Coll 28/120 ‘Persia. Ahwaz – Consular diaries.’ [‎19r] (38/669)

3.
IT. Security
In spite of somewhat alarmist rumours the ICugilu
are at present quiet. The situation at Gaeh Saran has heen
described separately. Opinion is, however, almost unanimous
that six weeks hence when the tribes move down from their
summer quarters will be a time of considerable anxiety,'*'
The Arab villages on the left bank of the Tfarun,
north of Ahwaz, have put in a series of complaints in the
last fortnight about the raids of the right-bank Chananeh
Arabs from the direction of Dizful. Mullasani village was
raided, for example, on the nights of the 1 . 1 th, 12 th,’ and ,13th
August. The Chananeh Arabs have, it is true, always raided the
unarmed villages of the left bank, but recently the robberies
have so increased that the smaller villages are being abandoned
and it appears likely that the Chananeh will become a serious
threat, it they are unchecked., to any lines of communication
the British authorities may wish to develop on the right bank,
6 - British and Aliied go rc
Ahwaz is experiencing the worst summer for seven
years and high temperatures combined with high humidities are
producing very large numbers of cases of heat exhaustion and
heat stroke among British ranks. On 9th August, the fields
Area had a severe sfbrm with two hours rain which increased, the
humidity without reducing temperatures„
twn
t\ V
HUS
A total black-out from 21.00 hours till di
continue till furtaer notice was started again on 4 th
As the majority of the Persian population is retiring by"*21,00
hours, the black-out in the town has been fairly successful,
Military installations continue to show lights and military
car ® "k° u se unscreened headlights, this cavalier treatment of
black-out regulations by our own forces' makes it difficult to
urge severe measures against Persian offenders.
-u From 4th August onwards, Polish civilian refugees
have been arriving in Anwaz« 270 3.eft for Bandar Shahrur on
10th August. v ’
7 * Pd’P.P^gan da and PubJ.ic Cp inion.
Cinema van 4 arrived in Ahwaz on 1st August. The
performances are, like any other free propaganda material which
is entertaining, exceedingly popular. Its effect for
influencing public opinion in our area where 90^ of the
population has never seen a cinema and the majority do not
understand the standard Persian language of the north, remains
j a I ' eceri t visit to an Arab village, it was
found that there were no able-bodied men in the audience; a
rumour had apparently been previously circulated that the
cinema was merely a device for attracting people so they
could be conscripted and sent to fight against Germans/
Public opinion, except among the most intelligent,
has remained remarkably apathetic to the German advances in
Russia. The majority, it is to be feared, would now show
a^mes c the same indifference to any change of regime as thev
did. in Augusc, -941. There has, however, been a crop of
resignations from superior Iranian employees of the Anglo-
Iranian O.i.l Company which are hard to interpret except as an
attempt to leave what is imagined to be a sinking ship. The
same circumstances are, on the contrary, putting an end to the
, 'V^i 0 /^ ran:iariCorn P an y' s d.ifx'icul ties with the European
staff, many ox whom, formerly anxious to get out of Persia,
wia! nor now leave unless they are forced :
Sd.J.GILROY BAIL-LIE.
Ho Uo CONSULo