Coll 28/67 ‘Persia. Annual Reports, 1932–’ [‎26v] (52/644)

50
Government to re-examine the question if experience revealed unexpected
difficulties in operating the route along the Arab coast. Formal confii matron of
the grant of an extension to the 1st October was given on the 10th June.
279. Previous to the decision to withdraw being taken, Imperial Airways
had indicated that if a new agreement were concluded they would like to receive
therein specific permission for extra flights over and above 104 a y e 3*, or
establishment of emergency supply dumps at Charbar, Daiym ami Pi lam,
for a regular landing-ground at Lingah, as well as some improvement m the issue
of permits for the import of their stores. But the point of discussing a new
agreement was never reached.
280 When Junkers ceased to operate at the end of March Imperial Airways
offered to run a Tehran-Bagdad service for three months free of subsidy m the
hope of influencing the Persian Government favourably m the matter or a
permanent extension. His Majesty’s Minister considered, however, that such an
offer would have no effect on the political negotiations, and might merely give
the Persian Government an exaggerated idea of the eagerness ol Imperial
Airways to retain the Persian coast route.
281. The stopping-place finally selected for Imperial Airways on the
Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. was Sharjah. The consent of the sheikh, though he was personally
well-disposed, was not obtained without difficulty, but an agreement was eventually
signed on the 22nd July by Lieutenant-Colonel Dickson, the political agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at
Koweit, who had been proceeding to Sharjah with Sir Hugh Biscoe, the I olitical
Resident, when the latter suddenly died at sea.
282 The service along the south Persian coast ceased when the last west
bound aeroplane left Bushire on the 27th September, but certain of their stores
still remained, the company having only applied at the very last minute tor
permission to export these stores without the obligation to furnish to the I ei sian
Government the equivalent value in foreign exchange.
283. At the same time His Majesty’s Government decided not to give or
sell to the Persian Government or to the French or Dutch air companies the
wireless sets that Imperial Airways had used at Bushire and Jask; and these
were eventually shipped to Basra, the export taking place m the name ot the
company, although the sets, in fact, belonged to the Air Ministry.
Registration.
284. The delay accorded to foreign companies for compliance with the
Company Registration Law expired on the 8th April, but the Persian
authorities agreed unofficially not to press for registration, or to penalise the
company for delay in registration, until the future of their service, which was
then due to terminate on the 31st May, became clearer. The company took no
steps to register when the final extension to the 31st September was granted, and
the Persian Government made no complaint. The registration fee, as they were
a transport company, would in any case have been only a quarter of the usual fee.
General.
285. The operation of the company’s service in Persia was uneventful.
Fewer complaints were received of the conduct of the Persian Government wireless
operators. Owing to the Trade Monopoly Law, great difficulty was experienced
in providing the necessary food supplies for the company s passengeis duiing
their halt at Lingah.
(F) Imperial Bank of Persia.
286. The bank passed a relatively uneventful year, the main feature in
which was the withdrawal of its note issue, which began on the 20th June and
was completed on the 20th September.
287. The scandals connected with the National Bank enabled them to
recover much of their former business. The affairs of the bank are dealt with
in greater detail in the Economic Section.