Coll 28/39(2) ‘Persia. Printed Correspondence, 1937–’ [‎146r] (291/320)

21
from Bandar Sliah via the U. S. 8. R. was rejected by local merchants who fore
saw much trouble and little profit and efforts were later initiated to find an out
let in India.
r l lie import trade, apart from a few consignments of barter goods from Italy,
had long since succumbed to the difficulties created by the exchange and mono-
P°ly regulations and practically all foreign supplies were drawn from Tehran.
British trade remained nil and siams of the British drive to increase exports
were not apparent up to the end of the year. In spite of all things, however, the
returns of ihe Shiraz branch of the Imperial Bank of Iran for the year ended
September 20th, j 939 showed that satisfactory profits were being maintained.
Indust)y — flie cotton mills of Isfahan and Shiraz, the woollen factories of
Isfahan and the silk factories of Yezd all continued to work satisfactorily and
supplied all local requirements. Difficulties however were anticipated for the
future m obtaining the requisite supply of dyes from Germany.
..,!; h "h^ gar fac l :0 7 ^ orv ff as hf was expanded to cope with a production
of 100,000 tons and the usual party of Czech technicians arrived for the sugar-
boilmg season with only a slight delay.
rite laachincry for the grain silos at Isfahan and Shiraz which ‘was to be
supplied from die 0. S. S. R. did not arrive although the silo building at Isfahan
was finished by Kampsax m 1938 and the one in Shiraz is nearing completion.
iooo The Kll0 J lar win ? ^ptory produced some 250,000 litres of wine from the
ldo8 crop and succeeded m maintaining the good quality of its products.
Arhirvcmd Public Security.—The strength of the Shiraz garrison
\as broivh, up to about 8,000 men. Mechanization made no progress. Of the
pee anti-aircraft guns reported to have arrived in the spring one was seen at
Jhe , hllt were heard of since. Considerably more attention was given
° m , usk .? 1 . r ^ ai ' f V hC L hree nfle ran ^ es were ^ constant use. Rumours of move-
mrnts ot troops to the coast after the outbreak of war were not substantiated.
nnfwTrP r i° ad g11ar(1,e (Amnieh ). were incorporated in the armv in March but no
utward change was apparent m their functions or efficiency Nevertheless
remn P 1 kf 1 Wyhoih. ,l ° ,<1 ' UPS and robberies in isolatecl P arts - security was
Public Opimon and the War.—The sentiments of informed Persians were
overwhelmnig^ favourable to the Allies. This no doubt is largelfdlm to tlie
nr V 1 r 1 3 1 ° rsi 1 aT1 speaks a ^reign language at all it is usually either French
rar Y fh™ an - circles i^Sh^az and
ih a ioo+ r Isfahan which have come under strong German influence in
to lo-. } earR i’ re2:arded fhe war as an unmitigated nuisance which was likely
d w* i iam inuC l\ ni0 1 ney - . Tlley also con siderod that after the defeat of Poland
definite bodv of"emantf„. ^ am0nRSt a ™ y ° fficers was there “"7
but reception towards the end of the year became very disturbed. ’
Central of Foreigners and Foreign Interests.—The strict control of nil
On tbe C 7, Ft 1 7 S eX -”7° d t0 outbreak of 7ardidTot?he place
2 ,'otber hand special instructions were received bv the Governor-Generai
bead Of ti Y 11 ° n Gprman a . ctivifi< 's and at the beginnimr of November the
Wes ul hw “este7rr mty ?" S1,iraz and the only potential emulator 'of
at the e,ul'of the year ^on ag o. and was still in custody, without trial,
live ™ a o^“ areaS C ° nti,nied t0 be strict, y warded against the inquisi-
Indian army language students were sriven little troublo bv m^oi « +1
ties but appear to have aroused eonsideraWe LspilnTn Tehran aUth0n '
difficX^Wi^g permits to^ravelTronfthe northTIf"
specially guaranleed to the autloritifs hvT,i^compam" ^ ° f Ira ” " nless
handed over to the Iraffian a^iKftiTs af aT^ek’s fotlee'nTtereU^ '° bG