Coll 28/120 ‘Persia. Ahwaz – Consular diaries.’ [‎120r] (240/669)

for wheat have "been favourably received« As either course
would take time and it was apprehended that sufficient wheat
might not be available in Ahwaz and Khorramsho.hr to maintain
the government bread supply, it was proposed to use a portion
of the 8800 tons of Canadian wheat flour to bridge the gap.
Orders have now been received, however, to forward/Tehran what
■remains of the entire consignment (Gray Mackenzie report a
shortage of 5lbs per bag in addition to the five hundred
bags "lost” between Khorramghahr and Ahwaz) and unless the’ sugar
barter scheme can be put into effect forthwith, a breakdown ••
in the bread supply seems inevitable.
(16) The usual seasonal rise in the pric^ of meat has been
increased by the ineptitude of the Director of the Municipality
to exercise control and even moderate mutton at 30 rialn a
kilo has been difficult to obtain. The Director of the Munici
pality expressed his inability to. help on the grounds that
contractors for the American forces were forcing up the price
in competition with the Angio-Iranian Oil Company contractor,
who was already paying Rials 25 per kilo live wight. Enquiries
showed that the American forces' requirements for fresh meat
were being met through British Army contractors who were
paying Rials 5 per live poundI
s_ The employees of the Posts and Telegraphs Department
in DizdTul had a one day strike for an increase of wages on
84th August.
IV. Genera l.
(18) The return of the Governor-General to Ahwaz hap settled
the tendencious rumour-mongering of the Abrishomkar faction, who
had broadcasted that the Governor-General had been "broken" in
Tehran. They have now taken refuge in the story that he has
been returned temporarily as a face-saver pending the abolition
of the IJstandari of Khuzistan and Luristan. (The Director of
Finance stated on his return from Tehran that the proposal to
abolish the Ustandari in Ustan VI had been dropped.)
(19) With reference to para 15 of Ahwaz diary for the first
half of June, the police have nov/, with three weeks of the
summer left, received their summer uniforms. The Commissioner of
Police algo reports that the allowance for prisoners' diet money
has been increased from seven to ten Rials per day.
(20) With reference to para 17 of Ahwaz diary for the second
half of July, the gendarmerie has received a measure of reinfor
cements from the north. This is doubtless responsible for a general
improvement in the immediate Ahwas area reported by non-official
European sources. They have, however, entirely failed to deal
with the seasonal decline in security (see Tribal sections)
which appears serious.
V* Tribal—Bakhtiari
(21) Considerable tension is reported from the Janiki area as
result of the delayed arrival of Murteza Quli Khan's representative.
A report from the same area tells of the break-down of negotia
tions between Murteza Quli and Abul Qasim who is said to have taken
himself off to the Kuh-i-Dinar. On 31st August an armed gang
thought to have come down from JaniJfci looted four vehicleg( fcars one
of them Delonging to the Anglo-Iranian Qil Company) and a village
about a mile outside Ram Hormuz.
(22) ^ A quarrel has taken place at Abbarik between Xhwajeh
Mehti Quli and his brother Reza in which four men of the latter
were killed.
(33) Fereidunwi a son of Murteza Quli Khan, having failed in
/his approach