Coll 30/9(2) 'Admin. Reports of the Persian Gulf - 1945 -' [‎519r] (1037/1148)

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on agriculture, hygiene, etc. By the end of the year it appeared that British pro
paganda was really beginning to catch up with German. German propagandists
however are not only concerned with the Iranian public, for Dr. Eilers of Isfahan
is sending seditious literature via Kerman into India.
6 . German trade. —Germany is busy trying to buy up almost everything in
Iran available for export. Wool, copper utensils, wild almonds, dried fruits, oil
seeds, pig-fat,—all these raw materials are welcomed as grist to German war-
machine. A new feature however has been the export to Germany of Iranian manu
factures other than carpets : in 1940 one Isfahan cotton-mill delivered an order
to Germany of cotton material, and another mill began making woollen dress mate
rial for an order to be delivered in 1941 to the value of 250,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. . At the
same time Germany has maintained her exports to Iran, though at an increased
cost and not without delays and difficulties. For the first time German cars have
appeared in considerable numbers in the local market. Small spare parts of
machinery have arrived within three months at Isfahan from Germany, but heavier
/ machinery is liable to long delays ; for instance some new machines for one of the
Isfahan mills arrived after a two years’ interval. Stationery, haberdashery,
photographic materials, etc., available in the local market, are still predominantly
German.
7 . Russian trade.- —No Russian trade agents made their appearance.
8 . The Tribes.- —Tribal elements were responsible for many of the disorders
that marred the peace of Ears this year, but the fact that some robberies occurred
in the high places after the return of the Qashgais to winter-quarters shows that
some of the bandits belong to the settled country of inner Ears. The Fasa-Lar-
Jah-rum—Firuzabad area was particularly disturbed, but a feud between the Boir
Ahmadi and the roadguards of the Fahlian area also resulted in a serious incident
near Shapur. No report of any troule in Bakhtiari country was heard, but the
arrest of several Bakhtiari notables in Isfahan in early December suggests that
efforts are being made to stir these disaffected people up. The relative strengths
of the Central Government and the tribes is, of course quite the reverse of what
it was in the last War, and it would seem that disaffection in the army is the more
likely form any serious disturbance would take, and certainly is the pre-requisite
for any tribal commotion.
9 . Communications.- —The official announcement in December that the pro
jected railway-line from Shiraz to Bushire via Firuzabad would be completed short
ly caused great excitement, but the Istandar later admitted to the Acting Consul
that the scheme was still under Ministerial consideration and that the engineers
whom popular rumour associated with the project had arrived for quite a different
purpose. It therefore seems unlikely that anything will be accomplished towards
this project in the immediate future.
10 . Military. —At Shiraz Sartip Amidi retained his command of the Fars
Lashkar throughout the year. He and other authorities tried to hush up and
minimise the disorders that occurred.
At Isfahan, Sarhang Sha’ri became Commandant of the local troops, now a
Lashkar.
No signs of any disaffection in the army were noted, though a certain amount
of pro-German talk was reported early in the year.
11 . Movements of foreigners. —Herr Renner, imprisoned in Shiraz since the
year before, was sent to Tehran and there reported to be released.
Monsieur Ghirshman, the French archaeologist, excavated at Shapur, with
a long absence in the summer.
Several diplomatic parties visited Shiraz and Bushire in the spring.
In August Herr Neumann left Shiraz, for Tabriz. Herr Hauptmann had
already left a month or two before.
In Isfahan Herr Wulff was replaced by Herr Starke in the Technical School,
and proceeded to Tabriz. Herr Schunemann left for Tehran in the late autumn.
An occasional German courier visited Shiraz, presumably with secret messages
for Herr Kraemer. Isfahan received frequent visits from important Germans.
MS153EA.D