Coll 30/200 ‘Persian Gulf. Tour of Political Resident from Bahrein to Muscat in L. T. Nearchus.’ [‎10r] (20/133)

4
Captain Ahmed, the officer of the Indian Signal Corps now in charge of
the wireless station. We proceeded to the lines of the R.A.3. Levies
who appeared to me surprisingly smart and apparently well content with
their work. Thercmen are almost entirely Baluchis from British Mekran,
and are officered by Arabs from the Iraq. Levies, which is not a very
happy arrangement. None of the British officers speak Baluchi or Brahui
and I suggested that they obtain the loan of one or two officers from the
ekran Levy Corps. . This unit had given some trouble by marrying local
omen, contrary to Persian law, but the officer in charge of the unit
informed me that it had now been prohibited. The R.A*P. had contemplated
posting a second Company here from unite that were being disbanded on the
Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. , and this has now been agreed to on the understanding that
the men will wear pugrees and net Arab dress. Actually they will be main
ly of Persian origin which is very helpful in collecting information
regarding the surrounding country. So far these Levies have lost no
rifles, and it is to be hoped that their good luck will continue.
14. I then returned to the town where Captain Ahmed had invited
the local officials to meet us. Their complaints regarding supplies
had been met by the recent despatch of grain from Bushire, which curiously
enough crossed or very nearly crossed some grain despatched up Culf from
Chahbar. They complained bitterly of the absence of rice, and I suggest
ed to Mr. Rogers that this might be sent from Bushire. This has now been
arranged. The same shortage of piecegoods existed here, and equally
the prohibition upon their sale, in fact trade was at a standstill. Jask,
curiously enough, has no medical officer whatever, and if anyone is taken
ill he has the choice between death or an early transfer to Bandar Abbas.
A recent epidemic of smallpox in this area nad been dealt with by an
R.A.F. doctor who was flown over from Sharjah to carry out mass
vaccination, and his visit had been greatly appreciated.
15. I then went to see the wireless station which was under
Captain Ahmed’s charge. He had been supplied with comprehensive orders
by Captain Keen, when he was at Bandar Abbas, instructing him how to
proceed, and it was clear from his remarks that he was suffering from a
alight excess of zeal. He complained bitterly of the dishonesty and
incapacity of the local Persian officials and appeared very anxious to set
the administration right, but I advised him to proceed slowly and stick
to the duties outlined for him which were to control the wireless station
and supply us with what information he coui.d secure. He is, however,
a very promising young man, with quite a respectable knowledge of
Persian, and I have every hope that under Mr. Rogers’ direction he will
prove entirely satisfactory.
He controls the wireless station by the simple process of
locking the door of the place and taxing the key away with him and did
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