Page 451 - PERSIAN 9 1941_1947

3.

the atroets hut the local Persians had mentally calculated
■V.E* Day long before It arrived. This eamo attitude
governs their reactions towards propoganda. There are come
who contend that the Peroiane made up their mind6 long ago that th
the Allies would win the war therefore it was waste of time and
money preaching to the converted. Shiraz has a reading room whl
which is fairly well frequented by idlers, it broadcasts news
from loudspeakers. It arranges window displays and publicity
material, it provides a counter for the sale of English and
other publications, it handles films and newsreels, it doles
out articles for the local press but one may .well'doubt
whether the organisation in its present form has not outlived
its usefulness and whether filns, books journals and newspapers
might not now be handled in purely commercial circles, the
distribution of press articles remain with the consulate and
the cultural activities that remain be taken over by the
British Council. In view of the remoteness of the war in
the Far Bast and-of the complete lack of Persian interest in
these operations it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep
alive the daily news summary distributed by the Consulate.
16. The British Institute in Shiraz has made excellent
progress and would make still more if it could expand its
premises and obtain more United Kingdom staff.

17. The American Advisers have not had a very happy passage.
The Military Adviser left for the United States in June and has
not been replaced. The Province has seen two American
Financial Advisers both of whom have been entirely in the hands
of their rascally interpreters. The first adviser was
commonly held to be not only in the hands of but also hand in
glove -with his interpreter.
19. The number of British officers in the province has
declined rapidly. Only one is now employed on grain collect­
ion, and it is understood that his retention in °hiraz is merely
a matter tof administrative convenience connected with his
impending^emobilisation. The officer attached to the road
transport department and both the liaison officers have gone
and only two junior Intelligence Corps officers remain. It
looks as if the consulate in Shiraz will soon revert to its
pre-war establishment of Consul one Indian Pro-Consul and
one Persian translator and that its work and Influence and its
grasp of the local situation will be proportionately reduced.
19 The period under review ended with the three leading
figures of Pars all flying at one another’s throatha or at
least aavam ul Mulk and Nasir qaahqai flying at the throat
of the Governor-General. The fact remains however that the
spring migration of the tribes passed entirely without incident
security was well assured, progress was made in the material
welfare of the province and the activities of ^vam ul Kulk
did not provoke the Rnsalans to Intervene in Pars on a scale
greater than that of their existing assistance to the
virtually negligible local Tudeh Party. Shiraz Consular Diary
apart, the affairs of Fars have scarcely received mention in
any summary or review that deals with Persia and this fact
is its own comment on situation*
Sd/ H.G. JAKIBS
British Consulate, Shiraz,
July 25th, 1945*