"تقرير الإدارة عن المقيمية السياسية في الخليج الفارسي للأعوام ١٩١٥-١٩١٩" [ظ‎‎٥‎٦] (٣٩٦/١١٩)

34
PEESIAN GULP ADMINISTRA'lION EEPOET
office. These measures were abandoned in the course of a month or two, sine®
when the normal arrangements have been in force.
At the same time a censorship on the Persian Post Office was established
by the Governor- General. Over this His Majesty's Consul was not in a posi-
tion to exercise any control, but it would appear to have been worked in a
hona fide, as well as in a reasonable, way.
Efforts were made by His Majesty's Consul, as far as the means at his
disposal permitted, to circulate information calculated to counteract the pro-
Tark-cum-German legends which were constantly being spread about by the
Democrats, and to give the people some idea of the real situation. Extracts of
important news received in Reuters or from other sources were translated and
distributed to the principal authorities and people likely to give them currency.
The work has been handicapped by the want of any Persian with sufficient know
ledge of English to be able to translate and the lack of any means of mecha
nical production. Later 50 copies of the Vernacular Edition of the " Basrah
Times " were ordered and at the present time (March) four copies are being
distributed free as complimentary copies, 24 copies are being issued to
subscribers and the remainder are placed in the hands of an Agent to
try and sell in the Bazaar. Copies of the '* Haqiqat " received from Basrah
are distributed free with the " Times." Copies of both have also been ordered
for the use of the South Persia llifles and the troops at Sirjan, and copies have
been sent to all principal outlying towns in the hope of securing more sub
scribers. It would be much easier to make an indefinitely large free distribu
tion, but His Majesty's Consul is convinced that the paper will receive more
attention and carry greater weight if it is paid for. Other occasional docu
ments of a propagandist nature have been procured from Basrah and have
been distributed in the town and districts.
A serious difficulty has been the unsatisfactory working of the Postal
Service between Bandar Abbas and Kerman, of which more will be said
further on.
Keference has already been made to the character and relations of the
Town and Provmoi.i in.ir.. ° hief Provincial Authorities. The district
Governorships are divided between
{< Prince's men " and " Sardar's men."
The following are occupied by Sardar's men :—
Bam and Narmashir .... Sardar Mujallal (son-in-law).
Av^ta Afehar. (Baft) .... JSlnlitashim-ud-Daulah (uncle).
Ilafsin i ai1 Salar Mufakhkham (uncle) (till
recently Zahir-ul-Huzur follow
er of the Prince).
The principal appointments held by the Prince's nominees are :—
Siijan • • • • Mirza Mabmud Khan iNayini)
Jabal Bam, Isfandaqah and Melmi . . Zahir-ul-Huzur (Tehrani)
(till recently Adl-ul-Mulk,
brother of Sardar Nnsrat, now
deceased).
A number of petty districts are also held by Prince's men.
State of country As far as their internal conditions are con-
External troubles.
cerned the districts have been quiet,
i i xt . , quieter probably than in ordinary
years, but the security of the roads adjacent to Pars territory has
suffered severely from the jDcursions of robbing and raiding parties from
t'rrr. J ,, Uy aild t Au S ust thei -e was a series of raids in force by
rt'.w,? 0 ffian y as 300 mei >- The claims on account
trnT-n n Car T n robbe< ! Ween Da "latabad and Baft amount to 9,000
ZX'. P / irR M 0C0 f S ! 0n r. ' e ? istrict of Isfandaqah was raided and
attetk^ b?^^ y f S nr^r, hlS ^ U P from Baildar Abbas '
KoVof W- TT ^ Baharlus in the Tang-i-Gulu-i-Aniir
ment riflesn^ul b otlf 11 P^y lost two Government horses and two Govern-
n aL caravan JS quantity of private belongings. The robbers missed the
n am caravan which was some distance behind.