'File 11/46 Publicity in the Persian Gulf' [‎93v] (186/314)

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of inset A small map or other image enclosed within the margin of a larger map, map sheet, or larger image; or papers placed inside a book or archival volume. * described in paragraph A. 4 should further
increase the popularity of the magazine- There is still,
however, a crying need for more Middle East photo
graphs. This poverty we have always with us. We
get suggestions, for example, from Persia that “pictures
showing machinery and industry would be suitable and
popular”.
10: DUNYA:-
(a) Enqlish-Persidn. All reactions tend to show that this
magazine has grown in popularity in Persia and that if
the contents remain stable it will establish itself. Dunya
No. 8, which had a frontispiece of the Queen of Iran,
was extremely popular, though again in certain places
the difficulties of distribution have prevented high sales.
The suggestion has been received that “the editorial in
Dunya should be longer and fuller”: there is no edito
rial ! If by ‘‘editorial” type-matter is meant we are aware
that increase in this respect might prove popular in
some places. High hopes are expressed for the future
popularity of the magazine in several parts of Persia.
(b) Enqlish-Bussion. The magazine was selling extre
mely well in Azerbaijan. It is too early to say what
effect political conditions will have on its continuance.
In any case the print order of the Russian edition is not
large enough to make it a completely satisfactory run
on a rotogravure machine. We are therefore trying
the experiment of having the pictures printed by roto
gravure and the type-matter overprinted by letterpress.
(q) Enqlish-Hindi. Reactions to this edition of Dunya
have been extremely disappointing. The drop in sales
was due to several factors, among which the distribution
of the magazine to the army and the prior appearance
of the English-Roman Urdu issue were two of the
most important. We have now found it possible to
bring out the English-Hindi and the English-Roman Urdu
editions at approximately the same time, so that the
sales of the former are not damaged by those of the
latter.
(d) EnqlisMoman Urdu- Large quantities of this maga
zine are still being taken by the armed forces. Some
difficulties were experienced in making certain that the
language and transliteration of the Roman-Urdu should be
most satisfactory from the point of view of the military,
who are its principal purchasers. It has not yet been
found possible for them to continue to do the actual
translation ; this is somewhat unfortunate.
(e) Urdu-Pushtu. No change.
(/) Enqlish-Burmese. It is expected that Dunya No- 14
can be brought out in this edition. It has proved
impossible to obtain type or compositors for this
magazine and for a few months at least we shall have
to have recourse to the expedient of calligraphing the
Burmese translation and printing it from blocks. This
will be done by the same method as the overprinting of
the English-Russian. The first set of calligraphed trans
lation has been received and has proved a really artistic
production.
(g) If the experiment of calligraphing the Burmese edi
tion of Dunya proves a success* an edition on similar lines
in Tibetan will ’also be produced. Experiments are in
hand with Tibetan calligraphists and translators to see
what modifications, if any, the different structure of the
language will require.
C DISTRIBUTION.
The problems of the distribution of United
Publications fall into three classes : distribution abroad,
in urban,India and in rural India.
The cessation of hostilities has increased rather than
diminished the difficulties of external distribution. The
problem as far as Persia is concerned has been solved^by
entrusting the sales of our magazines to a sole agei n
Tehran. The material reaches Tehran, however, by an
extremely complicated system of boat and train ^
services which never promise to follow a regular
schedule, and under the present political circumstances
may become very confused. It is possible that the
method of entrusting our material to agents may even
tually provide the best solution for sales throughout the
entire Arabic-speaking world. The Director of the
Publications Division has investigated the possibilities of
of this method while away on deputation. When
normal shipping services are restored to Burma and
Malaya, little difficulty should be experienced in these
countries, but at the moment we are very much rest
ricted by the postal proviso that parcels must not weigh
more than 4$ lbs: any distribution on a large scale under
these circumstances is-obviously impossible, but there are
already hopeful signs that large agencies in both of t ^e ^
countries are anxious to obtain the sole agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. of United
Publications.
The Director has investigated in England the possi-
blity of putting all United Publications on the market
in that country.
ln£urban India, the problem can be met with reason
able ease by the creation of large number of agencies
in the various towns. The setting up of these agencies
is being proceeded with.
The only magazine at present produced by United
Publications which is at all suitable for rural India is
Dunya, in one or another of its language combinations.
Here we have obtained the very welcome cooperation
of the Field Publicity Organisation in our efforts to sell
this magazine in the villages. Various methods of
which the most satisfactory is that copies should be
supplied in bulk to the organizers who will distribute
them through any kind of agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. whatsoever on a
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