Coll 28/120 ‘Persia. Ahwaz – Consular diaries.’ [‎60r] (120/669)

not get any rice at the O-overnor-Generai ! r price 8 According to
them, the Governor-General had stated thrt he was reducing the
price at the request of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Co, who wished to
avoid fulfilling their previous undertakings. According to the
Anglo-Iranian Oil C# ; s local agent for the purchase of rice, the
Governor-General has stated that if the Angle--I rani an )il Co.
would leave the purchasing to the Governor-General he would save
the Company considerable sums of money. Both sources give the
impression that the Governor-General wished to corner the rice
idrop and sell it to the Company on his own account.
(24) A report has recently l»een received tnat the Iranian Govern
ment proposes to Isuy up the rice crop from Dizful, Ramhorrr.oz and
other centres in Khuzistan and expert it to the north. If this
is done *>n a. large scale the effect on the food position in
Khuzistan rnay well be serious,
(25) Locusts have appeared at Zaidun in the Behbahan area and are
reported tc bgk laying eggs. The Governor-General who was given
a precis of the locust forecast, has had tnis printed ani widely
circulated and states that all possible measures are bei.ig taken
to c® min at the locusts. The main gap in the Iranian authorities'
equipment is transport. Bight British military lorries iave keen
made available for their use as well as civilian drivers for the
lorries. (The Persian authorities’ difficulty in fettir.g drivers
is probably the result of the Agricultural Department’s bad
reputation for unpunctuality over the payment of Mils),
(26) Colonel Noel has introduced at Hamidieh farm the practice
of dipping seed wheat in a solution of bitumen and kerosene oil.
This renders wheat practically inedible and reduces theft zrA
misuse of wheat given out for seed; although the reasor. for its
use is iacally agreed t$ be the prevention of depredations »y
Mrds »n newly-sown fields, (This is in fact true). E. U’s
Consul-General urged the Governor-General to employ this method
with the seed wheat from India but was resisted *n the ground of
p®ssiMe adverse effects »n germination. This fear has beer
proved te be groundless over many hundreds of areas at Hamiiieh
and the idea has now been endorsed by the local Agricultural
Department. "Tie cost is not great and the practice might well be
adapted widely in this country.
V. Local Politics .
(27) A certain amount of apprehension has Men caused among the
more ®ld fashioned and consequently mere religious seed or. of
the town and more particularly among the AraPs by the orders
received from Tehran restricting public celebrations ir. Me ha ram*
As was pointed out by a prominent Arab leader, practically the
only tangible advantage gained by the common people frem the
British 'occupation’ has been the extension of freedom ir.
religious celebration. About the beginning of the monrh cf
Moharam a communication was received from this leader ihat he had
received orders from the Commissioner of Police ferbiemng Moharam
prayers. On investigation it was found that orders hue in fact
been received from Tehran forbidjnng public celebrations in the
mosques and taking out processions in the streets. Permission has,
however, been given by the C®mmissioner cf Police to half a dozen
would-be celebrants to observe their festival on private precincts
on condition they undertook not to contravene the orders received
from Tehran. Last Moharam was something in the nature t>f a
demonstration against the old Shah's regime and some ptlicemen
were roughly handled in the town. It was apprehended that this
year as a result of the transfer of animus against the eld regime
to the allies, demoastrations might conceivably be made against
the allies and warnings were accordingly given tc British subjects
and the Allied forces of the desirability of avoiding any
processions or other demenstrations that may take place, British
and American Forces have agreed to put Ahwaz Town prtrer #ut »f