Coll 30/9 'Persian Gulf: Administration Reports 1926-1938' [‎495r] (994/1028)

the province a prey to the truculence of their wellarmed neighbours, (iv)
the Amnieh roadguards and posts are too few to be able to track or follow
up robbers: they are often drawn from undesirable local elements in touch
with the local bandits, (v) oppression and extortion by military or civil
subordinate officers have driven men in some cases into a life of revolt and
outlawry.
With all this, travel on nearly all the recognized roads of the province
is infinitely safer than it used to be: both for caravans and for individual
persons incidents are the exception. This is probably more due to a recog
nition by the former bands, which terrorised them, that it is wiser to keep
to their own limits and not get themselves into bad odour, than to any in
trinsic merit in arrangements for guarding the roads. In the distant dis
tricts, or mountain fastnesses, far removed from the roads, the position is
different: there the tribesmen cherish their independence of any control,
and particularly the possession of their arms and ammunition : and they
watch closely the failure of the Military Command to get on with disarma
ment, deal with outbreaks, or isolated cases of brigandage. The weaker
military efficiency appears to become, the bolder they are : and those who
hid weapons when disarmament began, are gradually getting them out
again, or even buying them in Shiraz. It depends on the personal policy
of individual Khans whether their districts and tribes remain quiet.
Military Affairs .—Except for the period between July 26th, when
some 580 men marched back from the Luristan expedition, to October 18th,
at no time from January 1926 to February 1927 did the garrison in Shiraz,
headquarters of the Southern Division, exceed 1,000 strong and it was often
under 500 : this represents a diminution of some 800 men on the maximum
strength noted in 1925.
The decline in the morale and effectiveness of the troops in Ears lies
largely at the door of Amir Lashkar Mahmud Aqa Khan Airam, and for
the rest at that of the influence in Tehran which permits him to remain in
such an important post. Personally mild and conciliatory, and on excellent
terms with everyone, enjoying his comfortable position in Shiraz, he is one
of the old school who considers it is due to make as much as possible out of
it, particularly out of the grant for the Southern Division.
Monthly and regularly, from 75,000 to 80,000 odd Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. are remit
ted from Tehran through the Imperial Bank of Persia for the expenses of
the division. Yet private soldiers have been kept without their allowance
of 5 Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. for periods of twelve to three months, and exist on the ra
tions issued out to them: all the more scandalous considering that the total
number to be paid is so small.
Another example. When tailors where kept with the units, the unit
commanders saw to it that their men got the three uniforms (or at least
two) to which they were entitled annually. The Amir Lashkar has col
lected the various company tailors into a divisional tailoring department:
this enables him to arrange that only one, or at most two uniforms are
issued yearly to each man, and to charge to his own credit the clothing not
issued. . . „ t , i „ ,
With few exceptions officers are occupied in finding methods of inak-
ing the money, which they do not get in pay, and in enjoyment caring little
for their meii. There are private feuds and jealousies among them. Worst
of all is the example set by the Amir Lashkar himself m loose living.
It is striking, so soon after 1920 and 1922, to hear really patriot offi
cers wearied and disgusted, say that their army administration will never
be a success, until it is run by foreign military officers.
Financial Devartment.-Qn March 13th one of the financial mission
from the United States, Major Hall, D.S.O arrived front Tehran to take
over the position of Provincial Director in Pars and the Guif Ports. He
personally liked among those Persian officials and members of society,
whom he meets, but he is handicapped by a limited vocabulary m Persian
Tn a place where few know European languages, and thus much in the