
from the outlying districts in search of employment.
Public health is on the whole good. Municipal Health services are under
efficient management. Efforts have been made to reduce the numbers of beggars.
The slaughter-houses are combined with a Sanitary Inspection Office with an
Austrian veterinary doctor in charge under the Agricultural Department.
Education is making good progress, particularly amongst the illiterate for whom
night classes are arranged. The salaries of all teachers are much better than they
used to be and in consequence a better standard of teacher is obtained. English
and French are said to be more widely studied by women since the unveiling orders
were put in force, and the new dress regulations undoubtedly stimulate the interest
of all classes in European customs and peculiarities. Much attention is paid to
athletics in the Schools and the Boy Scouts are a flourishing organisation. The
small orphans from the Municipal Orphanage are taught to march about to the
strains of martial music and drums.
The cost of living is increasing. Since the beginning of the year there have
been rises in the price of bread, rice, cooking fat and meat. The cost of fodder has
also increased considerably and is likely to do so after the prolonged drought which
has been experienced since February.
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Enclosure to Serial No. (72).
No. 564/6/37,
11th September 1937.
Copy to :—Col. Parsons.
Would you kindly refer to Library letter No. 5411/411/405 of August 20th
about Doctor Iranow ?
2. Doctor Iranow, who has now arrived in Tehran, was only able to enter the
country after a long delay in Baghdad, and even now there is some doubt whether
he will be able to carry out his proposed tour.
3. The trouble all seems to have arisen from the fact that his passport des
cribes him as a “ Journalist ” : because of this, the Iranian Consul in Baghdad
would not give him a visa without reference to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs
in Tehran. The latter wrote to us asking if we could recommend him, and on the
strength of a letter from Baghdad, which reached us shortly afterwards, giving
details about Doctor Iranow and enclosing a list of his publications, I wrote a letter
of recommendation in which I stressed the fact that Doctor Iranow would really
be far more aptly described as a savant than a journalist, and suggested that Iranian
experts must be familiar with his writings. This apparently failed to convince,
and 12 days later an official of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs enquired verbally
whether I would write a letter guaranteeing that Doctor Iranow would not publish
any articles in the press unfavourable to Iran : if I would do this, he said, a visa
could be given to him at once. I replied that I had already given the Ministry the
information I had about Doctor Iranow but I would give no guarantee, as I should
have no means of controlling anything that Doctor Tranow might eventually write.