ملف ١٧٤٩\ ١٩٢١ "الخليج الفارسي:- ملخصات إخبارية للمقيمية البريطانية ١٩٢١-١٩٢٥" [ظ‎‎١‎٢‎٦] (٤٩٤/٢٦٧)

The Director of Public Works in charge of the Bushire road received
instructions at the beginning of the month from the Minister of War sanc
tioning the expenditure of Ts. 3,000 for repairs to the road so that His
Imperial Majesty the Shah, on his return to Persia, will be able to motor to
Tehran via Bushire and Shiraz. Ts. 3,000 is, however, a mere drop in the
ocean for the repairs that are now required.
The Director of Public Works intends to start charging tolls on the
Bushire road as soon as the Shiraz-Kazerun section is “ finished ”, but appears
to recognise that his task is formidable and that objection would be raised to
tolls being charged before it can be classed as ‘carrossable.*
The newspaper “ Istakhr ” continues to publish long articles eulogising
the Bolshevik administration in Russia, and asserting that they have saved
Persia from British policy. The relations between M. Tompakoff and the
editor of this paper are very intimate.
The Isfahan road is unsafe. - An army officer recently reported to the
Military Command that there was not a single roadguard to be seen between
\ Shiraz and Dehbid, while the Inspector-General of the Amnieh has been drawing
\ full pay for guards.
The Officer Co nmanding Pars troops has been appropriating all revenue
receipts and remitting funds to the General Officer Commanding, Isfahan, after
having doubtless helped himself to a large portion. The result is that the pay
of the troops and the civil officials is now in arrears.
Kazerun appears to be in a bad state owing to the dissensions between
Nasir-i-Diwan and his former Parrashbashi, Meshedi Muhammad Ibrahim„
and more particularly to the depredations of his Nasir-i-Diwan’s nephew whose
men are stealing mules and their loads right in the town. Pour bales of carpets
belonging to Messrs. Zeigler were robbed a few hundred yards from the town
presumably by these men, as the mules were returned two nights later.
Behbehan .—No news of importance.
Bushire .—His Excellency Yamin-ul-Mamalik, the Acting Governor, has
been working hard to get confirmed in his appointment, and at present at any
rate it appears unlikely that any one else will be appointed.
Sheikh Hussein’s tomb has now been completed. It is situated on high
ground about half a mile from theSubzabad Residency and some 300 yards from
the main road. Abdur Reza Khan whose deportation from Bushire it was vainly
hoped the Persian Government would sanction, has been making arrangements
for the removal of the remains of the late Sheikh Hussein to the tomb. The,
Syeds of the Imam Zadeh are opposed to the institution of a shrine of a bogus
martyr so near theirs, and many Bushiris also disapprove of the idea {vide
monthly summary for August).
Madame Orlovskaya, a Russian Jewess and suspect Bolshevik Agent,
arrived in Bushire from Shiraz on the 8th October. She has called on all the
principal merchants of the town, and also the Acting Governor. She also
called on His Majesty’s Vice-Consul and asked for a passport visa to Basrah
which was refused. She appears to have plenty of money to spend.
Ghazanfar has appointed Mohammed Karim Khan as Zabit of Nazar
Agha, one of the villages of Shabankareh. Sohrab Khan is insisting on
Ghazanfar removing Mohammed Karim, otherwise he threatens to do so himseli
by force. Agha Khan of Daliki and Sohrab Khan concluded an arrangement
on the 9th October of mutual support against Ghazanfar, but its value is now
rather problematical owing to the position at Daliki.
Agha Khan of Daliki has taken bast in Bushire as he heard that
Fathullah Khan had bribed the Governor-General to- remove him and instal
Fathullah’s cousin Yadulla as Khan of Daliki. His Excellency Nizam-es-
-Sultaneh, the landlord, is understood to be very annoyed at this action of the
Governor-General which was taken without consulting him, and numerous
telegrams have been despatched to Tehran in support of Agha Khan. -
It is believed that Krans continue to be smuggled out of Persia on a large*
scale.